IGNITE HEAT MOLDABLE ORTHOTIC http://g8performance.com Rating: 5/5 Price: $ (click here to check) This post might contain affiliate links for which we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase. Learn more. Source: Bike shops, websites Made in: Australia Features: Fully custom, ultra supportive and comfortable. On your feet all day or exploring the back country. IGNITE is the best of the best. How obtained: Sample from company Summary: Fully customized via heat mold-able that shapes to the contours of your foot. Very easy to heat and mold offering a very comfortable and secure feel! | FEATURES
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OVERVIEW
It’s a breath of fresh air to be able to use a reasonable priced, high quality, fully customizable orthotic that actually works better than advertised. I have fairly high arches and, so far, have been unable to find any over-the-counter orthotic that actually works correctly for my feet. I have been hesitant to shell out $600+ for custom podiatry grade orthotics so G8 Performance sparked my interest when a friend told me about them.
Introducing the IGNITE orthotic from G8 Performance.
IGNITE orthotic insoles are the most recent and versatile addition to the G8 Performance insole product range. They are easy to mold and shape to the exact contours of your feet. They support your feet exceptionally well, and are extremely comfortable.
G8 Performance Founder David Lee asserts that when it comes to feet, one size definitely does not fit all. “The majority of people actually experience quite significant differences between their left and their right foot so having the ability to adjust an insole to perfectly fit each foot just makes sense” Lee says.
Feet can be categorized by the height of the arches (low, medium and high), but, in reality, no two people have the same height of arch. To further complicate the issue, each person’s left foot is different than their right. One is usually a little longer than the other, a little taller or shorter than the other and has a little higher or lower arch than the other.
Because the IGNITE’s are easily shaped by the palm of your hand to match the exact contours of your feet, the IGNITE’s can provide support to the foot throughout the full range of motion, at a fraction of the price of podiatry grade orthotics. Podiatry grade insoles can cost $600 or more, so the IGNITE allows people access to support and comfort for their feet at a much more affordable price of $77 USD per pair.
Lee further emphasizes, “There are numerous heat moldable insoles on the market; however all of them suggest heating the insole in an oven or the like and then standing on them. The issue here is insoles will then conform to whatever you are standing on (i.e. floor) and not to the shape of your foot.”
SETUP:
Following the simple provided instructions, I first cut the IGNITE’s to length using the original insole as a template. I
then borrowed my wife’s hairdryer (important note for the guys, do this while she is at work), and, doing this one at a time, I heated the gray underside of each IGNITE for 2 minutes – until the IGNITE became soft and pliable.
While seated, I then molded the IGNITE to my foot using the palm of my hand making sure to press the complete IGNITE and especially the arch area into the bottom of my foot.
I also made sure to wrap and firmly press the side of the IGNITE up the side of the arch which gave me full support. The IGNITE cooled in about 2 minutes so I put it on the floor and repeated with the other one. The instructions then say to heat the gray heel area of the IGNITE and do the same. Mine felt good ‘as-is’ so I skipped this step.
After letting them cool for 10 minutes, I placed them in my running shoes. They felt perfect.
Note1: If you feel any discomfort, repeat the heating process in the areas that need to be re-molded.
Note2: Instructional video can be seen at https://vimeo.com/69143120.
HOW DID THEY PERFORM?
I placed the IGNITE’s in my running shoes and went out for a jog with Max, our Labrador. After a 5K run, my feet felt refreshed, no pain. The custom formed arch supported and cradled my feet so there was no soreness to the ball of my foot (Sesamoid’s) that I get sometimes due to high arches.
Several runs later, they are still comfortable and support my feet perfectly.
Next, I tested the IGNITE’s in my Shimano cycling shoes. Shimano is a very low volume shoe so I thought that this would be a great test.
- First ride – My feet felt a little tight, but I soon got used to the new feeling. Also, I liked the feel of the arch support that I custom molded to my foot. The arch held my foot firm in the shoe. After a 60 mile ride, there was no pain or discomfort from these new orthotics, in fact, the Sesamoids weren’t even sore.
- Second ride – 3 hours in the saddle doing hills. Standing or sitting, my feet felt comfortable. It was a warm day and the only negative thing that I experienced is that there is no ventilation in these orthotics. This causes your feet to be very warm. I have spoken to David Lee on this issue.
- Third ride – Another 60 miles and I wanted to test to see if the heat form fitting was losing ant of its set. I was happy to see that after miles of running and miles and hours of cycling, the IGNITE’s have maintained their shape. I was told by David Lee that if needed, you can easily reheat and reform – but you shouldn’t need to.
OVERALL SUMMARY:
The IGNITE can be heated multiple times without affecting the quality of the insole and is machine washable. I highly recommend the IGNITE’s!
The G8 Performance IGNITE’s get a 5 star rating!
I have always enjoyed bicycling and, through a series of coincidences, became a Bicycle Industry Consultant and Product Tester. I test prototype products for companies and have published only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com.