Making my old Saucony Jazz shoes wearable again with Dr. Scholl's® Active Series® insoles (plus DRAMATIC and SHOCKING before and after photos!)

Disclosure: One of the products described here (Dr. Scholl's Active Series Insoles) was received for review from Influenster. It's program anyone can sign up for. This post also contains an Amazon affiliate link.

Shoe makeover: Before (with the insoles already inside)

Shoe makeover: After (Did you just gasp in amazement? You did, right?)

I was sent these Dr. Scholl's Active Series Insoles to to test out, because I am such an athlete. Um, what? Well, I don't have a car, so I do walk, sometimes at a brisk pace, depending on how late I am for something. Sometimes I also bounce around my apartment to questionable dance music. Or awesome dance music. Or both. So when I got these things, I wasn't sure what use they would be to me and what I would say about them, or if I would even bother blogging about them.

First I tried putting them in a pair of ballet flats that have got so stretched out that they are too loose. The insoles were too bulky for them, and I worried they'd just stretch the shoes out even more. But then I remembered my beloved pair of Saucony Jazz sneakers with the neon coral and blue, shoved in the back of the closet because I've worn them to death and they've lost their once delightful support and cushioning. Really, when these shoes are new, and for the first 6 months-year of wear (depending how much use they get), they are really the most comfortable things I've ever put on my feet. I'm actually on my third pair.

There's really nothing else wrong with the shoes, except that they're faded from wearing them for hours and hours in the sun. No holes or other serious rattiness. Since they'd lost their support, though, they needed replacing. But Saucony doesn't make them in this color combination anymore, and I fucking love it. I've looked at the new colors a bunch of times, and they just make me kind of sad, because none of them are quite as perfect. You may disagree, but you'd be wrong.

So I stuck the insoles in them and . . . they're pretty fucking amazing. Really, really nice. Squishy and supportive. I'm not sure what other adjectives I can use to convey how really good these feel under your feet. I don't usually bother with insoles, because whenever I've tried them, I haven't been very impressed. These particular ones actually do replicate the comfort of new shoes better than anything else I've tried. They might even improve on the original. I tried them on top of the original insole, and I also tried removing that one and putting these in on their own. They're definitely better on top of the other insole. They don't make the shoes too tight or anything. I also like that they happen to match these particular shoes.

I haven't tried running in them, because I don't do that. I have given them a few lengthy sessions of dancing like a weirdo to Robyn, though, and they were perfect for that. Bouncy!

I decided that since I was giving these shoes a makeover/rebirth, they needed new laces that weren't so dingy. I also cleaned off the white stripe on the side of the sole with a paper towel and some dish soap. It probably would have worked better with a brush, but meh. I know that the transformation isn't dramatic, but it's mostly about the improvement in comfort.

So here's the cheap part. A new pair of Saucony Jazz is going to cost about $55. I only ever buy them on sale when they're $40. So $40 to replace these shoes, and I wouldn't be able to get the same colors again. The insoles cost $20-25 in most stores, but they are cheaper on Amazon: $15 (plus free shipping if you have Prime). The shoelaces cost $3. So for $18, I brought my favorite sneakers back to life - less than half the price of buying a new pair. (Actually, it only cost me $3, because I was sent the insoles for free. But I could do it again for $18.) That's significantly cheaper, and also I don't have to send these wonderful shoes to landfill, so I'm being all green and shit. Sort of.

If you're fancy and have expensive running shoes that you're supposed to replace, what, every 3 months? 6 months? I forget. Anyway, you could give these things a shot and see if they can keep your shoes going a bit longer.

ETA: I just found a coupon for $4 off from the Dr. Scholl's website, in case you don't want to buy from Amazon.