How to make your own wool insoles

I was introduced to wool insoles by Wildling shoes. I bought them with my Cranes because I knew they were going to be a little big on me. I wanted the insoles to take some of the extra space my shoes were going to have. I ended up loving them and I wanted to add them to all of my shoes (it was Fall after all).

Wool is an amazing material because it regulates temperature, absorbing moisture but not odors. Wool is breathable, which means it lets moisture evaporate, keeping your feet warm in the winter and cooler during summer!

Instructions:

Go to a second-hand store

If you already have a pice of clothing that is 100% wool and you can felt, you can skip this step.

I chose to go to a second-hand store because I believe in sustainability. There are pieces out there that are not being used and are taking space on our earth.

Many second-hand store have sweaters that have already been felted!

It is cheaper to buy a second-hand piece of clothing than a new piece of wool from Amazon or Etsy.

Get a big piece of clothing that is 100% wool

What are you looking for:

1. A piece of clothing that has flat surfaces where you can cut your insoles.
2. Sweaters are great options. Many times, second-hand stores will have sweaters that have already been felted for a very low price.
3. Look at the material. You want something that is 100% wool or closer to 100%.
4. You want one big piece of wool, not a lot of little ones sewn together.

Felt it

This is the step that intimidated me the most. I didn’t want to ruin my wool and many websites state that you have to control the wash in order to control the thickness of your felted wool.

I knew I wanted thick insoles, so I did not do any controlling. This is what I did:

1. I put it in the washing machine with the hottest temperature and highest spin cycle.
2. I used my biodegradable, hypoallergenic soap.
3. Let the cycle run.
4. Transfer it to the dryer.

My 2XL sweater came out tiny! It is now ready for your insoles.

Cut your insoles

Once you have your piece of felted wool ready, you can start planning how to cut your insoles. I was extremely cheap with space and was able to get 6 sets of insoles from one sweater.

The first set I cut were for my Lems Boulder Boots. This was a very simple task as they come with their own insoles and I was able to trace them and cut.

The set that was more challenging was for my Tadeevo Winter Boots as they do not come with insoles. Their shape is also pretty unique, so I had to trace the outsole, cut in the inside of it (to make it smaller) and then try them out and cut where I thought needed cutting. Even though it took longer than the others, it was pretty simple to do. Just make sure you have a flat surface where you can lay your felted wool to make sure it is straight.

My insoles came out 6-8 mm thick, but after use, they are 3-6 mm.

Add duct tape to avoid slippage

I tried using my insoles without duct tape and they kept moving inside my shoes. Every time I put them on or took them off, the insole would move and it was kind of tedious to fix.

Adding duct tape is not a mandatory step, but it will help with:

1. slippage
2. insulation
3. stability

Have you tried making your own insoles? How did it go?

I also wear other insoles in my shoes, read about them here.