A thread started by the user "late" on Shock Doctor insoles got me thinking about getting some insoles too like i've been meaning too for a while. I came across this site http://www.profeet.co.uk/ where they custom make insoles to your feet contours and how they react under stress/excercise. They are however quite expensive - do you guys reckon its worth splashing out? Are they really likely to provide that much of a difference to my riding and help take care of my knees as much as they'd have you believe?

Cool! So would you reccomend getting something like that? It says how 80% of active people use the wrong footwear - that's plain scary! Would pro riders and athletes all have properly fitted soles like this?

I am aware that like saddles, footbed comfort is individualized, but after trying three different fancy off-the-shelf footbeds, I still suffered from "hotfoot". I finally tried the Specialized Bodygeometry footbed with the metatarsal arch and no more hotfoot.

I don't remember the name but within the last few months Velo News highly recommended an inner sole that you heated, quickly put in your shoe and rode to have it conform to your foot. Once was with an article about shoes (it's been mentioned at least one other time). It cost about $40.

I use Surefoot's (http://www.surefoot.com/shop/) product in my road and mtb shoes. They are in my hiking boots, street shoes and of course tele boots.

They start with a computer image of the foot's sole by way of tiny pins on a platform that rise up to meet the foot's sole. A technician will hold your talus and navicular bone to adjust the foot into the neutral position while you stand over the platform with the tiny pins and then the tech snaps the image on a file. Then the file is used by a milling device to grind out a blank that matches your file. The tech can adjust the milling process to vary the thickness from 1mm - 6mm. The milling device is made by AmFit and is the most regarded milling device used by podiatrists.

They are kinda spendy at $190 bones a pair. But you get a lifetime guarantee, lifetime foot wear adjustments, lifetime remakes and your foot's file can be accessed by any of the 24 stores around the globe.

If you're into pedal fits/analysis then some 'thodic/footbed device other than the flimsy factory insole is a must. Even an off-the-shelf Superfeet insole is better than the factory insole. Those can be had for about $25 bones.

If you put a lot of miles in during one ride and do that frequently then I think you deserve to get a pair.

I don't remember the name but within the last few months Velo News highly recommended an inner sole that you heated, quickly put in your shoe and rode to have it conform to your foot. Once was with an article about shoes (it's been mentioned at least one other time). It cost about $40.
The inserts you are refering to are called Soles. I tried them after reading the same article, but I still had hot foot problems. I tried the Specialized ones on a whim and was really happy to find that they completely eliminated my hot foot problems.