How is Energy Return Important?

Energy Return is important for foot health and mobility. There are many types of Energy Return provided by footwear and insoles.

Most footwear and insoles are basically static, absorb and cushion energy but do not return significant energy nor dynamic alignment.

The best footwear and insoles generate greater alignment with the body, joint health and more energy at the end of the day from easier movement and less pain from their support of the body.

The most competitive footwear will propel or push you forward more efficiently when running, while the best insoles create and maintain support for your lower extremities.

The Holy Grail for marquee footwear manufacturers is to provide quantifiable energy return for their customers feet that produce quicker running times and higher performance.

NIKE React Foam technology was recently used in their marathon running shoe soles with a carbon fiber footpad. Nike achieved the Holy Grail of true 13% energy return while providing 4% propulsion for faster marathon times. Nike’s high performance foam uniquely absorbs foot strike energy on the down step and releases it during toe-off with marathon setting results.

Conversely, soft materials are great at absorbing energy but are very inefficient at returning energy. This is often found in insoles that use foam to absorb impact, cushion and support the foot but are unable to return meaningful energy.

Protalus foam insoles do a good job of stabilizing the heel with their triplanar technology but do NOT return energy to the foot. Dr. Scholl’s inserts has the same foam limitation without the stabilising heel.

Foam is comprised of a matrix of thin walled air cells packed together within a polymer form, that individually begin to break down and compress over time, reducing the impact, cushioning and support they were originally designed to provide.

SelectFlex is an entirely new type of dynamic energy returning insole on the market that just won the ISHN Best Protective Footwear category for 2020.

SelectFlex insoles use a patented energy returning arch lifting technology called the PowerLift Arch. The PowerLift Arch provides the wearer with 3 energy return levels to support the arch with dynamic alignment with every step.

This unique arch technology dynamically lifts your arch into a comforting sine wave motion that provides up to 89% more arch support with every step. SelectFlex recently completed an in depth study at a major University. The revolutionary Certified Lab Tests & Performance Benefits measured, sets SelectFlex apart from static footwear and insoles.

For the first time, there is finally an insole that dynamically returns energy to the foot and the arch by lifting it into comforting re-alignment!

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