Your Custom Cobbler

Mark J. Nelson, B.S., D.P.M.

Custom Medical and Fashion Footwear, Shoe Repair & Modifications

CUSTOM MOLDED INSOLES AND ORTHOTICS

What’s the difference?

          Custom Molded Insoles (CMIs) are removable inserts made from soft, lite weight, shock absorbing material shaped to the bottoms of your feet, 
                    and placed into your shoes to make your shoes more comfortable. The insoles in supermarkets and pharmacies are imitation CMIs made for 
                    an average foot.

                    Orthotics are produced to alter the bone and joint positions inside your feet as you walk and run, as part of a medical treatment plan for a foot 
                    disorder. A complete examination and diagnosis is necessary as the harder materials used can cause injury, so I require a prescription when
                    orthotics are requested.

                    When making CMIs I cut a piece of ethylene vinyl acetate ( EVA is the material in the midsole of your running shoes) and heat it in a toaster oven
                    until it becomes moldable. It’s placed on a cushion and covered with a heat insulating cloth. I then push your foot into the material and hold it there  
                    as the EVA cools. A vinyl or leather cover is applied, and the CMI is shaped on a grinding machine to fit in the shoes of your choice. EVA comes 
                    in different densities, thicknesses, and colors appropriate for fashion, leisure, work and athletic footwear.

          When making orthotics I make a plaster casting of the bottom of each foot. The prescription usually calls for the major joints of inversion and eversion,
                    the subtalar and midtarsal joints to be held in their neutral positions as the plaster sets. A positive model is created over which an orthotic shell is 
                    formed. Graphite composites are now in vogue, but traditional leather laminates still give excellent results, and do not crack. The shell is positioned 
                    in the shoe, or posted, with a bottom layer of acrylic, rubber, or cork.

                                                                                                              Return to Home Page