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BioPods^® Stimsoles^® offer a new direction in the treatment of foot-related pathologies. Stimsoles go well beyond today’s conventional insoles and orthotics by activating your innate body intelligence, the natural protective reflexes that keep your body safe.

Physically, Stimsoles^® are distiguished by their unique variable reflex technology (VRT™) Pods. Each Pod is positioned in the center of a flexible insole body to deliver direct non-static stimulus to the arch area of the foot. Stimsoles^® are designed to be worn like regular insoles within a wide range of footwear:

• full length within shoes that have removable insoles
• 3/4 length within shoes that do not have removable insoles (by cutting along the embedded Trim Line on the underside of each Stimsole^® body)

The soles of the feet play a critical role in providing the brain with the sensory information required to activate healthy robust function throughout the feet, legs, hips, and back. Healthy function requires that the soles of the feet experience subtly varied sensations from step-to-step. This “Right Stimulus” keeps the brain on high alert ensuring optimal muscle function and alignment. Conventional shoes dampen Right Stimulus and, therefore, the brain doesn’t receive the information required for healthy function.

BioPods Stimsoles are designed to recreate Right Stimulus in conventional footwear. The Stimsoles’ springy and textured Pods create multiple and varied stimulation points across their surface, as your body weight shifts over your feet. With each step, the Pods actively stimulate—rather than passively support—your arches.

The Pods are designed to retain their volume and springiness, while the bodies of the Stimsoles compact slightly around them, to cause a gentle increase in stimulus intensity as you begin using them. It is important to avoid over-tightening your lacing when using BioPods. They work best in flexible footwear that allows room for raising the toes.

BioPods^® Stimsoles^® are made from the following:

• Insole Bodies – Proprietary EVA foam (anti-fungal / anti-bacetrial)
• Pods – Proprietary TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) (anti-fungal / anti-bacterial)
• Top Sheets – Premium synthetic fabrics (anti-fungal / anti-bacterial)

BioPods^® Stimsoles’ Variable Reflex Technologies are designed to recreate Right Stimulus in conventional footwear by creating multiple and varied sensations to the soles of the feet, as your body weight shifts over your feet.

The soles of the feet play a critical role in providing the brain with the sensory information required to activate healthy robust function throughout the feet, legs, hips, and back. Healthy function requires that the soles of the feet experience subtly varied sensations with each step. This “Right Stimulus” keeps the brain on high alert ensuring optimal muscle function and alignment. Conventional shoes dampen Right Stimulus and, therefore, the brain doesn’t receive the information required for healthy function.

It is important to avoid over-tightening your lacing when using BioPods. They work best in flexible footwear that allows room for raising the toes.

Conventional insoles and orthotics cushion and/or support the feet in an attempt to mitigate the symptoms caused by poor foot mechanics. Unfortunately, long term support or cushioning of when any body part results in a progressive weakening of the affected body part.

BioPods^® Stimsoles^® address the cause of foot-related problems rather than just treating the symptoms, by stimulating the healthy muscle activity that is required for your feet to support themselves. Each step with BioPods Stimsoles results in stronger, more robust function throughout the feet, legs, hips, and back.

BioPods^® Stimsoles^® can be washed in warm, soapy water. An old toothbrush can be used to lightly scrub the top sheets if needed. Rinse well and allow the Stimsoles to air dry. Never wash or dry BioPods^® Stimsoles^® in a machine. A dusting of foot powder will not harm the top sheets.

There is a BioPods Stimsole model and stimulus level that’s ideal for any lifestyle, foot type, shoe type, and foot-related problem.

There are two Models:

1. ALL PURPOSE (best for more restrictive low impact footwear, such as dress shoes and boots,and footwear that is not adjustable over the arch)
2. PERFORMANCE (best for moderate to high impact casual and athletic footwear that is adjustable over the arch). Both Models are the same price. Both Models feature imbedded trim lines on their undersides to use as a guide for trimming the full length Stimsoles to 3/4 length.

