# Insoles matter. Post your reviews!



## phile00

I've always had a problem with numb, painful feet throughout my days of snowboarding. It's the same sick cycle every time. Go down the hill, feet go numb due to pinched nerve, feet start to hurt, feet get cold. Then you get to the bottom of the hill, loosen your bindings, wiggle your feet around trying to get some feeling back in them as you're riding lift back up. Rinse, repeat.

Then come the questions. Is it my boots? Are my bindings not set up correctly? Are my socks too thick? Does my insole suck? Are my legs and feet mangled beyond repair? Was I born disfigured? 

Anyhow, It's a little bit of all of this of course. But I've heard this a million times, from the Angry Snowboarder to skiers to board shop dudes; "They go to the trouble of making an amazing boot, and they give you insoles that aren't worth the material they're made from." 

And it's true. I was in a board shop just last week in New Hartford New York (Bikes and Boards, great guys). Anyhow, one of the dude who worked there was fitting on a pair of $720 ski boots for backcountry skiing. His insoles looked like they would fit in a size 8 boot, and his boots were size 11. Not only that, it had zero support. Instead they just scrunched up and he was better off without them.

Anyway, I had my boots heat molded, and we identified pressure points and adjusted the boots properly. I was also fitted for a pair of Aline insoles. The shop set me up on a little machine that ensured the best alignment for the insoles and I have to say, they feel right. I have a falling arch and although they do not mold to your feet like other insoles, for me, they seemed to support the structure of my foot and shape it the way it's supposed to be shaped. Very comfy, and sadly, better than my custom orthotics! 

After all is said and done, my feet aren't numb anymore, so far. I only tried them once since, but to be fair I really need to ride a lot more on these insoles to give a good review. It's worth noting that I've never gone without numb, painful feet though, so once is a big achievement.


TLDR(Too Long Didn't Read); Insoles matter! 

I would really like to try out a bunch and find the best one, but as I said above, it's more than just the insole. But honestly I think a good insole will make the most dramatic difference. Of all of your snowboarding equipment, don't cheap out on boots or insoles. I argue it's the most important part of your setup. They can make your day amazing or terrible, no matter if you're shredding on a piece of plywood with adjustable metal roller skates (sans wheels) or the sickest space-age board and bindings combo.


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## arsenic0

Yup i agree...some time last year i decided, hey what the hell ill get some Superfeet for my snowboarding boots..if they dont work worst case ill use them in my regular shoes...

Now i love them as they give much more support to my feet allowing me to go longer. Atleast for me with my current boots(Burton Rulers) that fit well and were comfy, actually made them better by putting some Superfeet in it. The reason i found was that because its a thicker insole than the ghetto crap burton puts in, it raises my foot in the boot closer to the top. This gives me a snugger fit on my bottom zone without having to crazy tighten it down and without any lose of control or ankle movement...

For the record ive used both Superfeet Orange last year(now in my shoes) and this year i got some of their Superfeet RedHOT specifically for ski/boarding boots and they work well too. Kinda spendy, but well worth the money.


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## phile00

arsenic0 said:


> Yup i agree...some time last year i decided, hey what the hell ill get some Superfeet for my snowboarding boots..if they dont work worst case ill use them in my regular shoes...
> 
> Now i love them as they give much more support to my feet allowing me to go longer. Atleast for me with my current boots(Burton Rulers) that fit well and were comfy, actually made them better by putting some Superfeet in it. The reason i found was that because its a thicker insole than the ghetto crap burton puts in, it raises my foot in the boot closer to the top. This gives me a snugger fit on my bottom zone without having to crazy tighten it down and without any lose of control or ankle movement...
> 
> For the record ive used both Superfeet Orange last year(now in my shoes) and this year i got some of their Superfeet RedHOT specifically for ski/boarding boots and they work well too. Kinda spendy, but well worth the money.


Yeah, I've heard of super feet. I'll have to check their website. The money is well worth it though. Here's aline's website if you're interested in their tech: http://www.aline.com/

And about manufacturers not putting good insoles in their boots- I can totally understand why. Each person's foot is different so they don't want to waste money because it would drive the average cost for the consumer upward, and might not provide sufficient benefit across the board to justify the added cost. 

