My Years of Experience using arch supports
by Darrell Poirier
I have been wearing arch supports for more than 40 years. What I can confidently say based on decades of personal experience and conversations with many doctors, is that everyone’s feet are different.
Over the years, I have tried virtually every type of insert and arch support available and have spent thousands of dollars searching for relief and a solution that truly worked for me. I typically wear a new pair for about two weeks before making a final decision, because in my experience, the body often needs time to adjust.
I have worn both ¾-length and full-length inserts, rigid and soft designs, and have gone through nearly every fitting method available: stepping into foam boxes, standing on clear glass for scans, molded impressions of my feet, and plaster casts made by podiatrists.
Off-the-Shelf Products ($10–$60 Range)
My experience with off-the-shelf arch supports (both rigid and soft) was largely disappointing. They provided little to no relief. Rigid supports often caused foot discomfort and fatigue over time and were generally uncomfortable for me.
Many also took up too much space in my shoes, making them feel tight. This space issue is a common problem that I have encountered with many arch supports over the years.
Foot Impressions by Foam Box or Glass Scan ($250–$300 Range)
After having foot impressions taken, the molds were sent to a lab, and the finished supports typically arrived one or two weeks later. These worked slightly better than off-the-shelf options, but the improvement didn’t last.
After a month or two, the discomfort returned. These supports were usually rigid and again took up too much room in my shoes.
Foot Impressions by Balloon ($350–$400, plus adjustments costs)
In one case, I visited a small local arch support company that used a balloon-based impression system. A balloon with a thermal material on it was placed under my arch. As the balloon inflated, the warm material molded to my foot and then cooled, creating the impression. The impression was taken into a backroom lab and while I waited, I could hear metal sawing, hammering, and the sound of a rivet gun popping. Eventually, they returned with arch supports made from an aluminum plate covered in leather.
As strange and comical as it seemed at the time, these arch supports were the best performers I had ever used. I wore them for approximately eight years.
As my feet or shoes changed, I could return for new impressions and adjustments, sometimes just a bit of hammering or new leather and I was good to go. Unfortunately, the two craftsmen who had these skills eventually passed away, leaving me without a comparable solution. As a side note: While wearing these supports, I needed chiropractic adjustments about 75% less often.
Foot Impressions Cast by Podiatrist ($450–$800, plus office visit costs)
In this case, a podiatrist made plaster casts of my feet, which were sent to a lab to create the supports. These rigid, ¾-length supports helped me more than most other options (but less than the aluminum plate covered in leather).
However, after six months to a year, discomfort would return. Buying new shoes helped temporarily, since the rigid supports tended to wear down the shoe insoles unevenly, but ultimately things would change and the supports needed updating.
Once again, they took up too much room in my shoes.
Forty Years Later: The Final Purchased Pair
I needed new supports and didn’t want to spend another $800, so I returned to my chiropractor to try a new option. This system used a clear glass foot scan and provided premade arch supports immediately, without lab time.
Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. I told my chiropractor (who has been a friend for many years) that the supports were simply not good and that I thought that even we could make something better ourselves.
The ApedX Arch Supports
Given our combined experience (Dan as a chiropractor and myself as an inventor with many granted patents in areas such as speech recognition, drones, and audio products) we decided to give it a try.
We set out to design an arch support system that:
- Is a flexible, full-length insole
- Adapts naturally to any person’s feet and shoes
- Requires no impressions or lab work
- Is thin, so it doesn’t make shoes feel tight
- Custom-fits easily
- Has a great warranty
- Is priced so the average person doesn’t need to dip into the grocery money
The ApedX Solution
After three years of engineering, testing, and customer evaluations through the chiropractic office, we developed the patent pending ApedX Architecture of Massage, Self‑Firm, and Cradle Technology now available from MyArchSupports.com.
This technology adapts to each individual and is built into a flexible, full-length replacement shoe insole that can be easily trimmed to custom fit using a simple pair of scissors.
I have now been wearing ApedX arch supports for two years, and they show very little wear (unlike my shoes). Dan has been wearing them for multiple years as well.
My cousin Dale, an avid outdoorsman who hikes and hunts had sore feet and tried pediatrist prescribed ¾ rigid supports but found them uncomfortable, has now been wearing the ApedX supports for nine months and reports no noticeable wear and continued comfort. Feedback from our initial customers has been very positive as well.
This is my arch support experience, and maybe you have had a similar experience?
Try ApedX Risk‑Free
As said at the beginning, everyone’s feet are different, and no arch supports will work for everyone. Because it typically takes two to three weeks for feet and arch supports to fully settle in, we offer a full 60‑day money‑back guarantee, versus just a short trial period. Moreover, we offer a lifetime warranty to replace the arch supports for any failures due to manufacturing.
We want people to have enough time to truly experience the ApedX difference.
Give them a try and see if they work for you.