I bought a new pair of work shoes today. The salesman and I got talking about shoe insoles, as I always buy a pair of those work gel insoles for my work shoes. Well, he gave me a tip (life hack?) on how to cut shoe insoles so they fit the first time. I had never in my 50+ years of life heard of this method, so I am putting it out there as an Instructable so others can employ this method as well. My thanks to David at Shoe Dept. Encore in Grand Junction for the info!

Step 1: What You Need.

You will need a pair of shoes with the ORIGINAL insoles still in them and a pair of new insoles. You will also need a Sharpie® or other marking pen and a pair of scissors.

Step 2: Take Shoes Apart.

Next, you need to remove the original insoles from the shoes. If the original insoles are glued in place, you cannot use this method. Go to this instructable instead.

Step 3: Align the Insoles.

Put the original insole on top of the new insole. Line up the back of the heel and the arch as best you can. In my picture, they look a little off. That is because I was taking the picture and not holding the original insole in place.

Step 4: Trace the Original Insole.

While holding the original insole aligned against the new insole (instead of taking a picture), use the Sharpie® or other marking pen to trace along the toe section of the original insole. This is going to be your cut line.

Step 5: Cut the New Insole.

Now, cut your new insole just inside the line you just drew. It probably won't hurt if you cut exactly on the line, but because of the pen tip thickness, the line is slightly outside of the original insole's edge.

Step 6: Insert the New Insole.

Put the new insole into the shoe. It will not just slide in; you will still have to get your hand in there and smooth it out, but it should fit perfectly. Well, at least better than when not using this method.