Skip to content
Tom's HikingTom’s Hiking

Footwear

Heel cup

Also called deep heel cup

What is a heel cup?

A heel cup is the raised, curved wall around the back of an insole that cradles your heel. A deep, firm one centers the fat pad under the heel bone and stops the heel sliding inside the boot, which is most of what a supportive insole does for stability.

Heel cup at a glance

Where
Back of the insole, around the heel
Job
Centers and steadies the heel
Pairs with
The boot's heel counter

What does a heel cup do?

It holds the heel in one place and keeps its padding where it belongs. Under your heel bone is a pad of fatty tissue that does the cushioning, and a cupped insole wraps around it so it stays gathered under the bone instead of spreading out flat with each step.

The same wall stops the heel sliding sideways on off-camber ground and riding up and down on climbs. REI's advice when trying an insole is to stand on it and check whether the tissue of your heel is cupped and supported nicely.

Is a heel cup the same as a heel counter?

No, though they work together. The heel counter is the stiff back of the boot's upper, part of the shoe itself. The heel cup is part of the insole, sitting inside the counter directly under and around your heel.

A firm counter with a flat stock footbed still lets the heel wander, and that is exactly the gap a deep-cupped aftermarket insole fills. REI notes that a supportive mid to high volume insole can take up excess room at the back of a shoe and steady the heel.

How deep should a heel cup be?

Deeper and firmer for heavy loads, rough ground and heels that slip; shallower for light, fast footwear where the shoe already holds the foot well. Hiking-specific insoles generally use a deep, structured cup, while pure cushioning insoles often have a shallow, soft one that pads impact without locating the heel.

What this means when you're choosing

  • A cup that keeps its shape when you squeeze the sides, rather than folding flat
  • A heel that feels centered and held when you stand on the insole on one foot
  • A deeper cup if your heel slips in boots that otherwise fit
  • Room for the cup inside the boot, so it is not pushing your heel up out of the collar

Heel cup vs Heel counter

Heel cupHeel counter
Part ofThe insoleThe boot's upper
RemovableYes, with the insoleNo
Main jobCradles and centers the heel from belowHolds the heel from behind and the sides
Can you change itSwap the insoleOnly by changing boots

Which to pick: The counter is fixed when you buy the boot, the cup is not, so a heel that wanders in a well-built boot is usually fixed by an insole with a deeper cup.

The common mistake

Judging an insole by how soft the heel feels

A thick, squishy heel feels good in the shop and does little to stop a heel from sliding. What holds the heel is the shape and firmness of the cup around it. If heel slip or heel pain is the problem, look for a deep, structured cup rather than more foam.

Common questions

Do I need a deep heel cup?

If your heel slips, rolls or aches at the end of the day, a deep cup is one of the most useful things an insole can add. If your boots already hold your heel well and the problem is impact, a cushioned insole with a shallower cup may suit you better.

Can a heel cup fix heel slip on its own?

It often helps, especially in a boot that fits well at the front and is a little roomy at the back. Combine it with a heel lock tied using a surgeon's knot. If the heel still lifts, the boot is probably the wrong shape for your foot.

Where this is defined

Where this comes up

Guides on Tom's Hiking where heel cup changes which product is right for you.

More in footwear

Lug depth

Lugs are the raised blocks on the sole of a boot or trail shoe, and lug depth is how tall they are, usually 3 to 6 mm. Deeper lugs bite into soft ground; shallower ones give more contact area on rock and hard trail.

Outsole

The outsole is the rubber layer on the bottom of a shoe, the part touching the ground. It carries the lug pattern and the rubber compound, which together decide grip, and it's usually the first part of a shoe to wear out visibly.

Midsole

The midsole is the foam layer between the outsole and your foot. It absorbs impact and sets how stiff or soft a shoe feels, and it's the part that quietly dies long before the tread looks worn.

EVA foam

EVA is the light, springy foam most hiking and running midsoles are made of. It cushions well and weighs little, but it compresses permanently over time, which is why shoes go flat after a few hundred miles.

Stack height

Stack height is how much material sits between your foot and the ground, measured in millimetres at the heel and forefoot. More stack means more cushioning and less ground feel; less means more feedback and a lower, more stable platform.

