Shoe insoles in the workplace

Ninety-six women participated in a crossover study to evaluate the effectiveness of viscoelastic polyurethane insoles in reducing back, leg, and foot pain among adults who spend the majority of each work day standing. Twenty-five of the subjects reported that the insoles made their shoes too tight to be comfortable. The remainder, however, found the insoles very comfortable (P<.002, Wilcoxon, signed-rank test) and reported significant reductions in back pain (P<.02), foot pain (P<.03), and leg pain (P<.007). When these subjects were asked whether they would prefer to wear their shoes alone or with insoles, the preference for insoles was overwhelming (P<.007, back; P<.03, leg; and P<.009, foot pain). It is concluded that viscoelastic insoles can effectively improve comfort and reduce back, leg, and foot pain in individuals who must stand throughout the day.