If you wear shoes that are too tight, you can experience ball of foot pain. It can be disconcerting and in extreme cases, it can even leave you unable to go to work. However, this need not happen at all if you have the best insoles for ball of foot pain.
If you have been exercising too hard, you are going to experience pain in the ball of foot area. When you are walking, running or jogging, the ball of foot area takes the brunt of the work.
This is the “fleshy” area between the toes and the arch area. When on your feet, it is the biggest area that is in contact with the ground.
For many mild foot issues, there is a reprieve in the form of shoes, insoles and even socks. For instance, in another article, we looked at the best shoes for peroneal tendonitis.
Best Insoles for Ball of Foot Pain
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For your health you have to stay on the move. People who work outdoors and spend their working hours on their feet appear healthier than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
But it is not so simple to stay on the move when you have heel pain, plantar fasciitis or ball of foot pain.
If you have been experiencing pain in the ball of foot area, getting a good pair of shoes and replacing the stock inserts with custom insoles ones can help you.
Try the following inserts:
1. Dr. Scholl’s Heavy-duty Pain Relief Orthotics
Dr. Scholl’s is one of the most renowned brand names when it comes to high quality orthotics for certain foot conditions.
These inserts will not only offer relief for ball of foot pain, but they are also good for a person with hip pain, ankle and knee pain. See its features below:
Shock guard technology
This special technology helps the insoles to distribute the pressure from your weight evenly.
Since these inserts have a high weight rating of 200 pounds, you will enjoy extended foot relief from the full insert.
The weight distribution technology ensures that no one point of your foot gets to bear the brunt of your body weight alone.
It keeps the toes relaxed
The bane of many inserts is that they crowd the toes together, which in return affects the ball of foot area.
They have more space at the toe area. Thus, your toes stay separate and this can also help to prevent the occurrence of stinky feet.
They have good arch support
When you have pain in the ball of foot area, you will need good arch support in your shoes and your insoles. These insoles from Dr. Scholl’s are going to offer your foot support at the three areas of content.
These are the heel, the arch and the ball of foot. That way, the inserts can distribute the pressure evenly among the three areas of contact.
Good for all types of shoes
These inserts are very versatile. You get to use them with just about all types of shoes, including work boots, sneakers, casual shoes and dress shoes. Just make sure to order the right size and remember to replace them at least once a year.
Downside
One of the downsides of these inserts is that they make creaking noises especially when they are new. However, this is not a deal breaker because they just make low squeaking sounds.
2. FootScientific® Arches Type 3 High Arch Insoles
While these FootScientific high arch insoles are meant for people with high arches, we know that having high arches is almost as bad as having flat feet.
The condition causes many foot issues including ankle pain, instability when walking and ball of foot pain. Here are some of the features that it comes with:
Super impact absorption from the molded cork
The reason why you might find these insoles a bit costly is that they come with molded cork. Cork is the same material that you find on the soles of Birkenstock sandals.
The benefit of using cork is that it absorbs impact. That way, if the muscle at the ball of foot area is swollen, it will prevent any of the impact from getting to the ball of foot.
Heel stabilizer
These inserts are indeed special because they have padded foam at the heel and it stabilizes the heel when you are walking.
It also provides extra support and padding for the heel. If you have heel pain, these inserts are going to offer you relief from the pain.
They have a layer of EVA Foam
These inserts have a small layer of EVA foam. This makes the ability of the inserts to absorb impact. Even if you have ball of foot or heel pain, you need all the impact absorption you can get from the insoles.
In addition to the padding, these inserts also come with a STAY DRY B.K Mesh, which helps to increase airflow. Therefore, your feet do not get too sweaty, and they can keep dry and comfortable throughout the day.
Downside
The only downside that these inserts come with is that they run a size too short. Thus, do not order your real size.
If you wear show size number 9, order number 10 and so forth. Apart from that, these inserts are the real deal for support, comfort and odor control.
3. VALSOLE Plantar Fasciitis Orthotic Shoe Inserts
These insoles look incredible. But looks alone do not make the best insoles for ball of foot pain.
The good thing is that whether you are overweight, a senior, a very active person or you just want inserts to wear with your casual shoes, VALSOLE is the real deal for you, especially this particular model that offers relief from metatarsalgia (inflamed ball of foot).
Has a deep heel cup
This is a very important feature especially for people who have plantar fasciitis. Remember, the plantar fascia is a band of meat that runs from the toes to the heel.
If it becomes inflamed due to vigorous foot activity, you will find the deep heel cup very helpful. It prevents the band of flesh from overstretching. It also helps to balance out the pressure that gets to your foot.
Gel absorbs all the impact
Some parts of these insoles are made with gel, which is a super absorbent material when it comes to impact.
When you have metatarsalgia, you need to prevent the foot from getting any kind of impact, which can cause serious pain.
Overall, the insole is made with TPU material. This is a hard type of material so it needs some sort of break-in period. As soon as the insole breaks-in, you will enjoy incredible support and comfort.
It controls odor
The topmost layer of the insole is made with a cloth material that serves important roles. First, it prevents friction when you are walking.
That way, your feet do not sweat too much. Secondly, it has antimicrobial qualities, so it controls foot odor.
Good for different types of shoes
These insoles are perfect for using with any shoes. You can wear them with work boots, dress shoes, sports shoes and others.
When you have an inflamed plantar fascia, you need protection when using all types of shoes. Thus, this kind of versatility is very welcome.
Downsides
You should not two things that might or might not happen with these insoles. First, because they are hard, they can squeak with some shoes.
Secondly, they might crack. There have been reports of the inserts cracking, especially at the arch support area.
Why do balls of my feet hurt so bad?
The only reason why your ball of foot hurts so much is that you have overworked your feet. This mostly happens when you have over-exercised.
When this happens, you could overstretch the band of flesh that connects the metatarsal region with the heel. Your ball of foot is part of the larger plantar fascia, so it is likely to be inflamed.
Another reason is wearing shoes too tight shoes or lacing the shoes too tightly. If you feel a shooting pain when you step on something, that is definitely inflammation on the ball of foot area.
Once you have established that you have ball of foot inflammation, the best thing to do is wear the right shoes, use the right insoles such as we have discussed here. Usually, the pain goes away after a few days.
If it does not, you should see a GP.
Best work boot insoles for ball of foot pain
There are many regular insoles for ball of foot pain for shoes. Even for boots, there are so many insoles.
However, the one that takes the top spot is the Timberland Pro Men’s Anti-Fatigue Insole. As you can guess from the name, it is designed with anti-fatigue technology.
It distributes the pressure throughout the foot so no one area of your foot bears all the brunt of carrying your weight.
This insole is designed with a technology that bounces the energy back to your feet. That way, you can work longer and harder.
You can order this insole on amazon.com. (https://www.amazon.com/Timberland-PRO-Anti-Fatigue-Technology-Replacement/dp/B00EA24C6C
Final Thoughts on Best Insoles for Ball of Foot Pain
The best insoles for ball of foot pain should have arch support, heel support (deep heel cup) and some padding on the ball of foot area.
When it comes to foot issues, do not take chances. Do not go for the cheap, bottom of the barrel insoles. It is better to pay more money and get more features than pay less for fewer features.