A process for manufacturing insoles from flexible, porous and stickable sheet plastic material by sheering the sheet to form a peripheral cut of the insole and an internal cut in the heel area to form an open area surrounded by a land area. The insole is then placed in a mold die and plastic is injected to fill in the open area and surround the land area to conform to a predetermined contour. The insole is stabilized in the die by a plurality of rods positioned within the die.

A foot conforming shoe insole which includes upper and lower layers of resilient foam material and an intermediate layer of solid material bonded between the upper and lower layers. Upturned tabs are formed by the layers on opposite sides of the insole for cradling the foot at the medial and lateral sides of the foot where the arch thereof is located.

Footwear comprising a sole. The sole has a heel section for supporting a heel of the foot. The heel section has medial and lateral regions. At least a portion of the lateral region has a first compressive resilience for attenuating the shock of impact to the wearer during running and walking. Further, the sole has an arch section forward of the heel section for supporting an arch of the foot. The arch section also has medial and lateral regions. At least a portion of the lateral region of the arch section has the first compressive resilience and at least a portion of the medial region of the arch section has a second compressive resilience harder than the first compressive resilience for providing firm support for the foot during running and walking. In addition, the sole has a forefoot section forward of the arch section for supporting a ball of the foot including first, second, third, fourth and fifth metatarsal heads and associated metatarsal necks, proximal phalanges and metatarsal phalangeal joints. The forefoot section has a first region for supporting the first, second, third, fourth and fifth metatarsal heads, associated phalanges and metatarsal phalangeal joints, and the metatarsal neck associated with the fifth metatarsal head and a second region for supporting at least one of the metatarsal necks associated with the second and third metatarsal heads. The first region of the forefoot section has the first compressive resilience and the second region of the forefoot section has the second compressive resilience.

Footwear comprising a sole formed from a first resilient material for attenuating the shock of impact to a wearer during running or walking, and a second material harder than the first material for providing firm support for a foot. The sole has heel, arch and toe sections, each of which have medial and lateral regions. The sole also has a forefoot section having a first region for supporting the first, second, third, fourth and fifth metatarsal heads of the foot, associated phalanges and metatarsal phalangeal joints, and the metatarsal necks associated with the fourth and fifth metatarsal heads, and a second region for supporting the metatarsal necks associated with the second and third metatarsal heads. The sole is formed so that the first resilient material is positioned in the lateral region of the heel section, the lateral region of the arch section, and the first region of the forefoot section, and so that the second harder material is positioned in the medial region of the arch section, and the second region of the forefoot section.