What are Footbeds/Insoles?

Footbeds (also referred to as insoles) come in a range of different forms. Polyurethane (“PU”) footbeds usually fall into one of two categories, “open cell” or “closed cell”. An open cell footbed is often a soft and highly flexible material that absorbs and holds it moisture easily. Due to their porous nature, they are very lightweight and therefore perfect for use in products being used for light duty applications. A closed cell footbed is often much more rigid and does not absorb or hold moisture easily. Because of this you will often find perforated holes in closed cell footbeds to allow moisture to escape. Due to their rigid hard wearing nature, they are often slightly heavier, which makes them perfect for heavy duty applications where they’ll take a lot of daily abuse.

When it comes to making a footbed antistatic you’ll often find a loose piece of thread stitched into open cell footbeds. It’s important that you do not cut or trim this thread as it is loose for a reason. The chemical composition of open cell PU footbeds means that it has a lot of air pockets in it’s structure. Whilst this is great for having a product that is lightweight, air acts as an insulator of static electricity. For most applications a wearer wants to ensure that a certain level of static electricity is allowed to escape through their footwear. The loose piece of thread acts as a conductor of static electricity to help pass it through the footbed and out the bottom of the footwear. When it comes to closed cell PU footbeds however, because of their tightly packed chemical composition, static electricity passes through them much more easily and therefore additional precautionary measures such as using a loose piece of thread is not required.

Here at Finite Supplies we offer a range of footbeds that can be purchased on their own (See Footwear Accessories for the full range). One of our most popular is the Open Cell PU Memory Foam Footbed as it provides the wearer with extreme comfort, whilst absorbing all the shocks of the day. It is also moisture wicking, breathable, anti-static and anti-bacterial.