Friday, 01 May 2026 07:12
Norwool.UK Norwegian Wool Insoles tested and reviewed
Written by MyOutdoors

Apart from laces, insoles are the most commonly changed component of boots,
and to be honest most of the third party insoles seem to be chasing the same
priorities of comfort and support.
It was interesting, therefore when early this year a pair of insoles arrived unexpectedly
through the post with a request to review them,
and they offered something different. In the accompanying literature Norwool.UK's
Norwegian wool inserts talked of thermal insulation
and resilience along with natural fibres and ancient techniques combined with modern
technology.

img_9282.jpeg
What Norwool.UK Say:
Wool is nature's miracle fibre. It's elastic, durable, dirt-repellent and provides excellent
thermal insulation.
Made from high quality purified wool, this sole offers remarkable resilience. Using
ancient an technique with modern technology,
the firbres and bonded together to create a compact sole that still maintains the natural
resilience of the fibres. This feature is essential for optimal thermal insulation.
A layer of jute is placed on a rubber base on the underside of the sole, ensuring sturdiness
and stability. The sole is washable, and we recommend hand washing at 40 degrees
Celsius.
Norwegian Wool Insoles are available in the following models:
 Inmark/Regular - This and warm
 Utmark/Ultra - Warm as only wool
 Villmark/Wilderness - Super Warm Insole for Harsh Conditions.
Additional information with the Regular - It has no seams and can be cut to size if
necessary. For heavier boots and wellingtons,
you must use the Utmark-Ultra insole. It's the best choice for maximising comfort and
support in your footwear. Don't settle for less!

Norwool.UK Insoles on test:
We tested both the Inmark/Regular and the Utmark/Ultra over a 3 month period with
temperatures ranging from -7C to 21C, with the Regular in a
selection of trainers and lightweight boots and the Ultra in a pair of Helly Hansen
Spitzbergen boots.
The decision to run such a prolonged test was based on the claims of the insoles'
resilience and wash ability.
First things first, the information sheet for the two sets of insoles is identical when it
comes to the construction;
mentioning a layer of jute on a rubber base on the underside of the sole, but in reality
there is definitely a marked
difference in the construction with the Ultra having a jute (presumably) layer sandwiched
between two layers of wool and the regular following the text with a jute/rubber base as
described.

Regular, on the left, and Ultra, on the right, insoles side by side showing the construction.
Putting that aside, however, the first impression is one of softness. The classic soft,
Norwegian wool, feel is immediately reassuring
that these insoles are going to feel comfortable on the soles of your feet, even with this
socks on. The feel is so different from the rigid,
plastic, feel of many third party insoles. Obviously boots come in all sorts of shapes and
fit, not just different sizes, but in this case the insoles
didn't require any cutting to perfectly fit my boots, so I can't really say how easily they
would be to trim to size.
What I can say, however is that they seem to hit a perfect balance of flexibility and
firmness when it comes to fitting.

The flexibility is a mixed bag when it comes to fitting the insoles, with a tendency to form
creases initially but if you
remove the laces completely from your boots to open them up the insoles can be flattened
and pushed to the edges
to make a close fitting platform for your feet without any noticeable edges which could
create rub points.
Once in place they stay put; this is particularly noticeable in the Regular model with its
non-slip jute/rubber base.

Inmark/Regular top and bottom, highlighting the jute layer on the base
Utmark/Ultra with its sandwiched jute layer
Once in place there was a noticeable change in feeing from the default, manufacturer’s,
insole but it didn't take long to adjust to the
way the wool compressed more than the more rigid insoles. With the Ultra insoles there
was a little bit of a height difference due to the thickness
of the wool insole but not enough to impact on the fit of the boots, and after the first use it
was no longer noticeable.
The surprising element was the level of support from the Norwool.UK insoles, with it
matching the more rigid manufacturer's insole. Of course, it felt softer, but this was to be
expected.
With the Innmark/Regular insoles once the comfort and support was established there was
little else to assess initially. They were comfortable and did the job,
but beyond that they didn't seem to add anything in terms of function. The Utmark/Ultra,
however, were brought out when the temperature dropped
below zero to see how well they provided the promised thermal insulation; and this is
where Norwool.UK really hit the mark!
Put simply the wool insoles worked like wearing an extra pair of socks inside the boots,
but without the potential rub-point issues of multiple socks.
The wool was simultaneously forgiving as the foot sank into the wool and supportive
thanks to that layer of jute bonded in the middle providing some rigidity.
Using a meat thermometer to slide down the side of the ankle and into the boot there was
a measurable, 3 degree Celsius difference after half an hour of use between
using the original insoles and the Norwool.UK insoles. Wow!

With the thermal insulation case proved the final test was the durable, dirt-repellent,
resilience to check out.
To be honest, it's hard to tell whether the insoles are really that dirt-repellent when in the
Spitzbergen boots
as the boots are designed not to let dirt in anyway, and with a fresh pair of socks each day
there was little in the way of transference.
What was noticeable, though, and surprisingly not mentioned in the PR material is the
way these insoles seem to be
odour resistance - at least for a couple of months of regular use.
With hand washing, following the manufacturer's instructions, the insoles both "bounced
back" to their original form after drying;
which was done by leaving them in the open air. The wool did take a while to dry, but the
result was the insoles would be impossible to distinguish from new.
The Innmark/Regular insoles had picked up a couple of marks along the way but these
disappeared in the wash.

Conclusions:
Priced for the moment at £12.99 (£14.99 for the more extreme Villmark/Wilderness
version) the Norwool.UK insoles aren't going to break the bank
and in thermal efficiency alone are going to be cost effective compared to an extra pair of
socks.
As a direct replacement for manufacturer's insoles they're surprisingly supportive while
bringing”softness" underfoot that's very welcome.
If, and it's by no means guaranteed, you can have the Norwool.UK insole sitting on top of
the default insole rather than replacing it, without cramping the space,
these are just a no-brainer. The comfort of wool is still something that's proved
impossible to match and given that you're on your feet all day
it's a real bonus to have something that's both soft and supportive simultaneously. Only
time will tell on the resilience, but with the ability to wash
the Norwool.UK insoles as and when needed the prospects are looking good after the first
3 months.

Contact Us
My Outdoors
19 Suffolk Close
Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK SK103HD
Phone: +44 (0)1625 668841
Mail: editorial@myoutdoors.co.uk
Web: myoutdoors.co.uk
Our Services
 Test and Review
 Privacy Policy
© 2010 - 2026 MyOutdoors