PowerStep Pulse Plus Ball of Foot Pain Relief Shoe Insoles - Running Shoe Orthotics for Metatarsal Foot Pain, and Morton's Neuroma Relief - Made in The USA (M 9-9.5, F 11-11.5)

Really disappointed in this expensive orthotic. The quality is great, the insole is precisely the size of my foot, and the pad is a nice thickness -- but the placement is terrible for Morton's neuroma. I pulled a photo from the Internet and added my own marks to demonstrate. The red area is the location of the discomfort; the magenta area is the correct location of padding for Morton's neuroma and metatarsalgia. The yellow circle is where the pad is actually located. Not only does it feel awkward, it has zero effect on the metatarsal heads. If anything, they felt more pinched with the pads than without, as if I'd stepped into a higher-heel shoe. Perhaps I just have oddly proportioned feet, and the pad would fit into the hollow behind the metatarsal heads on other people. In any case, I'm going back to the small pads that you place on your own insole.

It’s clear that these orthotics are designed from the ground for a man’s foot, and then they slap a women’s size on it as an afterthought. The shape of the arch and placement is incorrect for a woman and the heel cup is WAY too large to fit a woman’s heel or a woman’s shoe. The red is the Pinnacle orthotic and the right is an Abeo gender-specific women’s orthotic. As you can see, the metatarsal pad is in completely the wrong place on the Pinnacle and the arch shape is not anatomically correct for a woman’s foot. The heel cup is also HUGE on the Pinnacle and will not fit in a woman’s shoe. My PT wants me in a little stiffer arch than the Abeo, but it doesn’t help if all the elements of the stuff orthotic are in the wrong place and the wrong size for a woman. Orthotics need to be gender specific.

I had high hopes that this insert would help relieve pain from Morton's Nueroma. It is advertised that the built in metatarsal pads help relieve foot pain from Mortons nueroma, but there is just one issue. The metatarsal pad is in the incorrect location to spread the metatarsal heads to relieve any pain. In fact, it made mine much worse by elevating the foot to put more pressure on the ball of the foot (much like wearing a high heel). I brought them to my podiatrist and he confirmed that it was not correctly placed. I thought maybe I ordered the wrong size, but he confirmed that they were the correct size, just wrong placement of the metatarsal pad. For the price and claiming to be the "podiatrist relief for pain" I was hopeful, but it is not for Morton's Nueroma (even though it is falsely advertised as such).

I’ve tried over 20 different insoles to help with metatarsal and ball of foot pain. When I first received these, they were the answer to my prayers.According to their ad (see their pic):“AFTER 4 WEEKS OF USE, THE MAJORITY OF POWERSTEP USERS EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN COMFORT”Another fact needs to be added to this quote, maybe something like:“After 8 weeks of use, the majority of users will need to replace the insole which has prematurely worn out.”After 8 weeks the top layer of foam has broken down to just about zero thickness at the high contact points such as heel and forefoot. What was once very supportive is now hard and painful.I really love this insole, but at $37 they are too expensive for a two month lifespan.For the facts, My weight is 172 lbs.

This review compares the Powerstep Pinnacle Plus Met Insoles to the Icebug Fat Maximum Cushioning Insole with Arch Flex Technology- Medium Arch. Both are well made with similar arch lift and adequate cushioning for hard use. The primary functional difference is in the placement of the metatarsal pad. The Powerstep Insoles locate the pad near the center of the foot just behind the ball, This placement matches the placement of the pad in a pair of expensive custom orthotics I ordered from an orthopedist for the relief of pain from fallen metatarsals. The Icebug Insoles place the pad farther forward, directly under the ball of the foot. While this is less effective for my condition, it may be perfect for other foot problems. If you've never used this type of insole before and aren't sure which is right for you, note that both are available from Amazon with free returns, which means you can order both and keep the ones that work for you. You can even try out the different arch sizes available for the Icebugs. Amazon pays the return postage. Just make sure you save all the packaging and avoid cutting the insoles to fit small or narrow shoes. Thank you Amazon!

I am in my mid-50's. When I was a teenager and into my 20's, I played tennis professionally. In those days the shoe technology was terrible, and tournaments were played mostly on concrete courts. As a result of the years of pounding and stress fractures, one of my feet is ruined and the other one is merely mis-shapen and painful. I can't walk barefoot or in flip-flops for more than a few steps without limping. So I choose my footwear carefully. For decades, I paid thousands to have custom orthotics made by Podiatrists and Orthopedists so that I could walk more or less normally. Frustrated by the cost of custom orthotics, about 5 years ago I ordered every orthotic in the FootSmart catalog and tried them all (approx 15 different designs). For me, the Footsmart line of orthotics were instantly almost magic. I now own about 20 pairs amongst the Pinnacle, Pinnacle Plus, and Pinnacle MAXX. I mix them up depending on the fit of the type of shoe I'm wearing. Now I routinely go in 10-12 mile hikes and can walk all day. I still have some pain at times, but nothing a few Advil won't eliminate.I haven't bought any more $900 pairs of custom orthotics since I switched to Pinnacle.The Pinnacle Plus is a nice addition to the line. They take a little getting used to, as you must gradually get accustomed to the additional metatarsal pad. They are particularly good for shoes that are either a half-size big, or shoes with soles that aren't quite stiff enough.Bad feet are such a difficult and individual problem, I can't guarantee the Pinnacle Insoles will be as good for you are they are for me, but they're definitely worth a try.

Working well

I would imagine these might be great if your issue is needing more support in the heal and arch but they did not help at all with my metatarsal pain. The pad is positioned too far back. The arch support is very pronounced. It caused me significant pain while walking. The heel support is also aggressive. It puts your foot in a forward slant. (Think high heeled shoe but not as drastic). The entire insert is also thick from the middle of the foot back. It puts you higher in the shoe which causes other issues.

The metatarsal support is very much welcomed by my tired and achy 60 year old feet and toes. Have been using Power Step for a couple of years. The Pinnacle Plus is very helpful for feet with low arches without causing the terrible heel calluses that my custom made orthotics did.

Very comfortable. In my opinion, the comfort is greater compared to the ones I purchased from a podiatrist office. I have pain to metatarsals and this product manages that pain very well.

Wife is really happy with these as she suffers from a low arch, these help her get some of that bounce she lacks in her natural form and get through her Zumba classes without ease and produce a better workout. Only thing is at first it might feel strange, your muscles need to get used to the change.