Other Protalus T-100 Elite Insoles Review

I was sent a pair of Protalus T-100n Elite Insoles to try out. I'm mid-training for my 15th marathon in five years and dealing with two dental surgeries, so I've had to skip several long runs over the last few weeks. (I can hear you groaning from here.) They showed up at just the right time as I had a 20-miler and a 14-miler back to back. I took out the factory insoles first (I run in Nike Zoom Pegasus) when I tried them on for an eight-mile walk on my day off. These are slightly thicker than many insoles I've tried before, and you'll have to loosen the laces, which I neglected to do. While I did notice my shoes were tight, I figured out my mistake quickly. (It's not enough that you have to worry about not being able to tie short laces, and they're not tight at all once you do.) My feet and legs felt great when I got home.

It took a few minutes to get used to the slightly different alignment when I ran the 20-miler the next day, and I was aware of them for about the first quarter mile. All of a sudden, I just felt like I'd had a really great caffeine gel because I actually had energy in my legs. They've really been beat from all the unintentional breaks I've had to take. My legs are about 1/8 of an inch off in length, so I know I have a bit of a gait issue, so I wasn't sure if this would help. (My left leg is always more sore than my right.) Friends, this was a run with a temperature high of 97 degrees, so I was going to be fatigued, no matter what. However, it wasn't my legs or feet. It was the first time that I could sleep at night without throbbing feet after a run of that length. Still, I wondered if it was the rest I'd taken.

Nope. I did the 14 miles the next day, and there is no way I wouldn't have had at least some achiness normally. This time, I didn't. I was honestly surprised, but I wanted to try them for another week (with another 20-miler, which I know isn't normal, but like I said, it's been one of those training jaunts). I ran five days during the week, including the long ru,n and I cannot begin to explain how much better my legs felt. I actually plan on purchasing another pair for my hiking shoes for cross-training. 

The heel cup is deeper than other insoles I've tried, and it seemed to give me more spring, having my foot rest in that position. The best part, though, is the fact that my lower back wasn't blasted after all that running. (Slightly different leg lengths can do that.) Another thing these insoles are promoted for is help with plantar fasciitis, which I do get here and there. While I didn't have issues with that when running this time, I can feel how it would help. These retail for around $65, and while I'd honestly never considered paying that much for insoles, I can see what I've been missing. This may sound silly to you, but I do tend to switch sneakers here and there, and the Protalus are really easy to get in and out of the shoe. (No stupid folding or twisting.) Between that and the shoe horn I bought (just call me grandma), I think I may have optimized my running sneakers. By the way, they make them for heels and while I have sworn off of those unless I win an Oscar (which would be odd as I'm not an actor), I'm now intrigued.