I haven't had the opportunity until now to share that I'm a
BzzAgent and sometimes receive products for free to try out and review. Until now, all of the products have been household items which don't bear much relevance to this blog. However, I recently received a pair of the
Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Inserts and I immediately knew this was a perfect review to share with you guys.
Here's some info about the inserts:
Dr. Scholl’s® For Her is the first full line of foot care
products designed specifically with women’s needs in mind. Whether it’s insoles
for heels and flats, or anti-friction products to help prevent shoe rubbing and
blisters, the entire collection enables you to enjoy the things you want to do
– not just the things you need to do – by enhancing foot comfort.
Unique design is clinically proven to help prevent pain from high heels 2” and up
Ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off ball of foot
Immediate and long-lasting comfort guaranteed, or your money back
Practically invisible, even in strappy heels
Slim design won’t make shoes feel tight
Insoles stay firmly in place, and are easily removable without damaging shoes
Made to fit women’s sizes 6–10, including all open-style shoes
So, how do they really measure up?
The inserts are plastic and are fairly thin. They are supposed to be thin enough that they won't change the fit of your shoe, but these shoes were
slightly big when I bought them and fit tighter and better with the inserts. They are thin and narrow enough that they could fit into any style shoe (including sandals) and not be visible. The plastic/rubber design is also beneficial because they can be moved from shoe to shoe. The bottoms are tacky enough that once you put the insert down it's not going to slide around, but it's not sticky so they can be moved and changed around without ruining the inside of the shoe.

I chose some of my higher and more uncomfortable heels (~4") to really test the inserts and determine comfort. The inserts are made for women with size 6-10 feet. I understand wanting to make one product that fits the most amount of shoe sizes, but I personally felt these could have been longer, or come in more size options. As you can see in this photo, I placed the heel of the insert all the way at the back of my shoe, however, the toe of the insert was several inches away from the front of my shoe. I have size 6.5-7 feet so anyone larger than me wouldn't get much benefit from the ribbed toe portion of the insert.

This photo was my attempt to show that the inserts have large arches built into them. The description of the inserts says that the purpose of wearing these is to help shift the weight from the balls of your feet to more evenly distribute the weight across your foot. The arches help to do that. I found the first few minutes of wearing the inserts uncomfortable because I was very "aware" of the arch support. However, I think my initial discomfort was only because I'm not used to having real arch support outside of my running sneakers. I got over the "weird" feeling fairly quickly, however. A random note - the plastic + walking = noticeable "squeaking" throughout the day as I walked down the hallway. Edited because after wearing them a 2nd day I didn't notice the squeaking. It might have just been a one-time thing.

After 12 hours of wearing these shoes, I can say I was impressed by the inserts. My feet and arches felt supported like they have only felt in sneakers. I wouldn't say the inserts transformed the heels from slightly uncomfortable to amazingly comfortable, but I definitely noticed a difference. I didn't feel the need to take off my heels at my desk all day, and I lasted an incredibly long day at work without being "aware" of any pain or discomfort in my feet. The inserts are priced from around $7.99 to $11.99 around the internet, with Walmart online having the lowest prices that I've seen. I wouldn't pay $12 for these inserts for every pair of shoes I own but I'd pay it once to have something to switch between shoes. What has your experience been with Dr. Scholl's inserts? Have you tried another brand of inserts before?
Blazer: Theory