Everything you want to know before you buy.

You wear your stepz® for 30 days as you normally would — at work, on hard floors, in your own shoes. Exactly where the pressure builds. If they don't convince you in that time, just write to us and get your money back.

The 30 days start on the day your package arrives — not on the day you order.

No. Sending them back worn is explicitly allowed — otherwise a trial wouldn't make any sense. An insole you just take out of the box and look at tells you nothing. Only after several days on the job will you know whether anything has changed.

Just send an email to support@wearstepz.com. Please include:

• Your order number (it's in your confirmation email)
• Your name
• What didn't work, in short

We'll reply within 24 hours and send you everything you need for the return. No form to fill out, no portal to hunt for — one email is all it takes.

The original packaging is handy but not a must. All that matters is that the insoles don't get damaged in transit — a sturdy envelope or box is enough.

As soon as your return reaches us, we issue your refund within 3–7 business days — automatically to the payment method you ordered with. With credit cards, your bank may need another day or two before the amount shows up in your account.

Yes. 100% of the purchase price — no processing fee, nothing held back, no debate about how often you wore them. We don't deduct a thing.

Within 24 hours, seven days a week. An email to support@wearstepz.com is all it takes — whether it's about sizing, your order or a return.

No ticket system, no waiting on hold. You write, a real person answers.

Most insoles rely on soft padding. That feels good at first, but under load the material gives way: your foot sinks in, the arch loses support, and the heel carries the full load again.

stepz® works the other way around. Structured massage points, an active arch support and multi-layer cushioning distribute pressure away from the zones where the pain starts — instead of just cushioning it.

In short: not softer, but more structured.

88% of our customers report noticeable relief the very first time they wear them. That's an average, though, not a promise — how quickly things change depends on how long you've had the symptoms and how many hours a day you're on your feet.

Realistically: in the first few days, you'll mainly notice that the pressure is distributed differently. After one to two weeks, you'll know whether your evenings after work feel different. That's why it's a 30-day trial and not a 3-day one.

Yes, and it's the most common reason people give up too early. If your feet have spent years on flat, soft soles, structured contact feels unfamiliar at first — some describe it as a slight tingling or a feeling of pressure at the points.

This usually settles down within 3 to 7 days. During that time, start by wearing them a few hours a day, then build up.

What's not normal: sharp, pinpoint pain or sore spots. That means the size isn't right — let us know.

A heel spur itself won't disappear with any insole — it's a bony structure. What can change is the load on that spot: when pressure is moved away from the heel and spread across the entire sole of the foot, many customers report that their first steps in the morning become more bearable.

That's exactly the difference we promise — relief, not a cure.

That's what they're built for. Concrete, tile and industrial floors don't absorb any shock — the full impact goes into your foot with every step. This group (nursing, retail, warehouse, trades, food service) is where most of the customer feedback about the so-called afternoon slump comes from: the point where every hour starts to drag.

If you stand for many hours a day, we recommend more than one pair — one for each pair of shoes you wear regularly. In everyday life, you're bound to forget to switch them over.

No. stepz® are not a medical device and not a therapy. They don't replace a diagnosis or medical treatment.

If you have severe, persistent or sudden pain, open sores on your foot, a known nerve condition or diabetes, please have it checked by a doctor — and talk to your doctor before using them.

We'd rather say this up front than after the fact:

• They don't cure plantar fasciitis and they don't make a heel spur go away.
• They don't replace physical therapy or medical treatment.
• They don't work the same for everyone — foot pain has many different causes.
• They're not custom-made from a foot impression.

What they do: distribute pressure in a structured way instead of just cushioning it. That's why there are 30 days — so you can test it on your own feet instead of taking our word for it.

The stepz® Relief Insoles come in sizes M 5 / W 6 to M 11 / W 12. The sizes are designed so you can trim them down if needed — more on that in the next question.

Always the larger one. You can always go smaller, never bigger: an insole that's too big takes two minutes to trim to fit — one that's too small stays too small.

Yes. Trim lines are printed on the underside. Use your shoe's original insole as a template, lay it on top and cut along the line with regular household scissors — only ever at the front in the toe area, never at the heel.

The relief zones at the heel and arch stay fully intact. That's where the work happens; the front is just for fit.

