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These Are The Best Aftermarket Insoles For Ski Boots

Originally posted on Powder | By Max Ritter | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 11:38 AM ET

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Our feet are funny things, and undoubtedly one of skiing’s toughest battles. All season long, we force them into hard plastic boots that, at best, are vaguely shaped like a human foot. Here's a little secret: I’ve tested dozens of skis boots over the last few years, and not a single one has truly felt good out of the box without some sort of modification. The thing is, those modifications can take many shapes and forms, and often there’s an easy place to start. While you can do everything from complex boot fitting techniques like punching, grinding, or otherwise modifying your shell, and re-molding or replacing liners, simply adding support below your foot is the best place to start.

Anyone who’s ever been to a professional bootfitter with a new boot has heard the age-old question: “Do you have a good insole in your boot?” Having worked as a bootfitter for many years, I can assure you that the answer should always be yes. Unless you’re a world cup racer getting plug boots straight from the factory, all ski boots are designed to fit various versions of the “average” foot, and the stock insoles found inside are purposely meant to be replaced immediately by something much more substantial.

Runners often talk about thinking of your foot like a spring, when it compresses and rebounds, you can generate power in your stride. Unfortunately, cramming your foot into a completely rigid ski boot removes any possibility of this spring action, so the foot needs to be properly supported from below inside this hard, immovable shell to prevent your arch from collapsing. There’s a lot of podiatric science at work here that I won’t get into, but the bottom line is that an unsupported foot inside a boot will typically cause discomfort, cramping, and fatigue, and a noticeable lack of performance out of your boot.

Somewhat counterintuitively, taking up volume below your foot will actually make the boot feel bigger and more comfortable. That’s because by supporting your arch, you are effectively pulling your toes off the front of the boot. Take care that your boot has enough instep volume and height to accommodate this–luckily, most boots do.

So, now that we’ve talked about why you need to support your foot, what can we do about it? That part is actually the easiest part of boot fitting: Replace the paper-thin flat foam stock footbed with something more substantial. Of course, there are many options to choose from here–everything from $300 fully-custom insoles to much cheaper $50-60 “cut-to-fit” options.

If you have particularly sensitive feet, spending the money on a fully custom insole is absolutely the best path for you. However, after testing out quite a few “cut-to-fit” options from brands like Remind, Sidas, Superfeet, and Sole, I've been very impressed, leading me to conclude that for many skiers, these might in fact be good enough. Or at least, a great place to start from for new boots if you'd rather spend the extra cash on lift tickets and après drinks.

Remind: Remedy Impact 5.5mm Heat Moldable

Trusted by a whole cohort of pro freestyle and freeride athletes, Remind's insoles are built largely around adding extra cushioning to your boot. For use in ski boots, I found the Remedy Impact 5.5mm Heat Moldable insoles to be best. The added impact protection is really noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the terrain park or jumping off stuff on your skis. Taking the edge of harsh impacts plays nice with your toes, arch, and sole of your foot, meaning you can head back up and keep trying that same trick until you stomp it.

Another notable feature of Remedy's insoles is the fact that they are heat moldable. I found that they actually felt pretty good right out of the box (your body heat will do some of the molding right away), but I followed the simple heat molding instructions on the box, and it make them feel remarkably better. The heat molding process allows the arch shape to better conform to your actual foot, adding comfort and a more precise fit.

Sidas: 3 Feet Winter

Sidas has been a player in the footwear game for a long time, offering everything from high-end fully custom insoles, to boot heaters, to the cut-to-fit options I tested here. The 3 Feet Winter comes in three thickness options, corresponding to high, medium, and low arch heights. They are made of different density foams, mapped to your foot, including a really soft bit directly under the heel that acts as an effective shock-absorbing layer. Up front, an aluminum film layer is designed to add some insulation under your toes.

I found that they are some of the softest, most flexible options out there, and are particularly well suited to less-aggressive skiers, or for use in touring boots. The high arch version also adds more material around the heel cup area, which can help in reducing volume in the back of the boot if that’s something you’re looking for. They are simple, warm, and a great option for most skiers.

Superfeet: All-Purpose Support (Green)

Superfeet's insoles might be some of the more recognizable trim-to-fit footbeds on the market, and for good reason. The Green version offers excellent and long-lasting arch support thanks to a hard plastic base that won't deform as quickly as cork- or foam-based footbeds.

That does mean that they can be a bit harder to get to fit your foot, so it's important to actually place your foot on these and make sure the arch profile matches up before cutting them for your boot. They come in a host of sizes, so you should be able to find something that works for you.

Sole: Performance Thin with Met Pad

Sole offers some pretty nifty technology in their trim-to-fit options, essentially bridging the gap between full-custom insoles and off-the-shelf fits thanks to an easy optional heat molding process. If the factory fit doesn't agree with your foot shape, follow these directions to pop them in the oven for 2 minutes and get them molded to your arch. The Performance Thin with Met Pad insoles are made with a carbon-negative recycled cork bottom that offers excellent damping and comfort (not to mention warmth) and have a small bump in the forefoot that helps to support the metatarsal bones in your foot. The footbeds are also available without the met pad.

I found that the Sole footbeds are by far the most comfortable I tested, thanks to how they end up molding to your foot. I messed around with the at-home heat molding, but found I couldn’t tell much of a difference after a few days of riding, as the cork molds on its own after a few days of skiing. Perhaps this would be more useful for the plastic-soled Active versions of Sole’s footbeds. The metatarsal pad was incredibly comfortable, particularly in touring boots where my foot ends up moving around a lot more than in alpine boots. The Performance Thin would make a great upgrade to any boot, and gives most full-custom insoles a run for their money.

Honorable Mention: Phaenom’s Stock Footbed

Typically, the stock footbeds in any ski boot goes directly into the garbage when I’m fitting new boots. This year, testing the new Phaenom FS 01 120 boots, I pulled the footbeds out first thing, following my usual ritual. What I found really surprised me: a substantial footbed with reinforced arch support and a cork heel pad designed to further dampen vibrations from hard landings. It’s a freestyle boot after all, designed specifically with sustainability in mind. These will be tough to find unless you’re picking up a pair of Phaenoms, but it’s nice to see bootmakers thinking ahead.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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