There are three Pod Variable Reflex Technology (VRT) Stimulus levels: NOTE – there is a 1 mm difference between each Pod stimulus level.

1. VRT 100: Best for most restrictive footwear / mildest and lowest for gentle impacts, sensitive arches
2. VRT 200: Best for most footwear / moderate stimulus applicable to widest applications from standing to active sport
3. VRT 300: Best for athletic footwear / highest and most intense stimulus for intermittent impacts required by running and court sports

To take the guesswork out of trying to determine the best BioPods Stimsole Model/Stimulus combination, there is a handy Selection Tool on the BioPods website. From the BioPods.com Homepage, choose “Get Stimsoles” and then click on “Customize and Buy” where your answers to the diagnostic questions will automatically lead you to the right Stimsoles for your needs.

BioPods^® Stimsoles^® are available in size “ranges” that encompass one and one half a size per size range. (For example, one size range is US men’s 10-10.5 and the next size up is men’s 11-11.5.)

For the best fit, choose your usual shoe size. However, if you are between sizes 10.5 – 11, for example, we recommend that you select the smaller of the two sizes.

Moving the BioPods^® Stimsoles^® from shoe to shoe is fine under the following conditions:

When using Stimsoles^® ONLY in shoes that have removable insoles

In most instances, the full length Stimsoles can be transferred from shoe to shoe, if the all the shoes have removable insoles. However, due to different types of shoe construction the positioning of the Pods may be slightly different from shoe to shoe. For best results, we recommend that you leave any full length Stimsoles^® in the footwear they were originally purchased for.

When using Stimsoles^® ONLY in shoes that don’t have removable insoles

The Stimsoles^® should be trimmed to 3/4 length for use in shoes without removable insoles. In most instances, the 3/4 length Stimsoles can be transferred from shoe to shoe, if the all the shoes DO NOT HAVE have removable insoles. Simply tuck the 3/4 length Stimsole^® body back against the heel pocket of your shoe and slip your foot in over it. In most cases, your body’s weight will keep the 3/4 length insoles in place but, if your shoes have an exceptionally slippery surface, we recommend using Velcro^® tabs to secure the Stimsoles^® in place.

Not recommended when using Stimsoles^® in shoes that HAVE and DON’T HAVE removable insoles

When you trim your Stimsoles^® to 3/4 length it will increase the stimulus level. Therefore, for best results we don not recommend switching the Stimsoles^® between shoes with removable insoles and without removable insoles.

When using the Customize Stimsoles^® for your shoes and your feet app to purchase your Stimsoles^®, make sure you make the appropriate footwear type selections.

There are many factors that determine how quickly you see the benefits from BioPods^® . Your foot type, footwear used, problem history, activities, and age will all factor in on how your body will respond.

The good news is that virtually everyone can regain healthy protective reflex function, often much more quickly than you’d expect.

As with any muscle training, you’ll experience a phase of soft tissue adjustment that may continue for 6-8 weeks as your protective reflexes retrain to work more efficiently and your musculoskeletal system realigns. During this period, it is normal to experience intermittent twinges or tightness in some areas as your body adjusts and, if there is any pre-existing scar tissue or fibrosis, you may experience some soreness in those areas. Biopods does not treat already damaged tissue such as scar tissue or fibrosis that has been caused by trauma or historical or degenerative stresses resulting from poor foot mechanics. If required, damaged tissues can be treated by a medical professional with complementary “mobilization” therapies such as, but not limited to, ultrsound, deep tissue massage, A.R.T. (Active Release Technique), and Graston Technique.

For more detailed information on how you will respond, visit our What to Expect page.

By retraining your protective reflexes, BioPods^® help your body adapt to healthier function and relieve the painful symptoms of many conditions—from Achilles tendonitis to shin splints.

For details about the many conditions that can be improved by BioPods^®, visit Conditions.

To train and maintain healthy foot, leg, and back function BioPods^® Stimsoles^® should be used whenever you are wearing footwear.

