FP Footwear’s stock insole system transferred 9,000 N of force in a controlled 50-joule impact test.Nike SB fitted with a $60 Remind 7mm aftermarket insole transferred 16,000 N.. Stock Nike SB transferred 26,000 N. FP outperformed both including the upgraded Nike SB setup by a significant margin.
Key Takeaways
- FP Footwear stock system: 9,000 N lowest force transfer, best protection in this test
- Nike SB + Remind 7mm: 16,000 N 38% improvement over stock Nike SB, but 78% higher than FP
- Stock Nike SB: 26,000 N worst performer, highest impact transmission
- Adding a $60 aftermarket insole to Nike SB improves performance but does not close the gap with FP’s integrated system
- System-level design outperformed add-on cushioning in this test
The Test: What Was Measured and Why It Matters
50-Joule Controlled Impact Model
The test used a 50-joule impact, a standardized energy input designed to simulate the mechanical load of a skateboarding landing. Joules measure the energy delivered to the shoe system. Newtons measure how much of that force gets transmitted through to the foot.
The gap between input energy and output force is where protection happens. A system that absorbs energy converts it into heat, deformation, and material compression rather than passing it through to the foot, ankle, and knee.
In skateboarding, landings generate repeated high-energy impacts concentrated at the heel. A skater landing a set of stairs or a gap generates significant downward force in a short timeframe. That force has to go somewhere: either the shoe system absorbs it, or the body does.
Force transfer measured in Newtons tells you directly how much of that load reaches the foot. Lower Newtons = better protection.
Results
| Configuration | Force Transfer | vs Stock Nike SB |
| FP Footwear (stock system) | 9,000 N | — |
| Nike SB + Remind 7mm ($60) | 16,000 N | 38% reduction |
| Nike SB Stock | 26,000 N | baseline |
Core Analysis
Why Stock Nike SB Performs Worst
At 26,000 N, stock Nike SB transfers the highest force of the three configurations tested. This reflects the general construction of a standard skate shoe: the midsole and stock insole are designed primarily for board feel and durability, not peak impact absorption. Thin, dense foam compounds that survive heavy use and maintain skateable responsiveness are inherently limited in how much impact energy they can attenuate.
This is not a flaw unique to Nike SB. Most stock skate shoes face the same tradeoff: maximize durability and board feel, accept limited cushioning performance.
What Remind 7mm Improves and What It Cannot Fix?
Adding the Remind 7mm insole to Nike SB reduced force transfer from 26,000 N to 16,000 N a 38% improvement. That is a meaningful, real-world reduction.That is a meaningful, real-world reduction consistent with what independent testing confirms about how shoe insoles work across different use cases. A thicker, purpose-built aftermarket insole adds a cushioning layer that the stock shoe lacks, and the test confirms it works.
The limitation is structural. The Remind 7mm sits inside a shoe that was not built around it. The midsole, heel cup geometry, and overall stack are still Nike SB’s. The aftermarket insole adds a cushioning layer on top of an existing system rather than functioning as an integrated component of a system engineered for impact absorption from the ground up.
At 16,000 N, the upgraded Nike SB still transfers 78% more force than FP’s stock system.
Why FP’s Integrated System Outperforms the Upgraded Setup
FP Footwear’s stock system transferred 9,000 N 44% less than Nike SB with a $60 upgrade already installed.
The difference is design architecture. FP’s insole system is not an afterthought or an upgrade path it is built as a functional component of the shoe’s overall impact management system. The materials, geometry, and compression properties are matched to the midsole and upper construction. There is no mismatch between the insole layer and the shoe it sits in.
An aftermarket insole introduced into a shoe not designed around it adds cushioning but cannot replicate that integration. The foam stiffness, heel cup depth, and energy transfer pathways are already fixed by the host shoe’s design.
System-Level Design vs Add-On Cushioning
This test illustrates a principle that holds across impact sports: layered systems where every component is co-designed outperform systems where a high-performing component is added to a mismatched base.
The Remind 7mm is a well-performing insole. The 38% improvement it delivers to stock Nike SB confirms that. But its ceiling is constrained by the system it operates within. FP’s stock system, designed as a unified whole, transferred 44% less force than the best aftermarket-upgraded alternative in this test.
Mechanism: Force Transfer and Shock Absorption
Force transfer is the proportion of impact energy that passes through a shoe system to the foot. When a foot strikes the ground, the energy input must be dissipated, stored, or transmitted. A shoe system with high absorption converts most of that energy before it reaches the foot. A system with low absorption transmits it.
Shock absorption vs energy transmission these are not the same thing. A material can feel soft and still transmit significant force if it bottoms out quickly or lacks the mechanical properties to spread and dissipate energy over time. Effective shock absorption slows the rate of force transfer and reduces peak force. That peak measured in Newtons is what this test captures.
