Monday, March 31, 2008

What is Your Orthotic Made Of? Viscork is our Choice

When I first began researching custom orthotic materials, I was looking for flexibility, durability and shock absorption. Though I was doing this research in the early 1990's (and the environment was not as trendy then), I felt that my materials should also be as environmentally safe as possible and result in a custom orthotic that would last a long time (rather than being "disposable").

I realized that foam and hard plastic or other reinforced rigid materials don't have the range of properties clients need in a custom orthotic. Those materials lose their shapes soon or sacrifice one quality for all others. Over-the-counter orthotics made of foam rarely outlast the life of a shoe. The foam compresses and looses it shape and shock absorption. Clinicians may try to remedy the faults of various orthotics materials by gluing a variety of products together, hoping for the best. It is an ineffective compromise at best.

Through years of research, trial and error I developed a material I sell called Viscork. Viscork orthotic material is a visco elastic polymer. Viscork is a unique combination of visco elastic polymer with cork granules. Cork is a renewable resource. Properties of Viscork replicate as closely as possible the natural protective tissues of the foot. Viscork absorbs shock and permanently maintains it's shape, therefore ensuring support for years. Clients often use their Viscork orthotics upwards of 5 to 7 years, longer than most people own their cars!

All of the orthotics we make at Footform Performance Labs are made using Viscork orthotics materials. If you represent a orthotics lab, contact us to buy Viscork for your custom orthotics production.
www.Footform.com

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