Heel-to-toe drop

Drop is the height difference between a shoe's heel stack and its forefoot stack, given in millimetres. Zero drop means the foot sits level; 8 to 12 mm tilts you forward slightly and shortens the load on the calf and Achilles.

Rock plate

A rock plate is a thin stiff sheet, usually TPU or a nylon composite, embedded in the forefoot of a shoe. It spreads the load from a sharp rock across the whole foot instead of letting it press into one point.

Shank

A shank is a stiffening insert running through the arch of a boot, made of steel, nylon or composite. It controls how much the boot twists and bends, which is what lets a boot support a heavy load and edge on rock.

Rand

A rand is a strip of rubber bonded around the lower edge of a boot's upper, most often at the toe. It takes the abrasion from rock and roots that would otherwise wear through fabric or leather, and it protects your toes from impact.

Toe cap

A toe cap is the reinforced bumper, usually rubber, over the front of a hiking shoe or boot. It shields your toes when you kick a rock or a root, and it keeps the upper from wearing through at the spot that scuffs the ground most.

Gusseted tongue

A gusseted tongue is sewn to the sides of the boot with fabric panels instead of hanging free. It seals the gap along the laces so grit and water can't get in, and it stops the tongue sliding sideways as you walk.

Vibram Megagrip

Megagrip is a Vibram rubber compound formulated for grip on wet and dry rock. It's softer and stickier than standard hiking rubber, which is why it holds on slabs and greasy roots, and why it wears out faster.

Gaiters

Gaiters are fabric sleeves worn over the top of a shoe or boot to keep grit, snow and water out. Low trail gaiters cover the collar and stop scree filling your shoes; tall gaiters run to the knee and seal the leg against deep snow and wet brush.

Microspikes

Microspikes are elastomer harnesses with short chains and spikes, roughly 10 to 15 mm, that stretch over a shoe for traction on packed snow and ice. They are the middle rung between yaktrax-style coils and full crampons, and they are not mountaineering equipment.

Crampon

A crampon is a metal frame carrying 10 or more points up to 5 cm long that binds rigidly to a stiff-soled boot, so a climber can stand on hard alpine ice and steep snow. It is the tier above microspikes, and it is technical equipment that needs an ice axe and training.

Insulation weight in grams

Insulation weight is the mass in grams of one square meter of the insulating sheet inside a boot or glove. A 400g boot uses a heavier sheet than a 200g boot, so it is warmer, but it is nothing like twice as warm.

Vibram Arctic Grip

Arctic Grip is a Vibram outsole technology built for traction on wet ice. It stays pliable at temperatures where ordinary hiking rubber goes hard, which is the reason a winter sole grips where a three season one skates.

Flotation

Flotation is how well a snowshoe keeps you on top of snow instead of sinking into it. It is a function of deck surface area measured against your loaded weight, which is your body plus clothing, boots and everything in your pack.

Heel lift

A heel lift is a small wire or plastic bar behind the heel of a snowshoe that flips up so your boot rests on it during a climb. It stops your calf being held at full stretch on sustained steep ground.

Heel counter

A heel counter is the stiffened section at the back of a shoe or boot that wraps around and holds your heel. It keeps the heel from sliding and rolling inside the shoe, which is where both stability on uneven ground and a blister-free heel start.

Footbed

A footbed is the cushioned, usually removable layer your foot rests on inside a shoe or boot, and what most people call the insole. Stock footbeds are typically inexpensive fillers, and replacing one with a supportive aftermarket insole is the cheapest way to change how a boot fits.

Huarache

A huarache is a minimal sandal built from a thin flat sole and a lace or strap that passes through a hole between the big and second toes. Modern running and hiking versions copy the sandals worn by the Raramuri of Mexico's Copper Canyon.

Moleskin

Moleskin is a soft, thick cotton pad with an adhesive back that you stick over a hot spot so it takes the rubbing a blister would otherwise take. Once a blister has formed, it is cut into a ring and placed around the blister rather than on it.

By Tom · Last reviewed . Back to the glossary