Phil Miller

For 6 months, I’ve worn Protalus insoles in shoes I wear for work and for leisurely walking. I feel secure and stable in them. I like the heel cup and the fact that they reach forward and provide comfort to the ball of my foot. I’m a husband and grandfather, just about to turn 69. I’m a minister and Air force Chaplin. I was in the Air Force all together for nearly 26 years. Currently, I’m the interim minister of a church where I’ve been for nearly a year. And will probably continue to do that type of work.

For years, I’ve been a distance runner, and I did have foot problems through the years and have had various different types of orthotics through the mid-nineties. Now I don’t run anymore, but I walk a lot. I learned about Protalus from a Facebook ad. Off and on through the years I’ve had Plantar Fasciitis and also pain under the ball under my right foot, I’m not sure of the diagnosis. I’ve also had knee and hip pain. They were a step up from drug store insoles, that hang on a rack. And they are not as expensive compared to those you get from a podiatrist. I have become really skeptical of podiatrist prescribed orthotics although I still have a few, I have one really old pair.

It just seemed like a good middle of the road choice to try. I have them on right now, it’s a good, comfortable, stable feel. I can tell that they provide some stability without being over corrective or pushing hard on the arch. The most recent ones I tried were Dr. Scholl’s, which didn’t provide as much stability as I wanted.

Protalus have a good balance, they are not overly cushioned, but they help prevent some of the pronation that I tend to have. They have a nice heel cup in them and go the full length of the foot, unlike some orthotics I’ve had which were just heel to arch, kind of like a plastic cup, these are full length which I like better because they help protect the ball on my right foot. I don’t wear my Protalus when I visit my daughter and granddaughters because they don’t wear shoes within the house.

Also in some cases I don’t wear them when I go to work because of one of the type of shoes I have. It has a narrow toe box, they’ll fit but I’m recovering from surgery from an ingrown toe nail, so while that’s been healing up I haven’t wanted more pressure. I imagine I could wear my Protalus now in that shoe since it’s healed. It’s really nice when you are walking through the neighborhood or when you’re walking a mile or more. I used to run marathons, but it’s all relative I guess.

I expect these to last a long time. They last a lot longer than Dr. Scholl’s rubber insoles. Protalus has alleviated my plantar fasciitis pain and knee pain. I recommend Protalus to people who are bothered by plantar fasciitis and who have tried stretches and can’t eliminate them because it’s a chronic issue, this will help. Or even recreational hikers and runners, or people that are on their feet a lot in their work.