Can Textured Insoles Help Improve Your Balance?

Sometimes, improving balance starts with something as simple as what you feel under your feet.

Your feet provide important sensory information to your brain, helping you understand where your body is in space and adjust your movements to stay steady. When that feedback is reduced, balance can become more challenging.

This is especially important for people with diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy—damage to the nerves that can cause numbness or reduced sensation in the feet—affects an estimated 22–51% of people with diabetes and is a major risk factor for falls. Loss of sensation in the soles of the feet can contribute to walking instability, impaired balance, and increased fall risk.

Could textured insoles help?

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation examined whether textured shoe insoles could improve balance in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Researchers found that textured insoles, particularly hard-textured insoles, improved immediate balance measurements compared with shoes without textured insoles.

How might this work? The raised bumps stimulate sensory receptors in the soles of the feet, providing the nervous system with additional information about foot contact and body position. This extra sensory input may help improve proprioception—the body’s ability to sense its position and movement—and reduce body sway.

What about safety?

Textured insoles may be a helpful addition for some people, but they aren’t appropriate for everyone. People with diabetes and reduced foot sensation need to be especially cautious because they may not feel rubbing or pressure that could damage their skin.

If you and your healthcare professional decide to try textured insoles, keep these precautions in mind:

• Check your feet daily. Look for redness, blisters, irritation, or other skin changes.

• Watch for friction. Raised patterns can rub against the skin, especially if shoes fit too tightly.

• Introduce them gradually. Increase wear time slowly over several weeks, checking your skin and comfort frequently.

• Get professional guidance. If you have significant neuropathy, foot ulcers, or a history of foot complications, consult your healthcare professional or podiatrist before using textured insoles.

Don’t forget the bigger picture

Insoles are one possible tool—not a replacement for exercise or a comprehensive fall-prevention plan.

Research supports lower-extremity strengthening and balance training for people with diabetic neuropathy. Exercise can help improve functional stability, and some evidence suggests it may also support improvements in the skin’s nerve supply.

At Southern Grit, we believe the goal isn’t simply to avoid falling. It’s to build the strength, balance, and confidence to keep doing the things you love.

If you have numbness in your feet, feel unsteady when walking, or worry about falling, a physical therapist can assess your balance and help develop a plan tailored to your needs.

You don’t have to bubble-wrap your life. You can train for it.

Research reference: Alaee SJ, et al. (2023). “Immediate effect of textured insoles on the balance in patients with diabetic neuropathy.” Read the full study in PubMed Central.