That's all fine and well, but I really think boot manufacturers should go to the trouble of alerting the consumer that a good insole is the best way to go for anyone. And as far as ski shops go - I've even been to several, and not one has ever recommended an insole while you're boot shopping unless you specifically tell them your feet bother you. So newbies to the sport have to find out the hard way, and eventually come back and ask later (or endure the pain needlessly). Preventative maintenance is the best route.


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## jpb3

Check out Shred Soles

ShredSoles - Your Feet Will Thank You

I have not ridden in them yet but the owner and founder is a friend of a friend. I'm trying to get my friend to get us a couple pairs to demo next week so if I'm successful I'll report back.

Dude is legit and is a very successful guy in the board industry. Snow and skate.

I really like the cantered aspect of these insoles, can't wait to try them out.


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## SPAZ

those shred soles look sick. i totally will look into them!


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## phile00

jpb3 said:


> Check out Shred Soles
> 
> ShredSoles - Your Feet Will Thank You
> 
> I have not ridden in them yet but the owner and founder is a friend of a friend. I'm trying to get my friend to get us a couple pairs to demo next week so if I'm successful I'll report back.
> 
> Dude is legit and is a very successful guy in the board industry. Snow and skate.
> 
> I really like the cantered aspect of these insoles, can't wait to try them out.


That's a pretty cool idea. Problem with that heat moldable material, is I imagine your feet will bottom out in areas. It would be neat to see the canted footbed mixed with this tech REMIND INSOLES.

It's funny because as I look at shredsoles, my alines, and these remind insoles, the three techs combined would make the ultimate snowboard boot insole. None of them have the cant of the Shred Sole, and it also appears the Shred Sole has the highest arch, which is great. Although the Remind Insoles have viscoelastic gel, I see the shock absorbing ridges of the Alines as more beneficial and more carefully engineered and supportive. Then finally the EVA foam from the Remind Insole would be great for a more custom fit than the Aline.


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## BurtonAvenger

You want all three combined just get a full custom footbed something from the Bootworx line or close to that. Speaking of shred soles wonder where mine are.


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## phile00

BurtonAvenger said:


> You want all three combined just get a full custom footbed something from the Bootworx line or close to that. Speaking of shred soles wonder where mine are.


I just googled bootworx insoles, and this thread is at the top of the results. Do you have a link by any chance? Yeah I'm thinking about a full custom orthotic like I have for my shoes, but still, custom orthotics don't have the kind of tech implemented like the canted footbed of the shred soles or the BFAST or rib tech of the alines.


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## BurtonAvenger

Um have you ever talked to a ski boot fitter? I can cant a footbed, notch the arch, grind the toe, manipulate whatever. It might be spelled bootwerx or bootworks my brains shot 3 long days in the sun shredding and one giant slam.


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## phile00

BurtonAvenger said:


> Um have you ever talked to a ski boot fitter? I can cant a footbed, notch the arch, grind the toe, manipulate whatever. It might be spelled bootwerx or bootworks my brains shot 3 long days in the sun shredding and one giant slam.


Good point, except that the alines still have tech that can't be copied by a boot fitter.  All in all, you're probably right, a complete custom solution would be the best.

Oh btw, I think this is what you were talking about? 
http://footworx.biz/product1.htm


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## T.J.

i'm still waiting for shred soles to be released to try then out. trying to support the local guys.


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## Zee

I like these:

SOLE Custom Footbeds


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## phile00

Without having researched podiatry, I'm going to make a comment based on observation. 

I have one slight problem with insoles that take the shape of your feet- your feet are shaped bad due to bad genetics. I know we like to think of ourselves as beautiful and unique snowflakes, but if that was the case, no one would have foot pain or any other pains. Our varying shapes and sizes would never matter. The fact is though, that sometimes we're just defective. 

I noticed that my foot is much more comfortable when I turn out my shins and force a decent arch in my foot. An insole that takes the shape of your foot is doing nothing but reinforcing a bad shape. It's better than letting your foot go even flatter, sure. My custom orthotics for my shoe don't even really force the arch I know I need.

