1. The Kinetic Technology™ directly reduces over-pronation, but because supination is most often a neuromuscular compensation for overpronation, it is automatically reduced when over-pronation is controlled.
Over-pronation is reduced because the Kinetic Technology™ helps bring the big toe and first metatarsal to the ground without the arch collapsing. This stabilizes the forefoot, and when the forefoot is stable, the brain senses no need to try to compensate for instability by rolling to the outside.
Very few people who tend to supinate have a structural reason for doing so which means that most supinators use their own muscles to roll the ankle and foot into supination. Some people do this deliberately to improve their gait (achieve more linear body mechanics), but most people do this subconsciously and end up overcompensating in early stance and undercompensating in late stance.
The Kinetic Technology™ (the red and orange balance bar) brings the first metatarsal to the ground by making it feel the ground earlier which triggers the muscles normally used in gait to push back against the ground earlier before the foot over-prontes. The red and orange balance bar determines the amount of timing change.
Take a look at your shoe wear pattern: Most people strike on the outside heel, but if that outside wear pattern carries forward on the bottom of the shoe towards the little toe, you supinate and are at a high risk for ankle injuries. ProKinetics™ insoles will help you break the habit even if it is a decade old or older.
2. Like most things the useful life of your ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles depends on your use patterns. For normal "city driving" the insoles are warranted to hold up for a minimum of 6 months, but under average circumstances they usually last considerably longer.
The environment both inside and outside your shoes can be severe - high pressure, moisture, friction and heat all contribute to your shoes and insoles breaking down. If your activities are more akin to driving a race car like heavy sports, distance running and court sports, you should not expect your ProKinetics® Insoles to outlast your shoes.
Few people destroy their shoes faster than athletes. To check if your shoes are in good order, check for excessive and/or uneven outsole wear. Also remove the insole and check if the mid-sole has compressed, especially in the area behind the second toe. If you can feel significant depressions in the high pressure areas, the midsole has compressed and you should replace the shoes. Worn out shoes will render the ProKinetics® Insoles less effective. It is generally recommended to replace running shoes every three to four months.
You also have a 90 day functional guarantee that the insoles will work for you whether you are seeking enhanced performance or pain reduction.
The ten most frequent questions about ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles.
Click on the question to see the answer.
3. First find a neutral shoe that is plain - no lumps or bumps, toe grips, or sunken (negative) heels, or ultra cushioning in the heels. Get a flexible shoe that accommodates the natural motion of your feet and bends without digging into your toes. If the shoe is the right size but your heel still tries to come out of the shoe, it is too stiff. Make sure the shoes fit snugly. If your foot can slide from side to side in the forefoot, the shoe is too wide. Wearing insoles with Kinetic Technology™ will make your foot twist less inside the shoe making a wider size unnecessary and undesirable. Most people do best in a straight last.
We have stayed away from recommending specific shoes and brands because shoes are first and foremost fashion, so models are constantly changed. Some companies like Rockport and New Balance are more consistent with their lasts, but our advise: When you find a shoe you like - purchase several pair, because you may never find it again.
ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles are not designed for use with motion control, anti pronation or worn out shoes. What all these shoes have in common is that they use materials to tilt your ankles in or out and they will diminish the effectiveness of what your body wants to do with this insole. Ask for a "neutral" shoe with medium cushioning.
4. Because ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles work through your neuromuscular system, you will feel a difference in your feet and body right away. You can expect reduction in aches and pain within 24-48 hours of wearing the insoles full time. If you have chronic musculoskeletal pain related to posture or body mechanics, you should expect the pain to reduce within 7-10 days. If it doesn't, feel free to call us for assistance. Based on your experience we might just be able to give you the right tip.
If your body is all locked up from having lived with pain and poor posture for years, you'll most likely also need therapeutic help. A good therapist can help restore your natural range of motion which is required for your body to fully respond to the insoles. ProKinetics® Insoles and structural and muscular therapy goes together like warm cookies and milk. Find a therapist near you here.
Athletes tell us they feel more comfortable in their shoes, with a heightened sense of stability and balance. Before you start using them in sports, we suggest you let your body get used to the insoles in your daily activities first. Then you can expect more power, better stability, increased agility and endurance in your favorite sport.
5. Yes, ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles will help strengthen fallen arches.
First, you should know that low arches does not mean fallen arches. Lots of people are born with low arches. What's important is how well the arches you have work. Fallen arches is relative to where you come from - years ago when you were younger and stronger. Back then, the muscles that control your arches got more exercise and remained strong. With age or less active lifestyles, which is often the case for even children today, these muscles weaken so the foot is less able to maintain the arch. This results in changed foot and body mechanics, and at some point this may start producing joint and muscle pain as well as postural compensation patterns. Some people compensate for fallen or low arches by tilting their feet out, trying to carry more of their weight on the outside of the foot. Others just rotate their feet out, walk like a duck and look like an eggbeater when they run!.
Traditional podiatrists are quick prescribe arch supports for virtually any kind of arch regardless if the arch is high, medium or low or not even there. We are convinced from experience that most people do not need arch supports and will do better in the long term if they strengthen their arches instead. Picking up a towel or marbles from the floor with your feet is perfect arch strength training. ProKinetics® Insoles put that exercise on automatic with every step you take. All you need to do is make sure you have them in your shoes and the insoles tell your muscles what to do.
People who have flexible flat feet do need arch supports. That's why ProKinetics® Insoles have pre-installed arch supports that can easily be glued in permanently or removed. So, if you have flexible flat feet, (flatten out totally when you stand up) glue the arches in place. Glue is included in the package. If you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, glue the arches in place temporarily with a couple tiny 1/8" drops of adhesive Once your Plantar Fasciitis pain has been gone for 7-10 days, you can remove the arch supports. The Kinetic Technology™ (red or orange) will give you the protection you need to prevent future Plantar Fasciitis injury.
6. ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles correct foot and body mechanics through dynamically stimulating the muscles that control the feet. That is done by changing the signals the brain receives from the inside of the forefoot - the big toe and the first metatarsal. That is what the patented Kinetic Technology™ (red and orange wedge) does.. The feet are strengthened through natural, free and unrestricted motion.
Traditional arch support insoles and even custom orthotics are build to support your arches and foot in a more biomechanically correct posture That works well if you are standing still, but most people, even those who work the cash register or an assembly job shift their weight and move around enough for this method to be suboptimal. Your arches are supported by muscles, so if you give them support, you're not using your muscles as much. Arch supports are "static correction" and ProKinetics® offer "dynamic correction" to your feet via your brain, nerves and muscles. ProKinetics® makes sense and works better. If you're not using the muscles that control your arches, you are not strengthening your feet when you walk.
7. ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles are the most effective and economical substitute for custom orthotics you can find.
Unless your foot is disconfigured from birth, an accident or surgery so you need special accommodative orthotics, ProKinetics® Insoles are a smarter choice, and you will discover, a more effective choice. First of all, ProKinetics® modifies your foot and body mechanics naturally because it is based on how your feet are supposed to work naturally. Unless you have flat feet, your feet will move unrestricted by arch supports and exercise all the muscles that control your arches and balance your feet. Your surprise bonus will be better posture, feeling and looking more upright and taller, often breathing better, and enjoying less tense muscles throughout your body.
You bet, ProKinetics® Insoles are an excellent substitute for custom orthotics - and they're guaranteed.
A multitude of specialists like Osteopaths, GPs, Physical and Massage therapists, Chronic pain specialists, Chiropractors, and Athletic trainers ...and even Dentists recommend our Kinetic Technology™ for their patients when they suffer from muscle and joint pain, even TMJ pain.
8. If you purchased your ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles at a retail store, please check the retail store return policy. Proprioception Australia supports a 90 day return policy for all our retail stores and direct sales, conditions apply. Please see our Warranty page on this website for details.
If you purchased them on the web or via phone or mail order less than 90 days ago, returning your insoles is as easy as putting them in an envelope and mailing them back to us with your packing slip and a proof of purchase. You don't need a return authorization.
If you are not getting the full benefits from wearing the ProKinetics® Insoles, call us and let us know what happened. We are pretty good at identifying problems that can often be fixed. If you don't think the insoles are working right for you, don't wait until all 90 days have passed before you pick up the phone. We'll make a suggestions that will see results, and if it appears the insoles are not going to help you, we're not afraid of saying so.
We are available to help you at 02-9524 4620 Monday - Friday from 9:00AM to 5:00 PM EST time. Call, you'll be glad you did.
9. Morton's Foot Syndrome (MFS) is talked about so much because it distorts foot and body mechanics. It is recognized as an initiator and perpetuator of musculoskeletal dysfunction and pain. If your first web space is deeper than the second, you have MFS which means that your first metatarsal bone is too short. People who have MFS also have an elevated first metatarsal. Because it is elevated, the arch needs to drop for the big toe to get to the ground and become weight bearing, and in the process the ankle rolls in and drops, and now both your foot and body mechanics becomes bad.
The Kinetic Technology™ (red and orange wedge) used in ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles specifically corrects this problem. The wedge placed underneath the first metatarsal and big toe causes the inside of your foot to feel the ground sooner which triggers your muscles to push the big toe against the ground without a big arch drop-- just like what happens when you pick up a towel from the floor with your feet. Adding the orange wedge to the preinstalled red wedge changes the timing even more.
Medical professionals who treat chronic musculoskeletal dysfunction have a 10 year track record for relieving chronic muscle and joint pain using the Kinetic Technology™.
10. ProKinetics® Natural Body Balance™ Insoles should feel comfortable to your feet when you first start wearing them. You will feel a little more pressure under the first metatarsal and big toe and under the arch if you use the arch support, but we are not talking about the discomfort often associated with breaking in hard arch support orthotics. The "Ouch factor" should be "0".
The reason we recommend breaking in your ProKinetics® Insoles is that they change the way you use your muscles. For many that will feel like the soreness you get after you've started a new exercise. Because the insoles also change your posture, this soreness can show up almost anywhere. That is normal and it tells you that your ProKinetics® Insoles are working. After 3-5 days that discomfort should be gone, and you should also be wearing your insoles full time. You need to wear Kinetic Technology™ insoles or "stick-ons" (Solemates™) at least 70% of the time to receive full benefits.
We also recommend allowing your body to get used to the Kinetic Technology™ before you use then during intense athletic activity.
