Does Steppers Insoles really get rid of Plantar Fasciitis? I -a stay at home mom of three- was gifted this insoles by my husband. Here’s my brutally honest review.
A little background story; In the past one year, my feet barely catch a break. Between school drop-offs, picking toys off the floor a hundred times a day, constant errands, grocery runs, e.t.c, my plantar fasciitis likes to remind me that I am not the superhuman I pretend to be.
So when my husband stumbled on this Steppers Insoles ad online, he thought he had found the perfect gift for me.
Spoiler Alert; It turned into one of the most irritating buying experiences we’ve had.
About Steppers Insoles
Steppers Insoles are marketed as “orthopedic pressure relieving insoles” designed to reduce heel pain, support the arch, and help conditions like plantar fasciitis, flat feet, and overall foot fatigue.
Sold for $40 on stepprs.com, their ads show a clean, modern brand that supposedly combines “Australian engineering” with “UK-designed support technology”.
Hooked, my husband placed an order on the website. It took almost three weeks for the package to arrive, and the shipping updates were barely helpful.
My Experience Using Stepprs Comfort Insoles
The moment I opened the package, I got déjà vu. The material, the color pattern, the shape, every tiny detail matched a pair of cheap, generic insoles I bought earlier this year from Temu, the ones I paid two dollars for. I even pulled out the old pair from my drawer just to be sure I wasn’t imagining things.
I wasn’t.
I placed them side by side and the similarities were unbelievable. The same foam density. Same arch curve. Same heel cup. Even the printed pattern underneath was identical. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
My husband felt awful. He genuinely thought he was doing something nice for me. And he felt even worse when he saw the comparison. Watching his expression shift from “I hope this helps her” to “I think I’ve been robbed” was a whole emotional rollercoaster.
Still, I decided to test the insoles. For fairness and curiosity.
Just like the Temu ones, they did help a little. They softened the impact when walking around the house. They eased some of the sharp, stabbing pain that comes when I first stand up after sitting. But they did not get rid of my plantar fasciitis pain. They did not offer lasting comfort. They did not feel orthopedic. They felt like exactly what they were; basic, budget insoles rebranded into something “premium”.
The cushioning wasn’t thick enough to provide real relief. The arch support was too soft and flattened quickly. And after wearing them for a few hours, I could feel the familiar soreness settling right back in.
If anything, wearing them only reminded me why the Temu pair ended up in a drawer in the first place.
All I kept thinking was: If these cost two dollars on Temu, what exactly did we pay forty dollars for? The brand name? The marketing story? Because it definitely wasn’t better quality.
Better Alternative for plantar fasciitis
So after being disappointed by this brand, I decided to check for best rated insoles on Amazon.com. I found this one.
PCSsole Insoles – It is a 220+lbs Heavy Duty High Arch Support Inserts with Comfort Cushion. I got it for $37.99 on Amazon.com, and the HONEST TRUTH? I am beyond impressed! They are very comfortable and have great support and stability. For the past week since it got delivered, I have not felt that awful heel pain.
Where Are Steppers Insoles Really Made?
When I finally saw the delivery label and realized it came from China, that was my first big sigh. Any brand that loudly brags about being Australian or UK-based but quietly ships products from China is already raising a huge red flag.
Let me be very clear. These insoles are not made in the UK. They are not made in Australia. They are not designed by podiatrists in those countries. The shipping label, the product material, the identical match to Temu varieties, and even the packaging give away the truth.
The real manufacturing source is China. And not from a specialized medical factory, more like the exact same mass-producing manufacturer used by dozens of cheap online shops.
The brand’s website gives the impression of a Western company, but the behind-the-scenes reality is classic dropshipping: rebranding cheap items and selling them at a steep markup.
Where’s my Refund?
One of the big selling points in the Stepprs ads is a “no questions asked refund”. Sounds comforting, right? Like they stand behind their product? Wrong.
When my husband contacted their customer support and politely explained that the product looked and felt identical to cheap generic insoles and didn’t offer enough support, the response was ridiculous. Instead of honoring their “no questions asked” policy, they offered him a partial refund — the tiniest fraction of what he paid — if he agreed to keep the insoles.
Keep them for what exactly? Spare washing machine pads? Shelf fillers? Dog toys? Because they certainly weren’t doing the job we bought them for.
Naturally, he asked if he could return them for a full refund, which is what any normal, customer-respecting brand would allow.
Their answer. Sure, but you have to pay the return shipping.
And guess what.
The return shipping fee was almost the same cost as the product itself.
Meaning, they technically offer refunds, but they make the conditions so difficult and so expensive that most customers just give up. It’s a business model built on hoping you’ll stay quiet.
Is Steppers Insoles a Scam?
While they do send an actual product, and the insoles do provide a tiny bit of cushioning, the marketing is extremely misleading, the quality is basic at best, and the refund policy is strategically designed to trap buyers.
So in my honest opinion as a mom who tested them, compared them, and lived through the whole ordeal, yes it leans heavily toward scam territory.
Not a complete scam like some products that never arrive, but absolutely a misrepresentation scam. The type that charges premium prices for dollar-store-quality goods.
Pros
- They provide a little cushioning for the heel.
- They are soft and lightweight.
Cons
- Extremely overpriced for what they are.
- Identical to $2 insoles from Temu.
- They do not cure or significantly improve plantar fasciitis.
- Not firm enough for real arch support.
Final Note
As a mom juggling three kids, the last thing I want is foot pain slowing me down. I wish these Steppers Insoles lived up to their promises, but they simply didn’t. They were just another over-marketed, over-priced product pretending to be orthopedic.
Save your money, save your expectations, and definitely save yourself from the refund nightmare. There are far better, more honest brands out there truly designed to support your feet, not mislead your wallet.
while you’re here, read my review of this foot massager I tried somewhile back.