By Matt Arciuolo, Certified Pedorthist of the USA Olympic Team and Inventor of VKTRY Insoles

Military training injuries are unfortunately all too common. As of 2018, the risk of a service member suffering a lower-limb injury during training can be as high as 30 percent for Special Operations Forces training. Injuries affect combat readiness and can seriously disrupt daily operations. VKTRY (pronounced Victory) Performance Insoles (aka VKs) are aerospace-grade carbon fiber shoe inserts that reduce g-force and improve support and stability, resulting in greater protection from injuries. In fact, in a recent study of 263 college athletes, VKs reduced foot and toe injuries by 41 percent. They’re ultra-thin, lightweight, and fit seamlessly into your favorite pair of boots or running shoes.

Common injuries affecting United States Special Operations Forces include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, stress fractures and turf toe. Anybody who’s experienced these injuries can tell you just how aggravating they can be. Eliminating down-time and reducing the risk for future injury to service members is a key benefit to wearing VKTRY Insoles. Here’s a quick breakdown of these training injuries:

• Plantar Fasciitis: Inflammation of the thick band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. The pain usually originates at the inner part of your heel and is usually worst early in the day. The pain can be sharp and acute or dull and wider-spread.
  

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• Achilles Tendonitis: A stress-related injury that affects the upper part of your heel or the lower back of your leg. The pain is generally dull but can become intense and severe when you run. You may also notice that your legs feel a lot stiffer during the day.
• Shin Splints: Tiny micro-tears on the muscular tissue surrounding the front of your shins. This is a very common injury during military endurance training. Running and impact can feel almost unbearable and the pain is often described as “razor-like.”
• Stress Fractures: A tiny crack (not a break) in a bone caused by repetitive force.  Commonly affected bones are metatarsals (mid-foot bones), heel bones, and fibulas (outer-leg bone) Impact can make these feel much worse.
• Turf-Toe: A common injury for athletes and service members alike, turf-toe is a sprain affecting your big toe joint. This injury can be caused by either jamming your toe against something or more commonly from repetitive bending (during walking, running or sprinting.)

Any one of these issues can sideline professional athletes and elite soldiers alike, and they all have one thing in common: they’re aggravated by repetitive motion. VKTRY Performance Insoles are designed specifically to significantly reduce impact and return lost energy to the wearer. Spring-like shock absorption, increased stability and natural flexibility help relieve pain and improve mobility. That’s why over 180 professional and collegiate sports teams have players using these insoles! Here’s what a few elite competitors and experts in sports medicine had to say about VKs:

“I have suffered with turf toe since high school. Last season, I wore VKs for every practice and every game and I was able to play pain-free. I love my VK Insoles” – Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver

“VK Insoles help me to apply more force into the ground, making me more explosive. I also feel like I have more bounce and fresher legs late in the game because of VKs.” – Myles Jones, 3X All-American at Duke and #1 overall pick in Major League Lacrosse.

“Because of the VK design, I can reduce sports injuries. The benefits of VK Insoles is valid and undeniable.” – Jack Marucci, LSU Director of Athletic Training for over 20 years.

“For the first time, athletes can experience stabilization, shock absorption, and propulsion in a device that is specifically tailored to their size and weight.  This is a game changer.” – Dr. Jamie Creps, CMPT, Senior Physical Therapist, Boston Red Sox.

VKTRY knows that U.S. Special Operations Forces train just as hard as elite athletes, if not harder. Keeping the world’s finest soldiers in action at peak-performance is the business we’re in. For more information about VKTRY Insoles, please go to www.VKTRYgear.com. Servicemembers and their representatives can save $70 by using promo code “USSOF” at checkout. VKTRY Insoles are proudly made in the USA and come with a no-hassle, money-back guarantee.