Why layered systems matter in a co-designed system, each layer (outsole, midsole, insole) is tuned to work with the others. The midsole’s stiffness affects how the insole performs. The insole’s compression curve affects how force reaches the heel. When an aftermarket insole is introduced into a shoe with a fixed midsole and geometry, the system is no longer tuned; one layer is upgraded while the others remain unchanged.
Skateboarding Impact Implications
Heel Bruises
Heel bruises in skateboarding result from repeated high-force impacts concentrated at the calcaneus. At 26,000 N (stock Nike SB), the heel is absorbing the bulk of that transmitted force with every hard landing. The Remind 7mm reduces this to 16,000 N a meaningful reduction in repetitive heel load. FP’s 9,000 N puts the least force through the heel of the three configurations tested.
Knee Load
Force that is not absorbed by the shoe travels up through the ankle and into the knee. Repeated landings with high force transfer contribute to cumulative knee stress. While this test measures shoe-level force transmission rather than in-vivo joint load, lower transmitted force is directionally associated with lower joint loading.
Repetitive Stress Over Sessions
Skateboarding involves dozens to hundreds of landings per session. A single landing at 26,000 N vs 9,000 N represents a significant difference in acute load. Across a full session, that difference accumulates substantially. The test provides a single-impact comparison, but the practical implication for repetitive-use scenarios compounds with volume.
Comparison Table
| Configuration | Force Transfer | Reduction vs Baseline | Practical Meaning |
| FP Footwear (stock) | 9,000 N | — | Lowest force through foot in this test |
| Nike SB + Remind 7mm ($60) | 16,000 N | 38% less than stock Nike SB | Real improvement; still 78% higher than FP |
| Nike SB Stock | 26,000 N | Baseline | Highest force transmission; no aftermarket upgrade |
Conclusion
In this 50-joule controlled impact test, FP Footwear’s stock system transferred the least force of the three configurations tested: 9,000 N versus 16,000 N for Nike SB upgraded with a $60 Remind 7mm insole, and 26,000 N for stock Nike SB.
Three conclusions are directly supported by the data:
- FP is the best-performing configuration in this test, transferring 44% less force than Nike SB even after the $60 aftermarket upgrade.
- Remind 7mm improves Nike SB meaningfully 38% better than stock. Aftermarket insoles work. Their ceiling is limited by the base shoe they are installed in.
Their ceiling is limited by the base shoe they are installed in. If you’re weighing which shoe insole brands offer the best protection for your activity, see our full brand breakdown.
Read: Which Brand Has the Best Shoe Insoles? - Integrated footwear systems outperformed the add-on approach in this test.The performance gap was not marginal: 9,000 N vs 16,000 N is a 7,000 N difference with a $60 upgrade already accounted for.
What this test does not prove: This is a single-test, three-configuration comparison. It does not measure comfort, durability, board feel, or fit. It does not compare FP against every aftermarket insole. It does not measure in-vivo injury rates or joint loading. The 50-joule impact model approximates skateboarding landings; it does not replicate every real-world variable. Conclusions should be limited to force transfer performance under the specific test conditions described.
FAQ
Do $60 aftermarket insoles like Remind actually work?
Yes. The Remind 7mm reduced force transfer in Nike SB from 26,000 N to 16,000 N a 38% reduction. That is a real, measurable improvement. However, in this test the upgraded Nike SB still transferred 78% more force than FP’s stock system.
Are insoles enough to fix bad impact absorption in a skate shoe?
They improve it. They cannot fully overcome the limits of the base shoe’s construction. The Remind 7mm demonstrates this clearly: it delivers meaningful improvement but cannot replicate the performance of a system where the insole is integrated with a midsole designed around it.
FP vs aftermarket insoles: which protects better in this test?
FP’s stock system. 9,000 N vs 16,000 N for Nike SB with a $60 Remind upgrade already installed. The gap is 7,000 N in FP’s favor, and FP’s system required no aftermarket purchase.
What is force transfer in simple terms?
When your foot hits the ground, energy has to go somewhere. Force transfer is how much of that energy reaches your foot rather than being absorbed by the shoe. Lower force transfer means the shoe is doing more of the work.
Do insoles prevent heel bruises?
Insoles that reduce force transfer lower the mechanical load reaching the heel on each landing. This test shows FP’s system transmitting 9,000 N versus 26,000 N for stock Nike SB. Whether that difference prevents bruising in practice depends on individual anatomy, landing technique, and volume of use but lower force is directionally protective.
Why does FP outperform upgraded Nike SB?
Integration. FP’s insole is part of a system designed together. Nike SB’s midsole, geometry, and construction were not designed to pair with the Remind 7mm. Adding a high-quality aftermarket insole to a base shoe improves performance at the insole level but cannot restructure the system it sits in.
