Sockliner – Complete Guide to Know What are Sock liners in a Shoe

Everything You Need To Know About Sockliner

There are so many assumptions and confusions going on in a mind of a shoe shopper especially when he / she is not much aware about the special shoe or footwear terminologies.

There are lots of advanced shoe terms which are not known by shoe buyers all over the globe. One of such terms is sockliner in a shoe.

What does it mean by sockliner?

This is the question I often see in online footwear forums and on various shoes review sites.

We will try to understand this term in this comprehensive step by step sockliner guide.

This will be greatly helpful for many folks who want to make well educated and well informed buying decisions while shopping for the best shoes online.

So here goes our guide to tell you what does actually sockliner mean.

Click Here to Find Most Comfortable Removable Sockliners for Your Shoes.

Dictionary Meaning of Sockliner

If you take a look at your dictionary, you will realize the simple English meaning of Sockliner is a thin piece of material which is placed on an insole of your shoe or boot.

This material can be made up of various elements such as leather, silk, wool or EVA, etc. They are often used to absorb moisture from your skin and keep your shoe warm in a cold temperature.

What is a Sockliner in a Shoe?

A sockliner is basically a type of footbed in the form of foam padded mesh on which your actual foot stands on.

It comes in two main varieties. One is removable and the other one is fixed or cemented to the insole of your boot or shoe.

High priced or more expensive shoes often come with high end sockliners that are made from molded EVA of PU foam.

Less expensive shoes are usually made from less pricey EVA sockliners or leather sockliners.

According to Mizunousa.com blog , sockliners are also referred to insoles of the shoe.

They are also known as a type of light footbed which is located on top of the midsole of your shoe.

They are often used to provide enhanced comfort for the user.

The sockliner is considered as a bit lining inside the running shoe.

This makes you feel like you are wearing a slipper.

There are two major types of sockliners. One is cushioned sockliners that are made up of material like Peeva, EVA, latex sponge rubber and PU foam.

If you are a long distance runner, the shoes having cushioned sockliners can really provide you long time comfort.

On the other side, the shoes having removable sockliners that usually keep your feet warm and fresh.

This type of shoe with removable sockliner is especially helpful for people having foot related disorders such as Planter Fasciitis and Bunions.

If you are looking for shoes that can safeguard your bunions, we have created the comprehensive guide for best footwear for bunions. We recommend checking it out too.

What are the Primary Types or Categories of Sockliners?

There are several types of sockliners present in the market that come by default with your new shoes, boots and sneakers.

The following are some of the important types where you can categorize the sockliners that are present in the shoes.

1. Type of Material Used for Sockliners:

​The different materials are used nowadays to make these special insoles.

Depending on the kind of material used to construct the sockliners, they can be differentiated into following types.

a. Wool Sock liner

b. Sheepskin

c. Thermal

d. Waterproof

e. Shearling

f. Polypropylene

g. Polyester

h. Nylon

i. Neoprene

j. Orthotics

k. Metallic

l. Microfiber

m. Leather

n. Merino

o. Gore-Tex

p. Perforated

q. Cork

r. Custom-made Sockliner

s. Removable EVA Sockliner

t. Molded EVA

u. Memory Foam Sockliner

2. Company Branded Sockliners:

There are few well known special tailor made company branded sockliners present in the market.

They usually come with their respective branded shoes and boots.

Some of those well-known insoles are as follows.

a. Thermolite Sockliner

b. Smartwool —“—

c. Nike Magista —“—

d. Hue —“—

e. Lace No Shoe Invisible Sock liner

f. Coolmax / Lorpen —“—

g. Michael Kors —“—

h. Gerbing Core Heat Heated —“—

i. UGGpure —“—

j. Brooks Linear Platform Ultimate Sockliner

k. Traduction —“—

l. Saucony ComfortRide —“—

m. Poron Performance Cushioned —“—

n. Ortholite Sockliner

o. Adidas F50 Adizero Ultralight —“—

p. Comfortlite —“—

q. ASICS Kayano 21 ComfortDry X-40 —“—

r. Nike Roshe Run —“—

s. Magnum —“—

t. Lunarlon —“—

u. Kinder-fit —“—

v. Ultracush HD Sock liner

3. Sockliners Based on Shoe Category:

There are different types of sock liners used for different types of shoes.

