Finding the right orthotic as a hiker is important. Hiking places a great deal of stress and strain on the feet during the hike. Any kind of arch support and stress reduction is important. There are many orthotics on the market but many are not ideal for hiking. For a hiker you want to look for these traits in an orthotic:
1. Durability- Do not buy a cheap orthotic as they will not last. Hiking puts a tremendous amount of stress on your feet. A cheap orthotic will be unusuable after two weeks.
2. Arch Support is very important for obvious reasons but effectively orthotics with poor arch support really are not doing much for you.
3. Stress reduction- Walking on a hike places a great deal of stress and strain on your feet. Any padding that can lead to a more manageable stress level is ideal.
Now just a warning for you: you need time to break in an orthotic before taking it on a hike. If you buy an orthotic and the first time you wear it is on a hike that is a bad idea as it will cause your feet to get sore. You want to break in your orthotic by wearing it a couple of hours a day before you wear it on a hike. Now below I have listed what I believe are best orthotics to wear for a hike:
Powerstep– Powerstep are one of my favorite orthotics on the market. The polypropilene shell provides solid arch support, while an extra padding top cover can provide plenty of stress reduction of the feet.
Spenco– Have you every walked on a bed? That is what it feels like with a Spenco orthotic. If your number one desire for your orthotic is stress reduction and comfort Spenco is probably the way to go. They have a patented top cover that reduces the stress while making your foot very comfortable.
Superfeet– My favorite orthotic for hikers. Superfeet is ideal in that it has specific orthotics made for specific foot types. They have an orthotic for flatfeet, for high arches, and for plantar fasciitis. Suffice it to say Superfeet has an orthotic for you. Also, their orthotic provides long lasting arch support combined with a great deal of comfort and padding.