Stride Soles Review: Are Custom Orthotics Worth It for Teachers?

Disclosure: Stride Soles provided me with a complimentary pair to review, and I may earn a commission from purchases made using my discount code. All opinions are my own.

If you’re a teacher, you know that sitting down isn’t exactly part of the job description. We’re standing while we teach, circulating the classroom, walking students through the hallway, heading to meetings, running copies, doing dismissal duty, and then somehow we’re still on our feet after school running errands, exercising, taking care of our families, and doing everything else that needs to get done.

So when Stride Soles reached out and asked if I’d like to try a pair of their custom orthotics, I was intrigued.

I’ve purchased plenty of comfortable shoes over the years, but I’d never had an orthotic made specifically for my feet.

I’ve now been wearing my Stride Soles consistently for several weeks, primarily during my hour-long walks and other everyday activities. I purposely waited to write this review because I wanted enough time actually wearing them before deciding what I thought.

Here’s my experience.

What Are Stride Soles?

Stride Soles are custom orthotics made specifically for your feet. This isn’t the same as buying a pair of insoles at the store, trimming them to fit your sneakers, and calling it a day. The process starts with an online questionnaire about your feet, the shoes you’ll be wearing, and how you plan to use your orthotics. After that, you use the Stride Soles app to complete a foot scan and gait analysis and provide additional measurements and information. I was actually impressed by how particular they were about the measurements.

Before my orthotics went into production, Stride contacted me because my foot measurements were slightly different from what they typically see for my shoe size. They asked me to measure everything again and confirm both my size and the type of shoe I planned to wear. I appreciated that. For something supposed to be custom-made for my feet, I want the company to notice if something doesn’t quite add up.

Why I Chose a Pair for My Sneakers

Initially, I thought I’d have my orthotics made for dress shoes or flats because I wanted to wear them to work. But I received them during summer break. Realistically, I knew I’d be wearing sneakers much more frequently during the summer, especially for my walks. I decided I’d get much more use out of a pair of sneakers right now and would have a better opportunity to really test them.

That turned out to be the right choice. I’ve been able to wear them consistently while walking for about an hour at a time as well as during other everyday activities.

For teachers who are active outside of school too, whether you’re walking, jogging, hiking, running errands, or just constantly on the go, having them designed for sneakers makes a lot of sense.

What Do They Actually Feel Like?

This is probably the part you’re really wondering about.

They’re comfortable.

And I don’t mean “comfortable after suffering through two weeks of getting used to them.” I was able to walk comfortably in them from the beginning.

Stride does recommend gradually increasing your wear time if you’re new to orthotics. I started by wearing mine during my approximately hour-long walks and continued from there.

After several weeks of use, I’ve had:

• No foot pain
• No rubbing
• No discomfort
• No problems completing my regular walks

They simply feel supportive and comfortable inside my sneakers.

Did They Make a Dramatic Difference?

This is where I want to be completely transparent. I didn’t start this experiment because I was experiencing significant foot pain. Because of that, I can’t tell you that I put Stride Soles in my shoes and suddenly a problem I’d been struggling with disappeared. And I’m not going to pretend that happened to make for a more exciting review.

My experience has been much simpler: I’ve been able to comfortably wear them for weeks without pain or discomfort, including during hour-long walks.

Someone who is already dealing with discomfort from standing or walking all day may have a very different before-and-after experience than I did.

For me, they’ve been a comfortable way to add customized support to shoes I’m already wearing regularly.

Why I Think Teachers Will Be Interested

Teachers are in a unique position when it comes to our feet. We can easily spend the majority of a school day standing or walking on hard classroom floors. Then the school day ends, and life doesn’t. There’s grocery shopping, kids’ activities, exercise, housework, errands, walking the dog, you name it. Whatever your life looks like after school, chances are your feet haven’t clocked out just because you have. That’s one reason I think the idea of an orthotic customized specifically to your feet could appeal to teachers.

I also like that Stride Soles designs the orthotics based on the type of footwear you’re actually going to wear. Mine were made for my sneakers, but they can also be designed for other types of shoes. I’d personally be interested in eventually trying a pair specifically designed for the shoes I wear while teaching. My sneaker pair has been great for walking and everyday activities, but spending an entire school day on my feet is a completely different test!

Let’s Talk About the Price

Here’s probably the biggest consideration.

Stride Soles retail for $250 per pair. That’s not an impulse purchase. They’re obviously very different from grabbing a $20 or $30 pair of insoles off the shelf because these are made specifically for your feet using your measurements, foot scan, gait analysis, footwear, and other information. Still, $250 is an investment, and I think it’s important to be upfront about that.

Whether custom orthotics are worth that investment is going to depend on the individual. If you’re already completely comfortable in your shoes and don’t feel like you need additional support, $250 may feel like a lot to spend. If you’re on your feet for hours every day and have been looking for something specifically customized to you, you may look at that price very differently. I don’t think there’s one answer that’s going to apply to every teacher.

What I Like

After several weeks of actually wearing them, here’s what stands out to me:

• They’re customized using your foot measurements, scan, gait analysis, and intended footwear.
• They’ve been comfortable during my regular hour-long walks.
• I’ve experienced no foot pain, rubbing, or discomfort while wearing them.
• The fitting process can be completed from home.
• Stride personally verified my measurements before putting my pair into production.
• You can have them designed for the type of footwear you actually wear.

Things to Consider

There are a few things I’d think about before ordering:

• The $250 price. Even with the 10% discount, you’re still looking at $225.
• The fitting process takes some effort. You’ll need to complete the questionnaire, measurements, scan, and gait analysis rather than simply ordering your shoe size.
• They’re customized for your footwear. My pair was specifically designed for sneakers, so if you regularly switch between sneakers, flats, boots, and other shoes, one pair may not work equally well in everything.
• The difference may be subtle if you’re already comfortable. I didn’t start with significant foot pain, so my experience wasn’t a dramatic before-and-after transformation.

These are the things I’d want to know before spending $250.

So, Are Stride Soles Worth It?

After wearing my custom Stride Soles consistently for several weeks, I can say that my experience has been positive.

They’re comfortable. I can walk for an hour in them without pain. They haven’t caused rubbing or discomfort. And I like knowing that what I’m wearing was created based on my actual feet rather than a generic shoe size.

But I’m also not going to tell every teacher reading this that they need a $250 pair of custom orthotics. That’s going to depend on your feet, your activity level, your current footwear, your budget, and what you’re hoping to get from them.

If you’re a teacher who spends hours on your feet every day, or you’re active outside the classroom with walking, jogging, hiking, errands, or family activities, and you’ve been considering customized support, I think Stride Soles are worth looking into.

For me, the next interesting test will be getting back into the classroom and spending those long days on my feet again. I’ll continue wearing mine and update this review if I notice anything new over time.

Want to Try Stride Soles?

For The Love of Teachers readers can visit Stride Soles and use LOVEOFTEACHERS10 for 10% off their custom orthotics.

Regular price: $250 | With my reader discount: $225

Have you ever tried custom orthotics, or would you consider investing in a pair for those long days on your feet? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!