Sidas 3Feet Run Protect insoles: first impressions
Sidas 3Feet Run Protect insoles are designed to maximize comfort and protection for road, trail and ultra runners, as well as making the sock-to-shoe surface grippier so you don’t slip around or find your insole rucking up, which can lead to discomfort and blisters.
• List price: £42 (UK) / $55 (USA)
• Weight (pair size M medium arch): 85g / 3oz
• Colors: Blue and green
• Arch support: Low, medium, high
• Sizes: XS (UK 3, US 5) - XXL (UK 12.5, US 14.5)
• Compatibility: Running, hiking, backpacking – short and long distances
Most people know that finding the right running socks can be almost as important as finding the right running shoes, but it’s not so well known that insoles can make a really big difference too, as we explain in this feature.
Sidas 3Feet Run Protect insoles come in three different arch sizes: low, medium, and high. You work out which one is right for you by stepping damp feet onto a surface where your footprints are visible (a piece of paper or a large brown envelope is ideal). If you have a clear space between the top and base of your foot, you are high; a line on the outside of the foot joining the top and bottom is medium (which is the version I tested here); and if there’s no gap at all you need low.
They are quick to cut to size if you measure them against your shoe's original insole, and easy to slide inside.
Yes, these do make the shoe slightly heavier by about 40g-50g/1.4oz-1.8oz, because the insoles our shoes come with are usually very light, simple pads of foam, weighing about 40g per pair. However you benefit from a stabilized midfoot, an anti-slip base and more efficient energy transfer, while the gel pad in the heel helps to reduce impact.
Sidas 3Feet Run Protect insoles: on the trails
I had never even considered insoles before but during my search for the perfect pair of ultra trail running shoes, (for me, the Saucony Xodus Ultra 2) we were informed by a couple of reliable sources (including elite athlete Tom Evans and coach Tim Piggott) that sock and insole choice were the best way to tweak a shoe into sheer perfection. Having tried a few now I am totally converted, and these in particular I find best for recovery walks and runs after long ultras.
The bounce that the gel pad gives is quite frankly delicious, and the protection and stability they bring is gratefully received after so many miles on the trails.
I found these slightly stiff for the ultra itself, and preferred to use the slightly lighter 3Feet Run Sense insoles with the Mid Arch support (which I used when completing the rocky, hilly Montane Lakeland 50-mile race this July). I also don’t believe in insoles 'supporting' the arch as this shape is naturally a strong structure – I just use the mid arch version because it feels the most comfortable for my foot shape, and I think it supports my foot in its natural motion.
