STEPX

2 days ago | Advertorial | Camille Moreau

"My father treated plantar fasciitis for 40 years" – A Lyon orthopedist (54) completes her life's work. Discover the offloading insole that has already relieved over 1,100 patients suffering from plantar fasciitis.

In a medical office in Lyon's 6th arrondissement, a black and white photograph hangs on the wall: a man in a white coat, leaning over a foot. This is Henri Gilbert – an orthopedist for forty years. His daughter Pauline, now an orthopedic specialist, has transformed his unfinished prototype into a finished product. We met her in her office.

Dr. Pauline Gilbert (54) in her orthopedic practice in Lyon. On the wall, a photo of her father – the orthopedist who started it all.

"I grew up with plantar fasciitis"

Lyon, March. Pauline Gilbert sits in her consultation room and points to a framed black and white photo. It shows a man in a white coat, leaning over a foot. "That's my father," she says. "Henri Gilbert. Orthopedist for 40 years, right here in Lyon."

Even as a child, Pauline spent her afternoons in her father's office after school. She saw patients arrive who could barely walk. She listened to them describe each step: "Like a nail driven into the heel." Always the same words. Always the same diagnosis: plantar fasciitis.

"My father treated thousands of patients," she recounts. "He prescribed insoles, therapies, cortisone injections. But he knew well: none of that truly solved the problem."

Henri Gilbert (1943–2021) in his Lyon practice. For 40 years, he treated patients with plantar fasciitis.

Why is plantar fasciitis so persistent?

To understand why most plantar fasciitis treatments fail, you need to understand what happens inside the foot:

The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous tissue that supports the arch of your foot. It is stressed with every step. When your shoes don't provide real arch support – which is the case for most of them – all the pressure is transferred directly to the plantar fascia.

Result: tiny tears in the tissue. Chronic inflammation. Sharp pain, especially when getting up, from the first steps in the morning.

The plantar fascia: the band of tissue that gets inflamed in plantar fasciitis and causes sharp heel pain.

Classic insoles? Flat, rigid, mass-produced. They don't distribute weight – they transmit pressure directly to the inflamed area. Overly cushioned shoes? They provide short-term relief, but weaken foot muscles in the long term – and worsen plantar fasciitis.

"My father knew all this," explains Dr. Gilbert. "That's why he worked on something else during the last years of his life."

The prototype found in the workshop

In 2019, Henri Gilbert retired. Six months later, he fell ill. While tidying his workshop, Pauline made a discovery at the back of a drawer: an unfinished prototype of an offloading insole. Next to it were notes, sketches, calculations. All handwritten.

"He had been working on it for years without telling anyone," she says softly. "The concept was brilliant: instead of passively supporting the foot, the insole was meant to, with each step, actively massage the plantar fascia and restore the arch to its correct anatomical position."

Henri Gilbert's original sketches – the foundation of SOLHELA STEPX insoles.

Pauline took the documents to her office. She contacted biomechanists and foot specialists. Together, they developed her father's prototype. 30 materials tested. 12 versions. 14 months of development.

The result: SOLHELA STEPX insoles.

First tests on patients with plantar fasciitis

The finalized SOLHELA STEPX insole – developed from Henri Gilbert's research.

"I first offered them to my most severe plantar fasciitis cases," says Dr. Gilbert. "Patients for whom nothing else had worked. Who were already considering surgery."

The feedback was immediate:

• After 3 to 5 days: significantly less plantar fasciitis pain upon waking
• After 2 weeks: many patients could walk long distances again without pain
• After 30 days: in over 90% of them, the pain had significantly reduced

One patient, Mrs. Bernard (58, from Lyon), stated during the follow-up: "Doctor, for the first time in three years, I can get out of bed in the morning without crying in pain."

The biomechanical effect of SOLHELA STEPX insoles on the arch of the foot in cases of fasciitis.

What makes SOLHELA STEPX insoles different for plantar fasciitis

We asked Dr. Gilbert what distinguishes her insoles from the hundreds of products available on the market:

• Biomechanical arch support: maintains the plantar arch in its correct anatomical position – no more flat and rigid standard insoles
• Active massage nodules: stimulate blood circulation with each step and relieve tension in the plantar fascia
• Targeted pressure point relief: distributes body weight evenly and relieves the inflamed heel
• Total versatility: fits all types of shoes – sneakers, work shoes, and even high heels
• Immediate effect: many patients feel relief from the first use

"The secret is the combination," she explains. "My father understood that plantar fasciitis cannot be treated passively. The foot must be actively supported with each step – that's exactly what the massage nodules do."

What plantar fasciitis patients say about SOLHELA STEPX

Where to get SOLHELA STEPX insoles

SOLHELA STEPX insoles are available exclusively through Dr. Gilbert's official online store – solhela.com. The site is run by her grandchildren, who help her with distribution.

"My grandchildren helped me set up the store," she says with a smile. "I'm a doctor, not an IT specialist. But it was important to me that the insoles were only sold through us. There are cheap counterfeits on marketplaces that look similar, but have nothing to do with my plantar fasciitis technology."

A special offer of -60% is currently underway – while stocks last.

SOLHELA STEPX insoles fit all shoes – from work shoes to sneakers.

"I am a doctor, not a businesswoman"

We asked Dr. Gilbert why SOLHELA STEPX insoles are significantly more affordable than comparable orthopedic products. Her answer:

"For 40 years, my father saw people suffer from plantar fasciitis – people who couldn't afford expensive treatments. I didn't design SOLHELA STEPX to get rich. I designed them so everyone can afford the luxury of walking without pain."

SOLHELA STEPX insoles are currently offered with a 60% discount.

30-day risk-free trial

"Because I believe 100% in my product, I offer a 30-day trial guarantee. If you are not satisfied within 30 days, you get your money back. No questions asked."

Out of over 1,100 plantar fasciitis patients who wore her insoles, the return rate is less than 3%.

Other plantar fasciitis patients testify

Dr. Pauline Gilbert – Orthopedic specialist and designer of SOLHELA STEPX insoles.

"Every time a patient tells me their plantar fasciitis pain has disappeared, I think of my father," Dr. Gilbert confides as our interview concludes. "He would have been happy to see that his prototype is now helping thousands of people."