Fit and Comfortable Feet

It is common for people who want comfortable feet to think they need to wear cushioned socks. As an example, my wife recently bought a new pair of golf shoes. They were Nike Air Go golf shoes, on sale—certainly a factor. She mentioned at the end of 18 holes, her feet hurt. So she tried on these sale shoes at a local golf course, with the socks she had worn that day. Normally, she wears a size 9. They were tight so she went up to a 9.5. Since they too were tight, she finally settled on a size 10.
     She commented that they were tight because she was wearing her favorite socks—a highly cushioned pair of acrylic and cotton blend. She likes these socks because of their cushion. In her mind, it is the socks that make her feet comfortable. There is some truth to that—but it is not the only factor.
     I was recently sent to pairs of insoles to review. Later this month I will talk more about these insoles and how much I like them. For now, I mention them to point out that a simple pair of insoles has increased my comfort level in my golf shoes. The stock insoles that came with the shoes were thin and offered little support or cushioning. Changing nothing else but the insoles greatly increased my comfort. The two sets of insoles I tried are very different. One is very cushioned and the other is slightly cushioned with support. They slightly cushioned one with support is much more comfortable for 18 holes of golf that the very cushioned pair.
     The take-away from this is that cushioned socks and cushioned insoles do not necessarily make for a comfortable fit. In my wife’s case, she will purchase a few pairs of thinner socks with wicking properties, and still feel comfortable. Then I’ll get her new replacement insoles and she will see the difference. Over the next month, I’ll talk more about comfort. Even thought I talk about comfort and use golf shoes as an example, this applies to any foot wear.
     In the meantime, here is the link to the World’s Softest socks website. I even wear them. They are soft and comfortable.