Think you need custom orthotics? Most people don't.
Custom orthotics cost $500–$1,000 and are moulded to the shape of your foot. But for most people, foot pain was never about shape — it's about support. We send you all three support levels, you wear the one that ends your pain, and keep it. The result of a custom orthotic, without the price or the guesswork.
Why custom isn't the answer ↓
"Custom" sounds like it should be better.
The name does the work: custom-made must mean made for you, made better. So that's what most people reach for first. But it's worth knowing what "custom" actually changes — and what it doesn't.
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WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE
"A custom orthotic is moulded to my foot, so it must fix my pain."
The assumption is that a perfect copy of your foot's shape is what resolves pain — and that anything off-the-shelf is a compromise. It feels logical. It's also why people pay $500–$1,000 and wait weeks for a cast or scan.
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WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS
A mould of your foot's shape doesn't, on its own, change the forces causing your pain.
Foot pain is driven by how your foot moves under load— not by the shape of your foot. The thing that helps is the level of support to resist pronation and assist supination- and this has nothing to do with the shape of your arch. A custom mould can deliver that but so can a prefabricated orthotic engineered the same way — for a fraction of the price.
The science, in plain English
Foot pain isn't about the shape of your foot.
It's about motion — and the force your foot develops as it moves. Here's the whole idea in three steps.
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1
Pain comes from strain
As you walk, your foot rolls inward (pronates). For some people, the repeated strain of that motion overloads the tissues — and that's what causes pain. Two people with the same foot shape can have completely different experiences.
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2
Support decreases strain
The right level of support resists that excess motion and eases the strain. Not a copy of your foot's shape — the right amount of support in the right place- the heel and arch. That's the part that actually does the work.
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3
Orthotic success
A flat orthotic provides no support. A very high arch orthotic has maximum support but is too uncomfortable. Interpod engineered three functional arch heights LOW, MODERATE and HIGH to cater for people with standard footwear.
"Flat feet or high-arched feet — the problem is the same. So is the solution."
Being straight with you
Some people do need custom. ..feet that don't fit in a 'normal' shoe
We're not against custom orthotics — they're the right tool for a small number of feet. We'd rather tell you the truth than sell you the most expensive option.
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You may genuinely need a custom orthotic if:
You have a true structural deformity — a severely high-arched (cavus) foot, a significant leg-length difference, a rigid deformity, or a foot reshaped by surgery or injury. In those cases the shape really does matter, and a practitioner-made device is worth it. These foot types don't fit in a standard, 'normal' shoe.
For everyone else — the overwhelming majority of people with plantar fasciitis, heel pain, arch pain, flat feet, or tired aching feet — it's about getting the right level of support, not a copy of your foot. That's the part you can get without a cast, a scan, or a four-figure bill.
So here's what we do instead
We take the guessing off your plate.
Most orthotic companies give you a single level of support. Interpod sends you three to trial — so you can wear-test and find the preferred level of support and comfort for each shoe.
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We send all three levels
Your trial orthotic arrives with low, moderate and high support inserts — and it starts easing your symptoms the day it lands. No casting, no clinic, no waiting in pain.
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You wear the one that works
Start low, step up only if you need to — the same method a podiatrist uses in clinic. Your own feet tell you which level ends the pain. No guessing, no jargon.
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Keep your match — free
Once you've found your level, your matching orthotic ships free. The result of a custom orthotic, dialled in to you — without the custom price.
This is the part no custom system can match: the custom orthotic process can make you wait weeks in pain while it's made. The manufacturing process is why Custom are so expensive. Your Interpod trial treats you from day one — and you only commit to your orthotic once you know it works.
Custom orthotics vs Interpod.
Same goal — the right support for your feet. Very different path to get there.
| Custom orthotics | Interpod | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $500–$1,000 | $65–$135 |
| Process | Clinic visit, cast or scan, 2–4 week wait | Delivered to your door, trial at home |
| Relief while you wait | None — you wait in pain | Day-one relief from the trial orthotic |
| How your level is set | Clinician's assessment | You trial all three and feel the difference |
| The result | The right support for your feet | The right support for your feet |
For the large majority of feet, the outcome is functionally the same — Interpod simply gets you there without the price tag, the wait, or the guesswork.
Don't just take our word
Rated 4.8 out of 5 by people who skipped custom.
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★★★★★
"I was quoted $650 for custom orthotics. Tried these instead, the moderate level sorted my heel pain in a fortnight. Wish I'd found them first."
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★★★★★
"Being able to try all three at home was the whole thing for me. No second-guessing — I just knew which one felt right."
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★★★★★
"Same relief my partner got from her $800 custom pair, for a fraction of the cost. The arch support is genuinely firm and supportive."
Stop guessing. Start with the right support.
Skip the cast, the scan, and the four-figure bill. Trial all three support levels at home and keep the one that ends your pain.