Superfeet Hike Cushion

Overpriced and Worth Every Penny

There are some products you purchase which are quite simply overpriced for what they are but because they deliver on their promises so perfectly they’re worth every outrageous penny.  The Superfeet Hike Cushion (previously the ADAPT Hike Max) are that type of product, at least for my hiking boots. 

I tend to wear big, heavy boots because I’m a big, heavy guy and go on long, rough hikes with significant elevation changes.  After miles of pounding my feet down constant slopes the inner bottom of my big toe starts to hurt.  17 miles of constant hiking has had me wincing by the end.  After quite a bit of research and a willingness to throw away $50 I bought the Adapt Max’s and my mind was blown.

In reality, they’re just an injected molded plastic heel with some dense foam pads glued to some less dense insole material covered in standard cloth, albeit nifty hunter green and orange.  Because people are always looking inside my boots.  That really shouldn’t cost $50, especially at the volumes they’re being produced and it’s perfectly possible that I’m paying a premium for the brand.  Don’t know, don’t care.

What I can say is that after doing 17 miles of Half Dome and a little too unprepared at that, the walk of death from the Happy Isles bridge to the Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking, after that insufferably long and steep asphalt grade from the footbridge was not painful.  I was tired, to be sure, and various parts of my body were telling me that I was an idiot, but my feet absolutely did not hurt.  Indeed, I was surprised that some interminably long sections felt short. Weirded me out, honestly.

I’ve done this hike 3-4 times (they didn’t always have a lottery) as well as significant portions of it so I know that pain well.  Tired, but not aching.  If you note my various boot reviews I’ve done this or sections of this hike in 5-6 different types of shoes, from mountaineer’s boots to light hikers and I’ve never felt this comfortable at the end.  I should also mention that I don’t have much of an arch and the significant looking curvature on these insoles made me nervous.  Zero pain, rubbing, or hot spots.  Suffice it to say I was impressed.

I currently only run these in my Zamberlands, not in my running shoes, light hikers, or mountaineering boots mostly because that $50 really hurts, but I’ll probably do it soon regardless, at least on the mountaineering boots.