E.g. if you are looking for a running shoe, there will be different type of special insole used in that shoe.

At the same time, if you are searching for a walking shoe, there will be another kind of sockliner used in that walking shoe.

Some of those types are as follows.

a. Custom Made for Running Shoes

b. Custom Made for Walking Shoes

c. Custom Made for Hiking Shoes

d. Custom Made for Hunting Shoes

e. Sockliners for Flats

f. Sockliners for Boots

g. Custom Made for Soccer/Football Shoes

h. Custom Made for Rain Boots

i. Custom Made for Cold Weather

j. Custom Made for Hot Summer Season

4. Sockliners Based on Their Usage:

The sock liners are used in shoes for different purposes also.

Some of them are used as an antimicrobial assistant while some are used for full comfort and cushioning.

Based on their usage purpose they can be divided in the following ways.

a. Invisible Sockliners

b. Heated or Thermal Sock liners

c. Cold Weather —“—

d. Sockliners for Diabetic Patients

e. Made for Backpacking Outdoor Activities

f. Cushioned Sockliner

g. Removable —“—

h. Responsive —“—

i. Comfort —“—

What are the Benefits of Shoe Sockliners?

Sockliners play an important role in providing long time comfort when you wear your shoes, boots and sneakers.

If you want to use orthotics, the shoes with removable sockliners are ideal for your needs.

Nowadays, most well branded running shoes, walking shoes and dress shoes come with removable sockliners.

Shoes that do not have such removable insoles could be unfit for your feet in case you need to use orthotics.

Such shoes can even injure your feet and can be very uncomfortable to use.

Here are some primary benefits of having sockliners in your shoes:

1. Enhanced Comfort:

​The very first advantage of using such insoles is improved comfort factor.

The shoes you use become more comfortable and supportive when they come with high quality insoles.

2. Odour Control:

These types of insoles provide greater control over odour and unwanted smell that can arise after regular usage of your shoes over time.

They prevent potential fungal and bacterial infection which in turn prevent any foul odour and smell from your shoes.

3. Better Support:

The support we get by using shoes with quality sockliners is excellent in terms of better posture improvement of your feet.

4. Prevention Against Injuries:

If you have some foot disorders or ailments such as Plantar Fasciitis, Bunions, hammertoes, etc., you will definitely need shoes with sockliner support.

They help you prevent possible injuries while walking, hiking, running or playing your favourite games.

At the same time, they protect your feet from microbial and fungal infection.

5. Superior Cushioning:

The cushioned sockliners offer higher cushioning factor.

The cushioning is very essential in case you are a regular runner, hiker or walking addict.

These types of special insoles provide better support as well as cushion for your feet.

6. Increased Durability and Breathability:

Due to the use of sockliners, the overall life span of your new shoes is increased.

At the same time, they prevent moisture or excessive odour from your shoes because of their highly breathable material usage.

7. Very Lightweight and Washable Too:

These types of insoles offer high performance due to their lightweight nature.

They are easily washable and you can even paint, dye or clean them with quality available market products.

Removable vs. Responsive vs. Cushioned vs. Molded Sockliner: Which One is Best?

Removable vs Responsive Sockliners

Before we decide which one is best, it is a good idea to first learn these types of special insoles in more detail.

So let us know what is the meaning and function of each sock liner type.

Click here for a good explanation on every kind of sock liner.

What is a Responsive Sockliner?

Responsive sockliners are often used in the football, soccer and dance shoes.

They provide quick response and better support for your feet to perform fast and effortless movements.

These types of shoes usually have less amount of cushioning.

What is Cushioned Sockliners?

As compared to responsive sockliners, these types of sock liners have fewer amounts of quick response and fast movements system in the shoes.

But they offer better cushioning and support for the user. Most running, walking and hiking shoes require such type of cushioning.

These cushioned sockliners also offer better protection against moisture and fungal infection.

What is Removable Sockliner?

Removable sockliners are simply as the word indicates, are removable by nature.

You can effortlessly remove these sockliners and replace them with your favourite new ones.

Such removable sockliners are best for users who also need to incorporate orthotics in their shoes.

They are simply glued down to the shoe insoles so that we can remove them easily whenever we want to change them.

What is a Molded Sockliner?

