An insole refers to the interior sole of a shoe. It is made of a material that is often slightly or more heavily cushioned for comfort, and some even have a deodorizer to reduce foot odor. However, you may wish to take them out. For example, you might want to remove insoles from old shoes to eliminate smell or from tight new shoes to provide more room for your feet.
Reach into the shoe and grasp the heel of the insole and pull it toward you. You will be able to remove it at least partly to determine what material the manufacturer used to adhere it.
Use a tool appropriate for the type of material holding the insole to the shoe. For example, if it is clear that the insole is glued on, turn a hair dryer to high heat and direct the stream the inside of the shoe, just under the insole. The heat will loosen the glue. If it is clear the insole was tacked on, insert a flat screwdriver underneath the insole to pry up the tacks.
Pull the rest of the insole up and out of the shoe once you've taken the proper steps to loosen the glue or tacks. You may need to direct more heat from the hair dryer or jam the head of the screwdriver toward the underside of the toe of the insole if it's stuck there.
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Writer Bio
Lane Cummings is originally from New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in dance before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in literature and her Master of Arts in Russian literature at the University of Chicago. She has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she lectured and studied Russian. She began writing professionally in 2004 for the "St. Petersburg Times."