So over the last few months, I have been trying a bunch of different skateboarding insoles. This is because I’m an adult skater and I want to keep my knees fresh. Flat ground sessions can be brutal otherwise.
The insoles I’ve tried so far almost exclusively include skateboarding insole companies, but I decided to see if the cheap and available Dr. Scholl’s insoles can also be skated. Maybe they are a good cheap alternative?
They aren’t.
Regardless, there are many good quality skateboarding insoles out there and you can see my other reviews where I bought and skated these different insoles in the following links:
Additionally, I have a larger round-up review where I compare all of these insoles directly that you can find here.
Review
Summary: 2.2/5
Overall, I do not recommend anyone use Dr. Scholl’s insoles to skate with.
The cushion they provide simply isn’t enough to handle the impacts for landing tricks while you skate. The material is cheap and just flat so that it isn’t fitted in any way. If there is no arch support or built-in heel, then the insole should at least be shock absorbent, but Dr. Scholl’s insoles can’t even manage that.
The design is lackluster and there are no options to choose from. The only moderately redeemable aspect of this insole is that it only costs $10 to $20. It is cheap.
However, considering that you might simply be better off without it, you’re likely just throwing money into the trash. I strongly recommend an insole from a reputable skateboarding insole company such as Footprint, Remind, or Shred. They will cost a bit more, but they make a huge difference in your experience skating.
Comfort: 2/5
The comfort of these insoles really aren’t anything special and I didn’t notice any real change in the cushion as I was wearing them. While walking they aren’t noticeable and while skating they seem to provide no extra cushion at all.
They do fit well into my shoe and are thin enough so my shoe didn’t feel tight, but that’s the most positive thing I can say about them. At no point did I think to myself that it felt nice that I was wearing these insoles.
Price: 4/5
The most attractive thing about Dr. Scholl’s insoles is that they are cheap.
You can purchase Dr. Scholl’s insoles from online retailers such as Amazon for between $10 and $20. This is the cheapest insole I’ve tried so far as skateboarding insoles usually sell for $30+. You can also purchase these insoles relatively easily as they are available almost everywhere including outlets like Walmart and Target.
However, as you will read later, the price doesn’t justify buying the insoles and you might be better off simply having no insole at all. You would have at least not wasted $20.
If you have flat feet and need a special insole, check out my complete guide to picking the right skateboarding insole for flat feet.
Fitting: 3/5
The Dr. Scholl’s insoles are shown to be available in sizes 8 through 13 on their website and through online retailers. This is true, but they actually just have one standard insole size that they ship out for all sizes and you are expected to trim off and cut the insole to fit your size.
This isn’t such a crazy thing to do and most insole companies encourage you to trim the insole to make it fit your foot better. However, I’ve never trimmed off so much material before from an insole and it makes me wonder simply how cheap is their material that this is the best option for the company.
The insole otherwise fits well enough into my shoes and are generally pretty thin so they didn’t take up too much space in my shoe and my shoe didn’t feel tight.
The insoles have no arch support, no built-in heel, and are not fitted or molded in anyway to match your foot.
Skateability: 1/5
I would say the skateability is fine with these insoles besides the fact that they really offer little to no cushioning and protection from impact.
I have been skating for insoles for the last few months and have been using different insoles from skate companies. The Dr. Scholl’s insole is not from a skate company and is the first insole that felt like I had no insole in my shoe at all. I mean this in a bad way. I’m an adult skater and my knees ached after a flat-ground session.
I only skated this insole for two sessions before I decided I wasn’t going to use it again. I was curious about it potentially being a cheaper option compared to the proper skating insoles, but I was wrong. These aren’t really an option as the cushioning simply isn’t enough for the impact of skateboarding tricks.
I have absolutely no intention of skating these again and you might be just as well off without them.
Design: 1/5
The design is almost not worth mentioning. The top of the insole is an innocuous grey that blends into your shoe and you likely won’t even notice it’s there. The bottom of the sole is a mix of green and blue gel that is a decent color combination, but you’ll never see the bottom of your insole anyway.
The insole exclusively comes in this color combination and has no other options. This is quite a bummer and is several notches down in the drip factor compared to the insoles from proper skateboard insole companies like Footprint, Remind, and Shred.
The best thing about this design is that you don’t notice it.
If you are looking for a good skateboarding shoe, then check out my complete guide to the best skateable hightops available now.
Can You Use Non-Skateboarding Insoles To Skate?
While I haven’t tried too many non-skateboarding insoles, I think I have some insight to this.
You should stick with skateboarding-specific insoles when it comes to skating. Simply put, normal insole companies don’t design their insoles to be as heavy-duty and able to withstand the repeated impacts that come with skateboarding. Most people aren’t jumping down stair sets and trying to kickflip a hundred times in an afternoon. Normal insole companies aren’t designing their insoles with this in mind.
Among the insoles I have tried, the ones from skateboarding companies were much more heavy-duty and better to skate with than normal insoles.
Conclusion
The cheap price tag might be tempting but stay away. This insole is low quality and there are much better options. I’m not sure I would even recommend this insole to walk around in let alone skate.
I hope you find a good insole for yourself and protect those knees. We only get one body in this life and if you don’t take care of it then you won’t be skating long. Besides skating, having bad knees makes for a lot of pain and difficulty later on in life.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and look out for more content from Board and Wheels.
