Who doesn't know this: You sit on the bike for several hours, your feet burn and other parts of your body feel pretty drained. The fact that one's own performance falls under such circumstances hardly needs to be explained further here. But what can you do about it?
There are certainly many possible approaches to declare war on problems of this kind. One of them starts with the feet themselves. More precisely, with the shape of the feet and their position in the shoe. In the basement of an old building in Cologne, Oliver Elsenbach and Sebastian Klaus have turned to this approach. In the Sport Competence Center, Kom*Sport for short, they focus not only on the optimal adjustment of the bike to the rider, but also on insoles that are individually adapted to each customer.
For more than two years now, these soles have been answering to the name "Solestar". Since then they have caused a stir in the scene. This is thanks to the collaboration with riders such as Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka), winner of Milan – San Remo 2013, and André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol), multiple Tour stage winner and reigning German champion. Their successes have contributed to the fact that the who's who of professional cycling has gathered in Cologne.
“After studying sports, I initially managed a performance diagnostics center from 2003. However, when I first made contact with shoe orthopedists and shifted my focus to cycling around the same time, the idea for the insoles matured.", Elsenbach reports. At that time, development was still based on the trial and error method. In the meantime, however, a standard model has emerged. The striking red and black carbon sole, which was created in close cooperation with Ciolek, is now available for racing cyclists and mountain bikers. We tried to find out what makes them so special.
//equipment and features
As already mentioned, each "Solestar" individually adapted to the feet of the driver - regardless of the purpose. All that is important is the exact impression (taken while standing) and the specification of the shoe in which you want to ride the soles. Then Elsenbach and Klaus manufacture the soles in their Cologne workshop. A finished insole is then created from a blank using a hot-air dryer, cutter and similar tools.
Incidentally, the soles can be ordered from a wide network of dealers, which also guarantees competent advice and short waiting times for the soles and possible fine tuning of the soles.
//Practice
We have used the soles both on the road and on the MTB. In both road and MTB shoes, you notice the extreme rigidity of the sole right from the start, especially compared to the soles that were originally in the shoes.
In the first few minutes they feel "Solestar" getting used to. However, you notice relatively quickly on the bike that you stand much more stable in the shoe and somehow feel safer on the bike. Since the soles are adapted to the nature of the foot, no pressure points form. This is something Elsenbach places special emphasis on: “In cycling, the foot is relatively static in the shoe. So you have to get it in the right position without tweaking anything.”
Compared to standard insoles, the "Solestar" not only more comfort, but also ensure better power transmission. This is particularly noticeable when your own feet are slightly bent at the joint. Normally, when pedaling, the thighs and lower legs press the joint more into the misalignment, causing shearing forces, which on the one hand reduce performance and on the other hand can cause overload problems. The painful consequences are usually muscular imbalances. by means of "Solestar" however, these are effectively corrected. The power transmission to the pedal is more direct and efficient.
What works very well on the bike - and this applies to both the road and the MTB area - shows itself a little differently when running. Our MTB shoe already has a very stiff outsole, which is due to its intended use in the XC area. The "Solestar" reinforce the low flexibility of the shoe in the front area. In running passages, especially on steep slopes, the combination caused us foot pain at the beginning. It took quite a while for them to give up here.
//Conclusion
Surely they are "Solestar" a product that is primarily aimed at ambitious drivers. However, once you trust them, you will sooner or later be rewarded. After all, the soles not only prevent muscular tension caused by misalignments, they also increase the power transmission to the pedal and thus ensure more fun on the bike. For this reason, the soles receive our everyday tip!
//Product highlights
- perfect footing in the shoe
- individual adaptation
- comfort and security
- Special offers for licensed drivers [Link]
//price and web
- EUR 249,00
- www.solestar.de