Shock Doctor is about more than just having an uber-cool name. They've made that name synonymous with saving us the consequences of our high-impact activities. From mouthguards to body armor they've literally got you covered inside and out.
Shock Doctor makes a complete line of sport-specific insoles for cleats, courts, skates and the general-purpose Active line. We tested the Active Ultra insole and found it to be the most sophisticated insole we've ever tried, and we've tried some that cost more than twice as much.
The construction is carefully tailored to provide alignment, cushioning and support for your foot. Just looking at the bottom you'll see the stiff yellow support material and three separate impact zones filled with foam that's designed to rebound as you step off. The top of the insole has a deep heel cup and contouring under the arch and the area between the ball of your foot and the first toe joint.
The feel of the Active Ultra is superb, it's like getting a whole new shoe – or foot, or both – that's both higher performance and more comfortable than your old shoe – or foot, or both. The insole is not too thick, about 5mm on average, although the heel cup is a bit on the wide side. That's not a concern for most activewear shoes, but it might be a bit tight in a dress shoe. The front half can be trimmed to fit.
If you're trying to dial in the fit of your shoes, relieve/prevent foot pain, soak up excess volume or whatever, Shock Doctor is the way to go. Bonus: it's just a fraction of the cost of new footwear, and for an insole that's portable between shoes. The reasonable pricing is just icing on an already very good cake.