Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I should probably start by saying I have quite a sordid history of foot problems for someone only in her mid 30's. I've had osteotomy surgery, plantar warts, you name it. A lot of my foot problems stem from the fact that one of my legs is slightly longer than the other. Since my left leg is a bit shorter, my left foot takes most of the pressure. I also have VERY high arches, so the heel and ball of my left foot really take a beating, especially since as a research scientist and mother of a very active autistic 4 year old, I'm on my feet a LOT. Also, we have mostly hard wood and tile flooring in our house and I tend to walk around barefoot or in my socks which also wears on my feet. Over the last 6 months I have developed some major callouses on the ball of my left foot and they're starting to become painful. I lotion and pumice regularly but they are still bothering me, at least when I wear certain shoes (my chuck taylor slip on sneakers that are my favorite). I decided to try out this metatarsal pad and see if that made a difference and it definitely has! Here's what I like about these pads: - REUSABLE! I hate single use stuff. So wasteful! These are super easy to clean and use again and again. - EASY to wear! I love things that are idiot proof and these definitely are. They are labeled to indicate which is for which foot. R for right and L for left, and for you Spanish speakers they have a D for Derecha and an I for Izquierda (hooray for multilingual things!) - VERSATILE and can be used in multiple kinds of socks and shoes! My biggest concern would be that these would stay put in no show socks which I wear a lot and I can confirm that they do indeed! I have yet to find a well fitting sock that they wouldn't work in. - COMFORTABLE! Isn't that the most important thing? At first I felt like the ring was tugging on my toe a little but within a few moments I did not feel that anymore. I have been wearing this pad all day long and not only is it still comfortable by the end of the day but I have NO PAIN!! - THIN! These are thin enough that I can wear them with even my most snug shoes without causing problems. - STAYS PUT! Once this is situated in my sock and on my foot properly, it stays exactly where it should all day long! I can walk around the house in my socks with it on and it works just as well as in a shoe. - DURABLE! So far the material has been very durable and I think will hold up really well without getting rips, tears or punctures. Here's what I don't like as much: - This pad tends to make my foot more sweaty and moist than normal which I don't love, but I think that's going to be a common problem of any similar product, so it's something I expected and can live with. - I wish the material were a little less squishy. I mean, don't get me wrong, it does the job and prevents pain, but if it were a little more firm while still being soft, it would prevent my foot from doing a little squish wiggle every time I step down on it. It's a very slight wiggle, but I definitely notice it. It's not a slip, it's a wiggle. These are not slippery. It's hard to describe until you experience it for yourself, but because of this little wiggle inside the shoe, I personally would not use these for running or other sports that require running or stopping/turning on a dime. I think it would be hard on the ankle. My recommendation would be to get a full insole for those activities instead of just a pad. All in all I'm really pleased I bought these and have been getting great use out of them so far! Are they comfortable? Yes? Is it annoying having to wear something additional in my shoe? Yes, but I'd rather deal with annoying than pain and can definitely recommend them for callous pain on the ball of the foot as they have completely eliminated mine! Hope this helps a fellow sufferer! (PS please forgive the picture of my unmanicured toes. It's winter here now.) I did NOT receive this item free or at a discount