Update: (17/10/2017) I am no longer using Dr. Scholl’s Gel Insoles. I will actively be avoiding them going forward. They have a design flaw. A rubber ring in the heel becomes pronounced when the gel starts failing. As it happens gradually, it’s not immediately noticeable. It caused me pain and aggravated my plantar fasciitis.
As a traveller, the most important piece of equipment is my shoes. I only have the one pair, so I wear them everyday. Some days, I put them on first thing in the morning and take them off before going to bed.
First shoes #
They were excellent for wet weather in Vancouver. They also did a really good job in the -24 degree weather in Montreal. You can read more about that in my post about travelling in Eastern Canada.
Near the end of my first week travelling, I found I had to replace them. They were too heavy and they were giving me turf toe.
Second shoes #
These shoes were great. They had been to Greece, Rome, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Andorra, Germany, and Romania. According to Google Timeline, I put approximately 2000 Kilometres on them in 4.5 months. This surprised me. Breaking it down, that’s about 14 Kilometres per day. Not bad!
Sadly, it was time to replace them. I found the sole had stiffened up quite a bit and wasn’t providing any cushioning. I was starting to get Plantar Fascitis again. You can see the sole is very worn down and I didn’t do any burnouts in them!
Out with the old, in with the new.
Third shoes #
Excuse the dirt. I had to try my new toys out. So far, the insole is pretty good. My heel pain has started to fade, so I’m happy. Perhaps I’ll upgrade the insoles in a month or so. Also, I think going forward, I’ll start looking for new shoes around the 3 month mark.