Best insoles for Netball

Netball - why foot strength is pivotal to performance and injury prevention...

Before we cover what we believe to be the best insoles for Netball, let’s take a quick look at why Netball commands attention of millions.Then, why foot strength is so pivotal to Netball performance and injury prevention...

20 million netball players

With its fast-paced action and often nail-biting finishes, it’s no wonder Netball is such a popular sport.

20 million people across the globe certainly don’t have it wrong – Netball is fun, social, competitive, accessible at all levels and a great way of keeping fit!

Image via @EnglandNetball

Ultimate balance and stability is here

Whatever your Netball skill or interest – be it representing your country at elite level or playing socially, your most powerful asset is undoubtedly your feet.

As well as moving you around the court, your feet must perform precise pivots, propel you into explosive leaps, jumps and midair turns, and execute proper landings to maintain balance and reduce injury.

And this precisely why foot strength is pivotal to performance and injury prevention in Netball...

2620s - the best Netball insoles?

G8 Performance Pro Series 2620 Insoles reduce the risk of injury by delivering netballers completely customizable support via G8's uniquely flexible arch pieces (5 height options, and 11 position options) - greatly reducing stress on the joints.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”

When we study the engineering of the foot, we discover that it’s designed to move dynamically. But – even the best netball shoes by omissions in their design will over time, inhibit the foot’s natural movement.

This inhibition goes on to cause muscles to shrink, natural gait to change, and other parts of the body to unnaturally accommodate the force on your feet. 

2620’s inside your netball shoes encourage the foot’s natural movement – that is, the amazing feat of engineering our bodies were born with – and help prevent common injuries and ailments by strengthening the feet.

Strong feet mean more power, stability and endurance.

Think about it: to lift a heavier weight, you need to make your biceps stronger. To run an endurance marathon, you need to strengthen your calves and quads.

To harness the explosive power of your feet, you need to strengthen them.

Did you know the human foot has 29 muscles associated with it? That’s a lot of muscles to strengthen. 

Improving foot strength can help prevent injuries, improve balance and stability, and enhance your overall netball performance. 

But exercising your feet doesn’t mean running around in the latest technology sports shoe. There are plenty of hi-tech shoes on the market, even for netball… but our feet were actually born for the opposite.

Our feet are biomechanically designed to be free and move dynamically – the opposite of being constricted inside a rigid shoe.

Even the best shoes can negatively impact and even injure your feet.

G8 Performance 2620 insoles are specially designed to strengthen your feet while you are wearing shoes. They have been created to allow your foot to move within the shoe as if it was bare and free. 

Walk a few steps barefoot and observe your feet as you walk. They contract, then expand lengthwise, then splay (spread out a little at the toes) and then slightly pronate (they roll inward slightly to act as a shock absorber for your body).

Wearing 2620’s actively exercises and strengthens your forefoot, allowing it to flex inside your shoe as it’snaturally supposed to. (In contrast, most other insoles and orthotics are designed to limit foot movement.)

They’re also fully customizable. Over time as your feet become stronger, you’re able to adjust the insole to keep improving your foot strength – like a weightlifter adding heavier weights to their bar.

Stronger feet means more power, improved performance and increased stamina.

  • Netball shoes inhibit the foot's ability to move naturally. This can lead to the muscles in your feet atrophying. This is what causes pain and numbness - so keeping your feet healthy and strong is an excellent way to prevent the pain from ever appearing in the first place.

  • Because they exercise your foot muscles, using 2620s as your Netball orthotic insoles will over time, enhance your performance. By making your feet stronger, you’ll be able to expel more force through them, leading you to be more stable and move faster.

  • Your feet are more important than you think, and if they’re too weak, the rest of the body will have to compensate. This can lead to issues with your back, knees, ankles and more. The health of your feet has an impact on your overall health.

  • G8 Performance 2620 insoles have been designed to increase blood flow, and so support the healthy supply of blood to your feet. Healthy blood circulation is essential for general health and in the case of our feet can prevent conditions such as "hot foot".

  • G8 2620 insoles increase foot proprioception. Increasing the feeling in your foot is a great way to improve your balance and agility - and prevent falls or injuries caused by numbness of toes and feet.

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Strong feet mean maximum player longevity, and less injuries

Strong feet mean less injury, and player longevity.

Far too many passionate senior players are faced with the decision to give up netball due to injuries. This does not need to be the case if you focus on your foot strength.

By far the bulk of netball injuries are to the lower limbs – the hips, legs, feet and ankles**. Injuries include ankle sprains, Achilles tendon damage and foot damage – these occur most often during a game – and knee pain, which is more often reported in the pre-season***.

Interestingly, the bulk of injuries occurring in a game happen during the third quarter when players are beginning to fatigue or have overexerted themselves.

Whether training or in a live game, wearing 2620’s causes your feet to constantly stretch and move. It’s this movement that strengthens your foot muscles. Strong feet are able to carry you longer, are less prone to injury and better able to support your bone structure. 

Don’t spend time unnecessarily injured on the sideline.

* Card RK, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Foot Muscles. [Updated 2022 Feb 27]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539705/ 

** https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/sports-injury-hospitalisations-2019-20/contents/featured-sports/netball 

*** https://thenetballpost.com/suncorp-super-netball-injury-report/


Strengthen your feet with G8 2620 insoles and enjoy...

1. Increased force transfer, which means greater forward momentum and less pressure on lower limbs

2. Better biomechanics and a positive effect on ankles, knees, hips and back

3. Better balance and brain-foot connection (preconception), meaning your feet respond quickly and more accurately to your brain’s placement signals.

Enhancing your netball performance and lessening injuries with G8 2620s

G8 Performance 2620 insoles are specially designed to strengthen your feet by mimicking the dynamic function of bare feet even whilst you are wearing your netball shoes.

Unlike other insole products on the market, 2620’s aren’t a ‘quick fix’.

Instead, they are designed to increase foot strength and health in the long term. And because 2620’s are fully customizable, they can be quickly and easily adjusted as your feet strengthen.

Many 2620 users report increased performance and endurance over time.

2620’s actively exercise and strengthen the forefoot by assisting flex at the forefoot for maximum energy disbursement on impact. This allows the foo to efficiently expel energy.

Other full-foot benefits include: 

- Supporting the foot throughout the entire gait cycle

- Enhancing stretch and strength within the foot

- Maintaining bone structure

- Facilitating a more natural way of moving.

As more and more netballers adopt the 2620s, we continue to hear how players at all levels are experiencing what we now know as improvements in biomechanical symmetry, and power output as the feet continue to become stronger and more efficient. 

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Image Credit / Creator: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com | Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.comCopyright: © SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)

  • Increased force transferal (more forward momentum)

  • Increased foot strength

  • Reduced torque on calf and Achilles (you know you have calf cramps no matter how much magnesium you take)

  • Increased blood flow (has cooling effect)

  • Reduced incidence of toe and foot numbness

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