Molded sockliners often come in three categories viz. single layer, dual layer and multi-density molded sockliners.

These types of sock liners are often used for custom fitting and exceptional cushioning purpose.

These types of insoles offer very high comfort and an improved performance for the user.

Thus, when we compare the features and benefits of each type of sockliner, we find that no single type is superior to the other.

The reason being every type is made to fulfill the specific purpose. They also offer unique benefits and features for the user.

How to Find the Best Sockliner in a Shoe?

In reality, there is no such thing as the best sockliner in a shoe.

Because it all depends on your foot geometry and the actual type of shoe you want to wear.

First we need to know important stuff like our foot type and foot alignment in order to select the suitable shoe and shoe sockliner.

Click here to know more about the shoe insoles.

If you have high arches and your feet are supinated then you will need more cushioned shoe and obviously you will require a shoe with cushioned sockliner.

The next category comes for the folks who have normal arches and neutral feet alignment.

Such folks usually require a stability shoe for the best fitting.

These types of shoes usually need supportive or cushioned sockliners.

The last category is for those folks who possess flat feet and pronated feet.

These people need to use motion control shoes.

Such shoes often require responsive sockliners.

These motion control shoes are often used by soccer and volleyball players.

So they need responsive sockliners to control their movements and perform quick turns during the gameplay.

How to Paint or Dye a Sockliner?

You can either paint or dye your shoe sockliners yourself at home or you can take help of a professional to do the same.

There are some good products available in the market which can help you paint your shoe insoles within few minutes and effortlessly.

There are professional paint and dye kits available such as Angelus Paint Kit which you can use to paint your shoe sockliners easily.

You will only need things like applicator pads, leather paint, few paint brushes, mask tape and finally Angelus paint product.

Check out this video on how to paint your shoe sockliner with this product online.

​Click Here to Get Angelus Paint Kit Online.​

How to Clean a Sockliner?

Now, there are two ways you can clean your shoes and shoe sockliners.

The first one is obvious one which is to soak your shoes in the water mixed with detergent.

But sometimes, it can damage your new shoes depending on the material of your new shoes.

The best way I think is to use a professionally made shoe cleaner products available in the market.

The best product that we found which is more suitable to clean the sockliners is Angelus Easy Gel Cleaner.

You can also use Angelus Blue Foam Cleaner to clean your shoe sockliners without damaging the material of your shoes.

Watch the following video that will teach you how to clean your shoes with these products mentioned above.

​Click Here to Get Angelus Easy Gel Cleaner and Angelus Blue Foam Cleaner Online.

What is Nike Comfort Sockliner?

Nike Comfort Sock Liner is just another Nike’s manufactured insole type.

It is mainly used in Nike’s latest running and training shoes.

This kind of sockliner is mainly installed for the purpose of providing enhanced underfoot cushioning.

This insole is immensely helpful for people who regularly run or train in the gym and walk for long hours.

You will also need some good quality socks for long distance walking and running to wear with these types of Nike Comfort Sock liners.

This sock liner offers great comfort and cushioning which is needed for people who work for long hours in various sectors like retail, health and hotel industry.

What is Ortholite Sockliner?

Ortholite Sock liner is a popular insole brand which is manufactured by the company called as Ortholite.

Ortholite has made some significant changes to its new sock liner products.

The company uses its proprietary polyurethane formula along with recycled rubber material to manufacture their most popular insoles.

The major benefits that you get by using their specially designed sock liners are mentioned as follows.

1. They are lightweight:

Most of the new Ortholite insoles are really light in terms of their weight.

That is why you can easily insert them in your shoes and get more comfortable walking and running experience.

2. They Offer Long Lasting Cushioning:

These specially manufactured insoles offer enhanced cushioning and proper fitting for all the foot sizes.

Your feet get maximum comfort and underfoot cushioning when you insert these Ortholite sock liners.

3. They are Highly Breathable:

The company has incorporated open-cell polyurethane foam technology in all of their insoles.

This technology helps them to maintain breathability ratio from 95% to almost 100%.

This helps to maintain proper air circulation and ventilation in and around this type of sock liner.

This is the reason if you need to maintain your feet cool and dry in hot weather conditions, then always opt for Ortholite Sockliners.

4. They are Better in Moisture Control:

Due to the inclusion of open cell structure in their insoles, the water does not get stored inside the sock liner.

