ZipFit has built their reputation (and cult following) on ski boot liners that use to a special cork blend to customize fit. Why cork? Simple. It doesn’t pack out the way foam liners can, and ZipFit designs their liners to be able to add or subtract said cork material to adjust fit.
Last fall, ZipFit expanded their product line beyond just ski boot liners to include insoles, using the same cork base technology. Call them footbeds, orthotics, or whatever—I’ll just call them insoles here. The line includes four different insole options: the Zippy, Crossover, Legacy, and Wander. As someone with a number of foot issues (Exhibit A), who has done my fair share of testing in relation to boots, liners, and fitting (Exhibit B), and research (Exhibit C), I was curious about ZipFit’s insoles. I’ve been told by several people, including the folks behind a crazy new custom bootfitting technology I tried (refer to Exhibit B), that ZipFit liners would be a fantastic option for my low volume, child-sized feet, high arches, and desperation for a stiffer ski boot.
While ski season in North America is still a few months out, I’ve been attempting to treat my feet well while trail running, biking, and spending long days on my feet shooting photos in the interim by putting orthotics in most of my shoes. I’m not using anything custom (yet), but with ZipFit’s fantastic reputation for boot liners, I figured their insoles were worth a try until I could give them a real shot in some ski boots.
First Look: ZipFit Crossover
- Designed For: Everyday wear, aerobic activity, ZipFit liners
- Sizes Available (US Men’s): 1-16
- Stack Height: Medium
- Flex Level: Medium
- MSRP: $66.00
The Crossover is ZipFit’s multi-sport footbed, and the one they’d recommend putting in your alpine ski boots. The Crossover is made from an EVA cork base, which provides structure and cushioning, and has a perforated synthetic top sheet, which helps keep your foot in place while sweaty. The Crossovers are designed to prevent your feet from sliding around in your shoes to prevent blisters as well as position your feet neutrally in order to promote foot strength and enhance alignment. They run pretty true to shoe size, but you can trim them if needed.
The Crossover is advertised to work for running, biking, golf, skiing, and pretty much any other activity. I was given the tip that they might be a bit too stiff in the forefoot to work well for distance trail running. Despite this advice, I still dropped them in my running shoes (the Altra Experience Wild 3+) because that’s where I’ve tried the brunt of different insoles.
My first thought was that the cork made for a kind of non-newtonian squishy comfort that I really enjoyed. I agreed with the advice of the person that said they might not be the best for trail running, but more so because the Crossover doesn’t have crazy-high arch support. For most folks, that might be a good thing, but my feet prefer something more high-profile, like a Superfeet Run Pro, for running.
I do think that the Crossover would be a fantastic insole for bike shoes given cork’s damping properties and the contrast between squish and support. Specifically, I think they’ll work great in clipless shoes, which I’m going to toss them in next. I also think they’d be a great choice for a hiking shoe or the hiking/running crossover shoes I use when shooting all-day bike events and need something that can tackle rocky terrain but are still breathable. I’d be curious about them as a ski insole for someone who has higher volume feet and lower arches than me as well.
First Look: ZipFit Legacy
- Designed For: Casual footwear, work boots, ZipFit liners
- Sizes Available (US Men’s): 1-16
- Stack Height: Medium
- Flex Level: Medium
- MSRP: $71.00
Like the Crossover, the Legacy also uses the EVA cork footbed, but has a nice, leather top sheet. While the leather top sheet might not make the Legacy a first choice for high-output aerobic activities, it works in pretty much any shoe (or ski boot!) and wears in to customize the fit of the shoe.
Although it’s pretty darn similar, the Legacy wasn’t quite as squishy nice on first try as the Crossover. They have a similarly low arch, which for a lot of folks is great off the bat. I’m curious to see if they feel more supportive over time as they wear in.
Given the recommended uses for these, the first shoe I’d put these in are my Blundstone boots. Blundstones are one of those shoes that I always find myself wishing had a little more support, especially as the leather upper softens. I also wouldn’t hesitate to drop these into high-top Vans (I did try to shove them into my slip-ons, but the insoles in those don’t actually come out) and give the notoriously least supportive shoe of all time a little more cushion.
