Kendall Gel Orthotics

**Disclaimer: Although I did receive a free pair of orthotics to try, I was not paid or co-erced in any way; all opinion expressed are completely my own and not influenced in any way by Kendall GelThotics**

First of all I want to start out by saying I am not usually an advocate of orthotics. I believe they can be a good help sometimes, but I also believe they can cause more problems than necessary. That being said, when I saw the Kendall GelThotics online I thought they looked different enough from a usual orthotic that I wanted to give them a try.

They are designed to fit under your insole in any shoe. They are made of silicone which means they will not break down or retain odors. They claim to provide years of support and comfort, which after having for only a month, I can say I do believe. Here is a video from their website explaining more about the technology and science



The first thing I noticed about the GelThotics is how easy they are to put in your shoes. They are sticky on the bottom and are made of gel so they are very malleable. Their malleability makes them very easy to place in your shoe and gives you a little bit of freedom to mold them to fit your foot. They are also easy to take out and switch to other shoes which is awesome. The sticky bottom keeps them from slipping....most of the time. I first wore them in my trail shoes. They were pretty good, but when I ran down hills they started to slip after a while. This is one of the few things I did not like.

I then switched them to my road shoes. They work great. No slipping at all. They stay in place for short downhills, but I think the heat and sweat from running causes them to slip when running down steep or long hills. I had gotten a blister from running with them in my trail shoes, so I took a break from them for a while. However, I did like that you did not have to get used to them or break them in. They also will not give you blisters, I only got one because I was running a lot of downhill and didn't place it well enough in my shoe.

I decided to try the orthotics in my normal shoes because although they felt good in my running shoes and were comfortable, I still prefer running without them...I like to be as light on my feet as I can. I tried them in ballet flats, high heels and walking shoes. This is where I think they really shine; at least for my preferences. They are comfortable and soft unlike most hard orthotics. They adapt to your foot as you walk, which is awesome and something I think really makes them stand out from other orthotics. I had to stand for 5 hours one day and I put the GelThotics in my shoes which was really incredible. They helped with my lower back pain and my feet didn't hurt nearly as bad as they usually would. One other downside to them though is that they get sticky and sweaty when not worn with socks or put under an insole. So in ballet flats and high heels they are extremely comfortable, but they are kinda sticky and can be annoying when they get sweaty.

Overall, would I recommend these orthotics? Yes. I would definitely wear these in my running shoes if I was getting shin splints due to collapsing arches. I do believe they would be very beneficial in helping to fix that problem. However, I decided I do not like wearing them in my running shoes all the time. But I do like wearing these in my everyday shoes. They make high heels, ballet flats and Converse much more comfortable. I have not tried them in my cycling shoes yet, but I think they would be great there.

Now, the best part. I received not only one pair of these great GelThotics, but TWO pair. And that means a GIVEAWAY! I have a pair that fits in Women's shoe sizes 7-9 and Men's sizes 5 1/2-7. Men and women feel free to enter :) The rules for the giveaway include leaving a comment on this post saying why you want to win and you must tweet the following "I want to win @GelThotics #giveaway from @xc_runnergirl! Read her review and enter at runnerchicks.blogspot.com" I know I have some Facebook followers and people who do not have a Twitter. For those of you without a Twitter account, post the link to Facebook or Google Plus (+ me at +Kalina Clegg). If you are social media inept (meaning you do not have a Twitter/Facebook/Google Plus, leave a comment telling me so and I will pardon you :) Good luck! Giveaway ends on Friday August 19th at midnight. Winner will be announced Sunday morning.

Feel free to check out these other reviews by a fellow blogger at The Pace of My Life. Also, Kimberly Bogin @RunWrite from Twitter tweeted this on July 14th "Thank you @GelThotics My cycling shoes have never fit better or been more comfortable. Love my new inserts." Remember, all opinions expressed in this post are completely my own. You may agree or disagree with my thoughts.