Tip: it's best to trim in two steps and test the fit in between.

In the vast majority of closed-toe shoes: sneakers, work and safety shoes, boots, everyday lace-ups, hiking shoes.

They're not suitable for very flat or tight styles without a removable insole — such as narrow dress shoes, ballet flats or pumps. There simply isn't enough room.

Yes, if it's removable. Two insoles stacked on top of each other make the shoe tight, press on the top of your foot and change the pressure distribution — exactly what we want to avoid.

If the insole is glued in, simply place your stepz® on top of it. Just make sure the shoe still has enough room.

Breaking them in: Two to three hours on the first day, then a little longer each day. After about a week, you'll be wearing them all day as usual.

Quantity: One pair per shoe you wear regularly. If you switch between work shoes and everyday shoes each day, one pair usually won't get you far — you're bound to forget to switch them over in the morning, and then you're missing the relief exactly where you stand the longest.

With daily use and normal care, they last over 12 months. For comparison: soft gel and foam insoles often lose their shape after just a few weeks — that's the main reason people think insoles don't work at all.

The material is designed for shape stability, not soft give — so the relief zones don't sink in the way pure foam insoles do.

There's still wear and tear, especially if you stand on hard floors for many hours a day. The honest answer: they last much longer than gel insoles, but they don't last forever.

Wipe them by hand with lukewarm water and a little mild soap, then let them dry at room temperature.

Not in the washing machine, not in the dryer, not on the radiator and not in direct sunlight. Heat warps the material — and with it the very structure that distributes the pressure.

When the massage points are visibly flattened, the insole has a permanent dent in the heel area — or when you notice the relief you felt before is fading. The latter is usually the more reliable sign.

In Germany. That's not a given in this product category — a large share of the massage and relief insoles on the market are imported and simply repackaged.

They were developed together with Dr. Gilbert, an orthopedic specialist focused on foot and ankle surgery, along with other foot specialists in Germany.

Four things were tested above all: material density, arch angle, heel depth and the layout of the pressure zones. The goal was the sweet spot between two common mistakes — too soft (the foot sinks in) and too hard (the insole digs in).

A multi-layer build: textured massage points on top, a supportive arch zone and a cushioning base layer. The breathable memory foam material is perforated so moisture can escape and your feet stay dry even after hours in closed shoes.

Yes. The reviews come from verified buyers and are collected through an independent review service — we can't write them ourselves or change them afterward.

That's why you'll also find critical and mediocre reviews there. A product page with nothing but five-star reviews would be the real red flag.

Because two major costs are cut out: individual casting plus follow-up fitting appointments, and the middlemen — medical supply stores and doctors' offices.

The honest difference: custom orthotics are molded to your footprint — stepz® aren't. We work with a pressure distribution designed for the typical load zones in heel and arch pain. For many people, that's exactly enough. If you have a misalignment that needs orthopedic correction, custom orthotics are the right way to go.

6–9 business days after shipping (orders ship within 1–2 business days). It's on every product page before you buy and again in your confirmation email — not hidden in the fine print.

Within the United States. We can't ship to other countries at the moment.

Yes. As soon as your package leaves our warehouse, you'll get an email with your tracking number and a link to track it. If no email arrives, please take a quick look in your spam folder — and let us know if it's not there either.

All common payment methods:

• PayPal
• Kreditkarte (Visa, Mastercard)
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

Payment is encrypted through the Shopify checkout. Your card details are never stored with us.

As long as the package hasn't left our warehouse yet, yes — size, color, address or a full cancellation. Just email us as soon as possible at support@wearstepz.com with your order number.

If your package is already on its way, simply use the 30-day trial.

For targeted extra relief right at the heel — useful when the pain is clearly pinpointed right there. They can be worn together with the Relief Insoles. See the Heel Cushion Pads

They support circulation and counteract that heavy, swollen feeling after long shifts on your feet. Many customers combine them with the insoles. See the Compression Socks

It holds your foot in a stretched position overnight so the plantar fascia doesn't shorten over hours of sleep. It's mainly for anyone whose first steps in the morning are the worst part of the day. See the Night Splint

They bring the Relief Insole principle home — for the hours after your shift, when most people walk barefoot or in flat house slippers on tile floors. See the Massage Slippers