There is really no comparison. That's why we chose to name our product Posture Control Insoles® rather than orthotics.
Traditional orthotics and shoe inserts are inseparable from arch supports, heel posts, heel cups and cushion.
If you haven't done much work with orthotics here is a quick review:
The key elements of standard orthotics whether 3/4 or full length are arch supports and heel cups. Conventional wisdom professes that you can control hyper-pronation by supporting the arch with an arch support and reduce hyper-mobility of the heel by placing it in a heel cup.
This works quite well so long as you stand still, and that’s the problem. They don’t work nearly as well for active people. Active people walk and run; they bend and are on their toes. When your weight is on your forefoot or when you are on your toes, your weight is not on the orthotic.
It is recognized that traditional orthotics immobilize the foot. The collapsed arch is simply supported in place. The muscles capable of controlling the arch are no longer being challenged to work and they atrophy. Instead of becoming stronger and healthier, the foot becomes weaker. So fitting someone who has functional arches with arch supports seems as unreasonable as fitting a neck brace on someone who has a sore neck.
Posture Control Insoles® control hyper-pronation from the forefoot, and that is an important difference because the forefoot is always on the ground when the foot tries to hyper-pronate. This is why Posture Control Insoles® effectively control hyper-pronation through the complete gait cycle.
Posture Control Insoles® can be fit with arch supports, but we generally recommend them only for people with flexible flat feet, and we use a mild amount to facilitate the transfer vector forces across the longitudinal arch.
Heel lifts may also be used with Posture Control Insoles® to offset for physical leg length differences. They may also be used symmetrically for extra cushioning or to alleviate Achilles pain.
We do not offer and do not recommend medial heel posts be used at all with normal hyper-pronating feet. A medial heel post effectively elevates the first metatarsal further and does not decrease hyper-pronation during walking or running.
