Are Passive Insoles Doing More Harm Than Good? Foot Experts Push Active Training Over Custom Supports
13.06.2026 - 16:26:59 | boerse-global.de
Millions of patients receive prescription orthotic insoles every year, but a growing number of specialists now question their long-term benefits. Rather than correcting misalignments, they argue, constant passive support may gradually weaken the foot’s natural musculature, leaving people less stable over time.
Why orthotic insoles can backfire
The high volume of prescriptions is drawing increasing criticism from biomechanics researchers and orthopaedic practitioners. The core problem: insoles are designed to relieve pressure and compensate for poor foot mechanics, but by taking over the work of the muscles, they can let those muscles atrophy. The result is a loss of inherent stability.
Experts instead recommend targeted foot training. Simple exercises integrated into daily routines, they say, often outperform any mechanical aid. “In many cases, active training is the better medicine, not passive support,” runs the consensus among specialists.
Runners also feel the effect
Sports medicine is similarly sceptical of mechanical intervention. Marathon runners in particular frequently suffer from overuse injuries. According to physician Dr Thomas Keese-Röhrs, when training volume exceeds 50 kilometres per week, 30 to 50 percent of runners are affected.
Attention is turning to biomechanical analysis, and social-media users are questioning the marketing strategies of running-shoe brands. Those ads often claim that a natural degree of foot pronation must be forcibly corrected. Yet scientific evidence that overpronation alone causes pain remains thin.
Barefoot shoes gain ground as an alternative
As a countertrend, barefoot-style footwear is growing in popularity. Orthopaedic surgeon Mellany Galla confirms: “Such shoes can actively train the foot muscles.” However, she adds, no scientifically proven advantage applies universally to everyone.
Caution is needed for people with certain pre-existing conditions such as diabetes with polyneuropathy, pronounced flatfoot or osteoarthritis. Beginners are advised to adapt slowly, wearing the shoes for just 30 to 60 minutes per day.
Industry is responding to the shift. In mid-June the brand “Pure Barfußschuhe” launched, developed by fascia therapists and biomechanics engineers. The shoes are manufactured in a German workshop, feature a 3-millimetre-thin sole with no heel elevation (zero-drop) and a broad toe box.
A new quality seal for barefoot footwear
To improve transparency, the Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens (PFI) is introducing a new certification mark. It will assess criteria such as sole flexibility and specific material properties. The seal is set to be unveiled at the “Barefoot” trade fair in Offenbach from 24 to 26 July 2026.
Innovation is also arriving in conventional orthopaedics. Basalt fibres are increasingly being used in composite-material solutions. This natural raw material offers a strong CO? balance, high tensile strength and excellent compressive strength — a sustainable option for orthopaedic structures.
Retailers stick with established formulas
While professional opinion shifts towards active movement, parts of the retail sector remain committed to tried-and-tested approaches. One shoe store in Carinthia announced it would give away custom-moulded soft insoles free with every purchase of summer sandals in June. The decision underscores that, despite mounting criticism, passive support systems remain deeply embedded in the market.
