Pedag Viva Sport Insoles

Although they seem to have healed now, I used to struggle with persistent achilles tendonitis issues in both of my achilles. As a result of which I’ve become very experienced with the wearing of orthotics and insoles. Also having worked for one of the biggest sports brands in the world, I could talk about them all day (and have done!) So when a colleague I met at the Pharmacy Day event at the NEC in Birmingham last year asked me to try some of their Pedag Viva Sport insoles and let them know what I thought, well I thought why not.

Insoles come in many variations, but I believe the main function is that they're worn inside shoes by way of an additional layer between foot and shoe. Often worn to help gait (the way that someone walks or runs and how they impact the ground) whether that be in a corrective, supportive manner or both. Insoles can be used by people doing numerous different activities too. For example, I would usually wear my achilles problem prevention insoles throughout the day, during my running warm up and then I would also have a pair for my sprint spikes too. It depends what you would like the insoles to help you do.

I decided I would try wearing the Pedag Viva Sport insoles both during the day and during sport. Although during sport is probably the bigger test because when you’re running you put up to 4 times your body weight through your feet and joints. So an insole needs to be lightweight, mold well with your foot, move with opposed to against your foot’s natural motion, but be supportive as well. They can’t be so chunky that your foot feels squashed in your shoe either; in actual fact you should probably be able to forget that you’re wearing insoles at all. This is what I found the Pedag insole to be.

The Pedag Viva Sport insoles were really interesting to try, if I begin by describing the way they look. Insoles can be made from numerous materials, from hard plastics to light foams. I’ve found the foam-like ones to be the most useful in the past as they’re light and flexible. The Pedag ones are a mixture of what I would describe as foam with a supportive polymer area. They’re strong but especially flexible on the forefoot. Which for me was useful because as a sprinter I spend a lot of time on my toes opposed to my heels. They have a resilient and springy foam base that gives a bit of cushioning when walking or running. They’re also slim enough to fit inside the majority of my shoes too so they’re very versatile. During the day I found that the heel of the insole allowed by heel to sit firmly enough in place so as to feel supported and cushioned.