As you stand, walk, or run, the materials and design of enclosed footwear insulates the feet from sensory input that the brain requires for adequate anticipation of each new step. It is widely recognized that long-term cushioning and support are not advised for any part of the body, yet these features are not only designed into contemporary footwear, but also continue to underpin conventional insole and orthotic product design. Until now there was no alternative option.

Combining today’s cutting edge design and manufacturing capabilities, BioPods^® has found a way to re-introduce stimulus to the shod foot that is in line with the principles and fundamental laws of human physiology.

When you first start using the BioPods^® Stimsoles^®, two things happen:

1. During initial use, the stimulus delivered by the Pods gradually increases as the Stimsole^® bodies naturally compact around the springy Pods.
2. Your body will experience a four to six week period of soft tissue adjustment. This is a time when the muscles of the feet retrain to function in a healthier manner. As muscle function improves, mobility at the joints increases and the bones realign to more efficiently manage increased loads. You may experience “new” aches or pain in muscles and joints that shift from location to location at different times, which is normal. However, if discomfort persists in any one area longer than two weeks, it may be from underlying scar tissue or fibrosis that is related to footwear use or prior injury. In this way, BioPods^® Stimsoles^® function as a disgnostic tool to help you and your healthcare professional address the underlying cause of your foot-related problem.

Effective rehabilitative treatments include, but are not limited to, Active Release Technique, ultrasound, or therapeutic massage.

Generally, BioPods^® should not be uncomfortable. However, some footwear and some foot types may not be compatible with Stimsoles^®:

Pain may be caused by footwear incompatibility. Visit our BioPods Shoe Guide to get more detailed information on selecting the healthiest footwear and footwear features that can cause pain.

Pain may be caused by foot type incompatibility. Some foot types may need a little pre-Stimsoles^® use mobilization therapy to address pre-exsitng scar/fibrotic  tissue. A small percentage of people may not find BioPods^® suitable for them due to certain pre-existing conditions, such as fused joints in the feet. Visit our What to Expect page to get more detailed information your foot type–Stimsole^® compatibility.

Nearly all conventional footwear interferes with healthy natural foot function to some degree—especially footwear that hampers your ability to raise your toes or that provides extra support and cushioning. Over time, your feet mal-adapt to chronic restrictiveness and lack of sensory stimulus and this maladaptation is the cause of most foot-related problems.

For more information visit the following pages:

• Common Foot Health Myths
• Are your shoes causing your foot, leg, hip, and back pain?
• Understanding Optimal Neuromuscular Mechanics
• Walking and running stressors can be good for you.
• Is footwear hindering your performance and increasing you risk of injury?
• What you do everyday determines your body’s capabilities.
• Protective reflexes and innate body intelligence.
• Kinetic chain biomechanics determine how well we walk and run.
• Common Footwear Myths

Our protective reflexes are constantly working to protect our body’s from harm. Protective reflex movements can involve some or many of our senses at the same time.

Our protective reflexes—the unconscious activations of our neuromuscular system triggered by stimuli that is perceived as a threat to our bodies. They play an important role any time we walk, run or engage in any strenuous activity. When a foot is on the ground, these reflexes use sensory information about the terrain to trigger “protective” muscle activations through the other foot, leg and hip in anticipation of the contact of the other foot with the ground. This is repeated, step after step.

BioPods^® are designed to encourage healthy protective reflex function and work in harmony with the natural dynamic movement of the feet. With the regular variable stimulus they provide, Stimsoles challenge our body’s natural protective reflex mechanisms and cause them to adapt toward healthier function. Even though the stimulus is under the soles of the feet, it affects and improves proprioceptive and reflex function up through the feet, legs, hips, and back.

For more information relating to how protective reflexes are involved in our daily activities visit the following pages:

• Protective reflexes and innate body intelligence.
• Understanding Optimal Neuromuscular Mechanics
• Walking and running stressors can be good for you.
• What you do everyday determines your body’s capabilities.
• Kinetic chain biomechanics determine how well we walk and run.
• Are your shoes causing your foot, leg, hip, and back pain?