Dr. Frederick's Original Metatarsal Pads Plus - 4pcs - Forefoot Pain Relief - Ball of Foot Pads - Foot Pain Relief Cushion - for Women & Men

Good product. Bought for a disabled family member who is not even using them but I can tell they would help.

Hello Friends with Metatarsalgia,I'm over 60, male, and hit a wall a couple of years ago. I have been very active outdoors and I'm on my feet a lot. I now suffer with metatarsalgia due to forefoot fatty pad displacement and atrophy. I wanted to document my experience in an effort to help others who have the same issue. I've been trying different products for relief over the last few years. Currently I'm using Superfeet Orange with a Pedag Metatarsal pad with some success. The problem is that most insoles have insufficient forefoot padding. They also lack a summary of all of the features that are necessary to address metatarsalgia. The same is true with Superfeet Orange. However, the Superfeet insoles do have a rigid plate from the heel to the forefoot, which is helpful in minimizing the pressure on the metatarsal heads during the gait. There is an insole from SofSole that has a thick gel pad for the metatarsal heads, but it also lacks a rigid plate and deep heel cup to minimize and reduce pressure.Insoles with an “integrated” metatarsal pad have been limited in addressing my pain. Two main reasons for that have been limited height (prominence) of the metatarsal pad and wrong positioning. Insoles with integrated metatarsal pads have the supportive “bump” placed too far back toward the heel and in the center of the foot. The "built in" metatarsal pad is not prominent enough to provide enough support. Metatarsal pain originates most often in the 3rd and 4th metatarsal joint (the 1st metatarsal is at the big toe. See picture). This is slightly off to the left on your left foot and off to the right on your right foot. This means that in order to get relief, you must purchase metatarsal pads and experiment with positioning on an insole without an integrated pad. It is VERY important to experiment with proper placement. You will likely not get it right the first time, so purchase several pads and try out different positions. The pads should be right behind the 3rd and 4th metatarsals. As little as ¼” up or down, left or right, can mean the world of difference.It is important to recognize that the foot must operate as a complete unit. Changes in the contact area of the sole result in mechanical changes to the foot, which may decrease or even increase pressure on the metatarsal heads. According to my experience, the problem with Dr. Frederick's pads is that the addition of the pad (which is relatively thick) elevates the forefoot and creates small hollow areas (gaps) in the immediate vicinity as well as under the sides of the foot where, as a result, little or less contact is now made. The result is the transfer of increased pressure on the forefoot, which is mediated at first by the gel pad. Within several hours of application however, your metatarsals tell you that something has changed and report back with pain.Tip: Stretch your calve muscles and Achilles tendon. Many people are unaware that a leading cause for metatarsal pain is tight calves. This causes premature lift-off of the heel during each step, which transfers a lot of pressure to the forefoot. If you know that you will be on your feet for several hours each day, do it in the morning. It does help minimize pain!Beware of rocker-style shoes that have excessive toe-rocker! Notice that in these shoes your toes are pointed upward when you're standing on a flat surface. Please see the attached side view of a shoe with excessive toe rocker. The shoe has been placed on a flat surface. It is obvious that in such a shoe, your metatarsal heads are loaded with excessive weight when standing on a flat surface.When walking barefoot naturally, the heel strikes the ground first, followed by the sides of the foot (depending on your arch) and then the forefoot, followed by the toes. When barefoot, the metatarsal heads (protected by the fatty pad) make contact with the ground in an almost vertical motion. In a shoe with excessive toe rocker, the natural gait is altered and the forefoot with upturned toes slams the metatarsal heads into the ground following the heel strike. The toes are supposed to support weight as well, but in such a shoe, your toes only really make full contact under load during push-off. As a result, most of the weight is shifted to the forefoot. Conversely, during the rocker action of each step, your fatty pad (that normally protects your metatarsals) also becomes displaced toward the front of your toes much like a rolling pin displaces dough. Wear this style of shoe often and you will be left with a displaced fatty pad and little to no protection for your metatarsal heads. That happened to me.The pads from Dr. Frederick may work for some with higher arches. The silicone pads are very soft and thick. The toe ring caused me no discomfort. I am still experimenting with them. I am still searching for the combination of all features to provide the most relief and I hope that you are able to overcome some of your pain.IMO, it appears that metatarsal pain is often minimized and has still not been addressed sufficiently. Many make a visit to a podiatrist and still have issues. Not being able to get through your day, not being able to walk without pain will eventually have an adverse effect on your health. Take metatarsal pain seriously before your problem gets worse. I hope this helps you to some extent.Good health to you!

These pads have a toe ring that does not turn the toe purple like all the others I’ve tried. IMPORTANT!! I do have hammer toes so the pad makes toes ride a little higher and rubs. Using high toe box sneaks takes care of this. Wish they were just a little thinner.

Many other metatarsal pads are flimsy; this one is not.

Although the gel material was nice, the loop around the toe stretches so much that it tears

They worked well for 1 week, then the toe connector breaks. Not worth it. Better to buy a stretch sock with gel inside, and wash them as needed.

These pads save my life when wearing heals! No more feeling like I am walking on the ground. I keep passing it out to friends so I am not the only one living life in comfort.

As soon as my 90 year old mom started wearing this pad she got relief and is now back to taking her daily walks. Great product if you have an annoying and painful callous on the ball of your foot.