Any excessive sweating or moisture from your feet gets easily absorbed into these insoles.

This is the reason; your feet stay dry and warm for longer duration.

If you are a runner who sweats a lot, these sockliners can immensely benefit your feet.

5. They are Easily Washable:

Many insoles that I previously used were not washable.

Because after you wash them, their flexibility and softness often get deteriorated.

But all Ortholite sock liners are machine washable.

You can wash them in any washer or a washing machine at your home.

When they become dirty and muddy, you can easily clean them in the washing machine and wash them to make them new and shiny again.

You will not see any downgrade performance or comfort issues even after washing them several times.

To learn how to wash them safely in your washing machine, I have published an article about washing Ugg boots in the washing machine.

You can apply the same procedure to clean and wash your old Ortholite sockliners.

Click here to read that article.

6. They Provide Great Shock Absorption:

Ortholite shoe inserts offer pretty impressive shock absorption.

Whether you use running shoes or walking shoes for long and short distances, having a reliable shoe insole with right shock absorption is essential.

A shoe insert with proper shock absorption prevents foot injuries.

It also provides higher comfort and support for your feet.

7. They are Easy to Handle:

You can insert these sock liners inside all kinds of running and walking footwear with ease.

It is also easy to take them off and put inside other shoes without any hassles.

They are really lightweight and thin. The build quality is quite good and durable in nature.

8. They are Eco Friendly:

The material the company uses to manufacture these inserts is recyclable in nature.

The material is completely environment friendly.

So, for people who prefer to use eco friendly products, can comfortable buy these Ortholite insoles without any doubt.

Here is the video that will make you aware about the main benefits of using Ortholite Sock Liner for your shoes.

9. They Offer X-40 High Rebound Properties:

Due to increasing demand, the company has incorporated this new emerging technology in their insoles.

This X-40 High Rebound offers increased flexibility and elasticity rating which is above 40 percent.

It is great for people who are into high impact sports.

It is also beneficial for folks that use minimalist footwear.

At the same time, this feature enhances the cushioning ability of this sockliner.

Click Here to Get the Most Comfortable Removable Ortholite Sockliner for Your Shoe.

​What is EVA Sockliner?

The full long form of EVA is Ethyl-Vinyl-Acetate (EVA).

EVA is a kind of factory-made plastic material which is a combination of Ethylene and Vinyl Acetate.

Nowadays it is used in making different types of shoe inserts or insoles.

It is considered to be a safe alternative to PVC material.

Though EVA is safe for kids but an article from Hellocharlie.com explains that EVA foam is not safe for babies.

So, any kind of sockliners that include EVA foam is potentially unsafe for kids.

Therefore, a sock liner which is purely made from only EVA material must be preferred.

The shoe midsoles and insoles both are made from EVA material.

It comes in two forms viz. firm gray EVA and soft white EVA sock liner.

More firm EVA insoles increase the weight of the shoe while soft EVA makes it lightweight.

This is the reason; many top shoe companies make use of soft EVA material while manufacturing EVA sock liners.

Soft EVA insoles offer higher shock absorption.

They are extremely flexible and soft in nature.

The only disadvantage of soft EVA sock liners are they have less durability and they wear out faster.

But if you have foot ailments such as bunions, Achilles Tendonitis, hallux limitus, plantar fasciitis, etc. then it is better to use firm EVA sock liners for your shoes.

Because they offer rigid support and they are highly durable in nature.

What is Uggpure Sockliner?

Uggpure Sockliners are made by Ugg Boots company for providing great support and comfort for Ugg boot users.

The material used to make this kind of insole is really soft and moisture wicking in nature.

It is actually made from a comfortable sheepskin material.

You can replace your current insole with this replacement Uggpure insert.

It provides much better comfort, cushioning and support for your feet in all types of cold weather conditions.

Best thing that I like about this sockliner is it is not made by harming actual animals.

Rather, it is made from natural wool and often used in making linings and footbeds for most Ugg boots.

It offers plush sensory experience for your feet when you use it in your boots.

And because of its moisture wicking ability and consistent heat regulation capability, you can comfortably use these sockliners in cold winter season to keep your feet warm and dry in hot weather conditions.

Click Here to Get Very Comfortable Uggpure Sockliner for Your Shoe.