August 4, 2009 -- If you are an individual who is specifically seeking arch support in your footwear, you would be hard pressed to find anything better than the orthotic chassis insole used in many of our Michelin products. 

The Michelin orthotic chassis insole is made with a shock absorbing polyurethane footbed providing excellent cushion for standing and walking all day long.  The thermoplastic urethane chassis is biomechanically engineered to give added arch and heel support to help resist lower leg and back pain.  Special channels are built into the chassis to circulate air throughout the boot with every step you take.  The air is then pushed up through perforated holes in the front of the insole . . . helping keep your feet cool and dry. While it should be noted that the Michelin orthotic chassis insole would not be suggested for someone with flat feet because it would tend to push your feet where they do not want to go, there is another way this footwear could potentially be helpful to you. 

Please note in the E-Mail correspondence that follows shows how a customer is seeking a shoe where he can use his own orthotic insole.  You can see that we are indicating how the Michelin orthotic chassis insole can be removed and potentially replaced by his orthotic.  As long as they are of reasonably comparable shape and thickness, their fit and the toe clearance of a protective toe shoe should not be compromised.   Please keep our Michelin products in mind for excellent arch support as well as the possibility of replacing them with similarly sized and shaped custom orthotics if needed.   Finally, below is the customer’s original question and my comment from last week.  

Question: I am on my feet all day doing maintenance inside and outside. I am looking for a comfortable shoe that has a long wearing sole--I tend to wear my soles down too fast. I could go low top or mid top with steel toe preferred but not necessary. Waterproof would also be a good option. Could you please send me over a few options that I could go through? I will be replacing the sole with an orthodic insert. Thank you for your time. – Ed

Answer: We have a series of Michelin Pilot Sport shoes that may line up well with what you are seeking.  They are as follows: -          XPS332 – Black Soft Toe LoCut-          XPS532 – Black Steel Toe LoCut-          XPS551 – Brown Steel Toe MidHi-          XPS642 – Brown Steel Toe Waterproof MidHi   All of these shoes are made with good quality rugged and slip resistant rubber outsoles. All of these shoes actually have a fine quality Michelin removable orthotic chassis insole.  While it is a key feature in these shoes, it certainly can be removed and replaced with your orthotic insole as long as it is of a reasonably comparable thickness and design. You should be able to see each of these styles on our Lehigh Outfitters web site, but please contact me if you have any difficulty in doing so &/or have any other questions you might want to direct my way.  Thank you for your inquiry.  We appreciate your interest in our products. - Mark  er: