I trekked all over San Diego late last week and through the weekend in my current sandal crush, a pair of Franco Sarto black leather cork wedges I picked up last summer, and after the first day, my feet felt fine; by the end of the second day, however, my feet and I were beginning to feel a little ‘tow up.
I turned to a pair of Dr. Scholl’s High Heel Inserts (about $8) to restore the spring to my step. They’re basically an adhesive gel insert, like a cushioned sticker, that fit into high heels to hopefully make them more comfortable.
I’ve used something similar from Foot Petals called Killer Kushionz, and even though my inner word nerd flinches every time I see the way “Kushionz” is spelled, I love how comfy they are.
Of course, at $12.95 a pop, Kushionz are about 62% more expensive than the inserts from Dr. Scholl’s, a fact not lost on my bargain-lovin’ self. Add to that the cost of shipping, as I’m usually forced to order Kushionz online (I can’t always find them locally), and the difference is usually even greater than that. Meanwhile, the Dr. Scholl’s inserts are carried at most drugstores, and sometimes even at grocery stores like Safeway.
The whole insole idea isn’t too complicated here. Both products are designed to do the same thing, but they go about it in slightly different ways.
- Adhesive: One major plus for Dr. Scholl’s? They’re easier to remove, adjust and reinsert. The adhesive the good doctor uses is just more practical than the stickier adhesive used for the Kushionz.
- Material: Killer Kushionz are made from something that resembles a high-tech foam, while Dr. Scholl’s Insoles are made from some kind of thermogenic (my word) gel that turns my shoes into a steam engine, for reals!
Hot, and tons of sweat. On top of that, the gel doesn’t absorb the excess sweat, so it all just pools around in there (nasty!). The Killer Kushionz, on the other foothand, keep my feet much cooler and dry. - Arch support: Where Dr. Scholl’s kicks Killer Kusionz to the curb. The doctor’s insoles are thicker, more supportive and consequently more comfortable when I’ve been standing in place (more on that in a minute) on my feet for a while.
- Width and overall shape: Both insoles are shaped differently. The Dr. Scholl’s are narrower at the tip/ball area; the Killer Kushionz are wider overall and throughout the length of the shoe. For me, the Dr. Scholl’s just feel too narrow for walking. They’re fine for a lot of standing where I’m not walking much and covering a lot of ground, but they get uncomfortable if I’m walking around. They also have these raised edges that I can feel rubbing against the bottom of my feet.
After hoofing it around the SD in the doc’s inserts for a few days, I stopped caring about the price difference and missed my Killer Kushionz.
If your feet only slightly perspire, and your days involve more standing than walking, Dr. Scholl’s High Heel Inserts might be a better option for you.
PRICE: $7-10, depending on where you find them
AVAILABILITY: At grocery stores, drugstores and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-
Home sweet home!
Gosh, it’s nice to be back home again. 🙂 I do love to travel, but when I’m away I miss Tabs and all my routines.
Most of alll, I miss my bed! There’s nothing like that first “Ahh!” when you slip back under your covers and lay your head down on your own pillow, you know?
So what’s shakin’? How’s your Tuesday coming along?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I don’t think I’ve worn anything with a heal on it since my high school graduation 6 years ago! I’m happy with my Converse. 🙂
And you know how much I value my sleep, so I definitely understand the being back in your own bed thing. Being away really makes you appreciate it!
Really? I’m really short, and if I don’t wear heels I feel like a munchkin, LOL! Plus, a lot of flat shoes hurt my feet, go figure.
Converse are cool though. Are you a low- or high- top kinda girl?
Nothing like the comfort of your own bed, I agree =D Kushionz sound really awesome!
They’re really great. I have them in a several of my heels and they make a huge difference.
Sorry these make your feet hot Karen. I love them and always buy a pair every time I buy a new pair of heels. They don’t make my feet hot at all. COMFORTABLE!!! Have a great week -Welcome back home 🙂
I tried these with some high heeled boots earlier this year and my feet were horribly hot :/. I’ll have to try the Kushionz *eye twitch* with my Cole Haan heels soon!
