The impression kit
Five minutes at your kitchen table. That is the whole appointment.
EvenStep custom orthotics start from an at-home foam impression kit taken under your own weight. No clinic visit, no scanning app to fight with. Here is exactly what happens, in order.
- Ships to you
- within 1 business day of your order
- Shipping
- Free, both ways
- Retakes
- Free — every impression is checked
Step by step
How to take the impression
Everything you need to send it back is in the box. If anything is unclear on the day, email us and a person answers.
- 01
Sit down, sock on
A firm chair, both feet flat on the floor. A thin sock or bare foot both work; skip thick socks.
- 02
Place, then press
Set one foot on the foam, heel first. Press straight down with a hand on your knee until the foot is fully seated, keeping the foot still.
- 03
Lift straight up
Lift the foot out vertically — no twisting, no dragging. You should see the heel and all five toes in the foam.
- 04
Repeat with the other foot
Each orthotic is made from its own footprint, so a half-size difference or a flatter arch on one side is built in.
- 05
Close the box
Do not touch the impressions again. Close the box so the foam cannot shift.
- 06
Send it back
Everything you need to send it back is in the box, and return shipping is free. We email you the moment it arrives — that is day one of the published turnaround.
What happens to the impression
The day your impression lands, it is checked: the contour — arch height, heel cup depth, forefoot width — becomes the shape your pair is built to rather than a size-chart average. A technician adjusts the design you chose (or the quiz matched) to that shape, the shell is milled from a solid blank to your geometry, and the finished pair is checked against your impression before it is boxed. The full bench sequence is on the how it works page; the clock and every leg of the timeline are on the turnaround page.
What is in the kit
The impression foam for both feet, and the packaging it travels back in. We publish the exact contents list from our workshop's written specification rather than a guess, and it will appear here the day it is confirmed.
Things that ruin an impression
- Standing on the foam — the arch flattens and the pair is made to a flattened foot.
- Twisting or sliding the foot out — the edges smear and the heel cup cannot be read.
- Pressing a second time in the same foam — two heels, no pair.
- Heat and damp — keep the closed box away from radiators and out of the bathroom until it ships.
None of these is a disaster: an impression that cannot be used gets a replacement kit at no charge, and we tell you what went wrong.
The honest guarantee
180 days. 100% back. Nothing deducted.
Wear your pair for six months. If they are not right, we remake them.
Read the guarantee in full- 180 daysfrom the day your orthotics arrive
- 100% refundno deductions of any kind
- Free return shippingwe send the label
- Remakes includedfit adjustments cost nothing
How long does the impression take?
About five minutes for both feet, sitting down. Nothing to mix, nothing to heat, no app to install.
Can I take the impression standing up?
Sit. A seated press with a hand on your knee loads the foot evenly and keeps the arch in its natural shape; standing pushes the arch flat and the pair would be made to a flattened foot.
What if I press too lightly or too deep?
Every impression is checked before production. If yours cannot be used we email you and send a replacement kit at no charge; the turnaround clock starts again when the new impression arrives.
Do I need a new kit for a second pair?
No. Your impression and its digital model stay on file, so a second pair for a different shoe type — or a replacement years later — is $139 and skips the kit entirely.
Is the kit really free both ways?
Yes. The kit to you, the kit back to the workshop and the finished pair to your door are all covered by free shipping both ways. There is nothing to pay at any point.
How does ordering work?
Take the 50-second quiz or pick a design, choose your size and width, and check out. We mail you a foam impression kit. You press each foot into the foam, close the box and mail it back — shipping is free both ways. Your pair is shaped to your impression in our own workshop and is at your door in under 10 business days from the day your impression arrives — or a full refund.
How do I know they will fit?
Your orthotics are shaped from an impression of your own feet, not a size chart, and the shell is set to your weight band. We confirm the length from the impression and trim the pair to the shoe type you told us about. If anything is off, a remake is free inside the 180-day guarantee.
My feet are different sizes. Does that matter?
No — that is exactly what an impression is for. Each orthotic is made from its own footprint, so a half-size difference, a flatter left arch or a wider right forefoot is built in. Order the size of your larger foot and note the difference in the order comments if you like.
Can I reorder without a new impression?
Yes. We keep your impression and its digital model on file, so a reorder or a pair for a different shoe type is $139 and skips the kit entirely. Ask us to delete the impression any time and we will.