Gabor Exclusive Footbed Size 36 – Genuine Leather Insole to Renew a Worn Original

Description

Gabor Exclusive Footbed Size 36 – Genuine Leather Insole to Renew a Worn Original – the genuine leather replacement bed that puts a favourite pair of shoes back into weekly service

There is a particular disappointment in a pair of shoes that fail from the inside. The leather has taken years of polish and looks all the better for it, the sole has been to the cobbler once and come back fine, and then you glance inside and the footbed has worn through to the board at the heel. Everything on the outside says keep wearing them.

That is exactly the situation this footbed is made for. It is the genuine article from Gabor, cut on the same anatomical last as the bed that came out, in real leather rather than a printed foam substitute. Drop it in and the shoe is not merely usable again, it has the shaped support and the surface it left the factory with.

Genuine leather, anatomically shaped and cut in a 36, which Gabor lists on its own chart as a UK 3.5.

Why choose this gabor exclusive footbed size 36?

• A like for like replacement, not an approximation. This is the Exclusive footbed Gabor supplies for its own shoes, so the shape under the arch and the depth of the heel cup match what was there. A generic flat insole simply cannot restore a shoe that was built around a contoured bed.
• Leather, which is why the original lasted at all. The reason a leather bed outlives a foam one is that leather does not crush permanently. It compacts a little, breathes, dries out between wearings and carries on. That is worth paying for in a bed you intend to keep for several years.
• The anatomical shape does the actual supporting. A rise under the arch and a dished heel do more for a tired foot than any amount of soft padding, because they hold the foot in position rather than merely cushioning what happens to it. Support first, cushioning second, is the right order.
• It rescues shoes that are otherwise sound. Uppers and outsoles routinely outlast the footbed by years. Renewing the bed is the difference between a pair rejoining the weekly rotation and a pair standing unworn at the back of a cupboard that nobody quite has the heart to clear out for good.
• Moisture goes somewhere instead of sitting there. Leather takes up perspiration across the day and releases it again overnight. Foam holds onto it, which is why an old synthetic bed eventually smells and a leather one, aired properly, simply does not.
• Twenty three pounds against a hundred and twenty. At £22.99 a pair this is not the cheapest insole I sell and it does not pretend to be. Set it beside the price of the Gabor shoes it goes into and it is an obvious piece of housekeeping rather than an indulgence.

How to use the Gabor exclusive footbed size 36

Fitting a replacement footbed properly is worth five careful minutes, because a bed that sits even slightly proud at the heel will annoy you every single time you put the shoe on.

1. Ease the worn footbed out, starting at the heel with your fingers.
2. Put the two together, leather face up, and compare the outlines.
3. Take a whisker off the toe with sharp scissors if required.
4. Slide the new bed in and seat it firmly in the heel.
5. Feel round the edge for any part riding up the lining.
6. Wear the pair indoors for an hour before going out in them.

My tip as a shoe specialist

Do not throw the old footbed away the moment the new one is in. It has two jobs left in it. It is your template if you ever buy a second pair for another shoe, and more usefully it is a spacer: if the new leather bed leaves the shoe feeling a shade loose, which happens when the old one had swollen with wear, the old bed goes underneath the new one and the fit comes straight back where it was. Once you have satisfied yourself that the fit is right, then it can go. Not before that.

Specifications

The essentials

• Size: 36, which is a UK 3.5
• Material: Genuine leather
• Shape: Anatomical, with a raised arch
• Supplied: One pair per box
• Length: Full, heel to toe
• Made for: Gabor shoes and other closed footwear
• Adjustable: Trim carefully from the toe
• Range: Exclusive footbed
• Maker: Gabor

Frequently asked questions

Do these fit only Gabor shoes?

No. They are cut for Gabor lasts and go into those without any fuss at all, but the shape suits most closed shoes and boots in the same size. In a narrower shoe from another maker you may need to trim a little at the toe.

How worn does the old footbed need to be?

If the surface has gone shiny and dark, or the heel end feels thin under a thumb, it has done its work. Many people replace far too late and then wonder why the shoes have felt unsupportive for a year.

Is leather really better than a modern foam?

For longevity and moisture, yes, comfortably. Foam feels softer on the first day and is finished within a year of steady wear. Leather feels firmer at first, moulds gradually and is still there long afterwards.

Where can I buy the Gabor exclusive footbed size 36 in the UK?

From me at Shoespecialist.co.uk. I stock the Gabor run end to end, not just the three sizes that sell fastest. Place the order by 5pm for a same afternoon post, nothing to pay on carriage above £50, 60 days to change your mind.