Haha, my eye does the same thing. There’s something about the combination of “K” and “Z” that screams Kevin Federline.
I love the shoes, Karen. And I miss my bed too! lol.
Thanks, Jenn! They’ve been my go-to sandals all summer.
I’m not a fan of the full inserts for heels, but the ball-of-foot cushion are lifesavers. They hold my foot in place so I don’t have to scrunch my toes up while walking!
Hi Stephanie,
Which ones do you use? I have the Foot Petals version of those and love ’em to bits.
I think those Dr School cushions you tried are meant to be work with stockings or tights, as they don’t absorb the sweat from your feet.
BUT
you should try the ones that are made for sandals and open back shoes, they have a black silky cover that absorbs all the sweat your feet will produce, and they are washable! You can switch them from shoe to shoe very easily as well. I think I have a pair in every single pair of heel and sandal that I own! And I swear by them… so comfortable~!
Please let us know if you try these (the ones for open shoes) and what you think of them
Karen these are the ones I mean…
http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/productSearch.do?method=doProductDetailsLookup&searchArg=60
Thanks, Claudia. Do you know if they’re thick like these?
I don’t believe they are as thick as the ones that you featured
I have bad feet and always need to customize shoes with various inserts. I stick with the foam inserts for the reasons you mention. Plus, they kinda stick to skin and make squishy sounds when I walk. Dr. Scholl’s makes a foam version that I like better than Kushionz — they have a better shape. Check out…
http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/productSearch.do?method=doProductDetailsLookup&searchArg=50
Thanks, Steph. I’ll have to check ’em out. 🙂
That heat thing sounds AWFUL! xP
It’s pretty gross, bluh!
Hmm, I think I tried an off-brand version of Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts back when I worked in retail. They weren’t the best, and my feet still ached. 🙁
Now I want to try Killer Kushionz.
Hi Chris,
I used to work retail too back in the day. What stores did you work at? I worked at a few — Emporium Capwell, Miller’s Outpost and The Limited.
I worked at the American Museum of Natural History, actually. In the gift shop. If you’re ever in NY and you want to visit, I can hook you up with vouchers.
hmmm… I need to try these out. My feet hardly sweat so I shouldn’t have a problem with that. I do tend to walk a lot though 🙁
i cannot stand anything hot/warm in my feet during the scorcher houston summers! this might be a good thing during the winter though — help keep my feet warm!
I’m totally with you on the cushion. You know I live in running shoes but I actually have a nearly new pair of Nikes that I never wear because they’re not cushy enough (got them super cheap at a Nike outlet and liked the color). And I don’t mean to run… just to kick around in. The balls of my feet turn into searing, stabbing sources of pain in heels so I try to avoid them. They do look really nice; I wish I had tougher feet. 🙂
i would not be able to wear those in this heat! i’m still looking for my perfect shoe insoles lol…gotta find one of those dr. scholl’s feet station things!
Are the Killer Kushionz slightly thinner? I just got a new pair of wedges but they’re kind of tall and they fit too well so I’m worried that they won’t fit anymore if I get some insoles.
Hi Andrea,
Yup, they’re thinner. 🙂
Ooh, I used these same ones too, when I attended a wedding. They worked all right, but I’m just not a heels person at all. I’m really short, only about 5’1, but due to my flat feet heels just don’t work out for me! 🙁 I could go on and on about my experiences with shoes and orthotics related woes, but long story short, I found the answer (at least for me) in Superfeet. Expensive, but for someone with knee pain it’s worth it.
And they also have an option for high heels, too! I haven’t tried those yet but I might think about it if I have another special occasion I have to wear fancy-schmancy shoes to.
Karen I really enjoy your blog & have purchased several products from there. So fun. I just purchased 6 pairs of Killer Kushionz for 5.99 each plus 6.99 shipping at ShoeCareSupplies.com. How about that? My aching tootsies thank you.
What ever happened to the wonderful little adhesive strip that fits behind the heel to cause a tighter heel fit? None of the gel ones sold in stores are effective for narrow heel fit.
Edna Lanier