Product Review & GIVEAWAY!! ProFoot Shoe Inserts

If I can take a timeout from writing a really boring post about my Ogden marathon training, I'd like to do that now.

Let's take a look under my desk at work.

Ho-hum.

And now let's take a look under my desk at home.

Right next to my bed?

Ahhh, the night boot of shame.

Inside my shoes?

Inserts galore!

Foot Pains

Some of you are probably thinking I keep random crap in all the hidden corners of my life, but I am sure some of you see what's going on here.

For basically as long as I've been running seriously, I've developed some form of plantar fasciitis. I'm not here to get sympathy or offer any advice on how to get rid of it, because I'm lucky in that by keeping these things near all of my smelly kicks, I'm able to keep most of my pain at bay. I've known people who've needed cortisone shots, of people who've had surgery, of people who've gone through therapies just to treat PF, and I'm pretty happy mine's never advanced to that point.

But, I also do a lot of work to keep it manageable. My plantar fasciitis is decidedly more pronounced in my right heel. My left heel feels similar on occasion, but really only after long runs. And I (obviously) do whatever I can to keep it from getting any worse, including rolling my feet on almost any round, hard surface I can find.

For the past year, the moment I stopped rolling my feet out, the day I took out my shoe inserts, the night I stopped wearing that silly boot, I felt it creeping back. The first step I took every morning was the worst, and I spent a good portion of the morning hobbling around.

Not fun a fun way to live.

So when a kind and generous contact from ProFoot contacted me about trying their 2 oz. Miracle Custom Molding Insoles, I seriously jumped alllllll over that email. I am all for trying easy, everyday things to keep heel pain away.

The review:

• These nifty ProFoot Miracle inserts don't smell. (Not any worse than a shoe, anyway.) I have had my share of pretty gross inserts, and these do way better. Awesome. 

• They don't fall apart, rub away, peel off, and they are so easy to switch from one pair of shoes to the next. They have an adhesive option to keep them in a single pair, but I find they stay put in whichever shoe I place them in. I also wear a lot of different shoes and like to keep my insert options open. Score.

• And here is where you aren't going to believe me -- but I started using a very specific ProFoot Plantar Fasciitis insert this Ogden marathon training cycle, and I have had NO HEEL PAIN. (Wait, did I mention Ogden -- oops?) I'm not even kidding and no one is paying me to say that. In my eyes, this product has worked wonders. 

THE GIVEAWAY!

My contact at ProFoot is letting me giveaway 4 -- COUNT THEM, 4! -- goodie bags to four lucky readers. FOUR!!! Each winner will receive two (2) pairs of Miracle Insole inserts as well as a package of Moleskin second skins.

THE CATCH!

Ok, so there's no catch! To enter this giveaway, just one thing is asked:

1. Please go "like" their Facebook page, and let them know Diary of an Average Runner sent you! Then, leave me a comment here telling me you did that.

Want some additional easy entries?

2. Tweet about my giveaway -- feel free to wax some creativity; just be sure to tag me (@DiaryAvgRunner) so I can count your entry.

3. Leave me a comment here telling me WHY you want to try ProFoot shoe inserts. Do you suffer from plantar fasciitis or other foot/heel ailments? How do you treat your injuries or keep them away?

I will randomly pick FOUR winners next Friday, April 20th.

Good luck!