Wether it's a custom orthotic or one of these dynamic solutions, I think any orthotic worth it's weight should force a particular shape to your foot, and then be adjusted from there. That's why I could see the aline technology working so well, alongside some of the memory foam shaping tech. 

You guys gotta try the alines to see what I mean. But that's my 5 bucks (thought it was worth more than 2 cents).


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## AWNOW

A good custom orthotic will align your joints in the appropriate fashion first, and custom fit for comfort's sake second.


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## Guest

Zee said:


> I like these:
> 
> SOLE Custom Footbeds


Matt from SOLE here, thanks for the product recommendation. If you guys would like to read more testimonials on our Footbeds, there's a ton over at: 

yoursole.com

We usually recommend our Softec Regular footbeds for Snowboarding, but if you would like more cushioning, you could try our Softec Ultra footbeds. 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask me. We're also on Twitter and [url="http://www.facebook.com/itsyoursole]Facebook[/url]

thanks


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## beemer420

remind insoles ftw


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## Guest

Shred Soles will be available very soon! There will be a short promotion/discounted price/free goodies the first week of shipping.....Sign up here to be notified. ShredSoles - Your Feet Will Thank You


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## redlude97

cardeo said:


> Matt from SOLE here, thanks for the product recommendation. If you guys would like to read more testimonials on our Footbeds, there's a ton over at:
> 
> yoursole.com
> 
> We usually recommend our Softec Regular footbeds for Snowboarding, but if you would like more cushioning, you could try our Softec Ultra footbeds.
> 
> If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask me. We're also on Twitter and [url="http://www.facebook.com/itsyoursole]Facebook[/url]
> 
> thanks


whats the difference between those and the ed viesturs in terms of cushioning? Thats what I'm running


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## that_guy

I personally haven't really found insoles to matter that much, at least for my feet.

Still, certain stock insoles are better than others, and I've used Superfeet in one pair of my boots which provided a slight bit more 'height' in my heel and kept my toes from jamming into the front of the boot.

The ones in the current line of 32 boots seem to be pretty good, although they're a pain to take in and out. Before that, I was rocking the 32 Lashed when the liners had no footbeds, and found the fully heat moldable liner to be fantastic.


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## phile00

that_guy said:


> I personally haven't really found insoles to matter that much, at least for my feet.


The Alines i'm using make a world of difference. You mostly likely have completely normal feet.


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## Guest

Shred Soles will be available on Friday morning! They're giving away some free Lib and Grenade outerwear to celebrate the launch: Shred Soles snowboard gear givaway!


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## phile00

Pitcrew said:


> Shred Soles will be available on Friday morning! They're giving away some free Lib and Grenade outerwear to celebrate the launch: Shred Soles snowboard gear givaway!


Your link is broken man! Fix that so we can check it out


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## Guest

phile00 said:


> Without having researched podiatry, I'm going to make a comment based on observation.
> 
> I have one slight problem with insoles that take the shape of your feet- your feet are shaped bad due to bad genetics. I know we like to think of ourselves as beautiful and unique snowflakes, but if that was the case, no one would have foot pain or any other pains. Our varying shapes and sizes would never matter. The fact is though, that sometimes we're just defective.
> 
> I noticed that my foot is much more comfortable when I turn out my shins and force a decent arch in my foot. An insole that takes the shape of your foot is doing nothing but reinforcing a bad shape. It's better than letting your foot go even flatter, sure. My custom orthotics for my shoe don't even really force the arch I know I need.
> 
> Wether it's a custom orthotic or one of these dynamic solutions, I think any orthotic worth it's weight should force a particular shape to your foot, and then be adjusted from there. That's why I could see the aline technology working so well, alongside some of the memory foam shaping tech.
> 
> You guys gotta try the alines to see what I mean. But that's my 5 bucks (thought it was worth more than 2 cents).


The only problem with forcing an arch is the extreme aspect of it. I have a truly flat foot and forcing anything more than a mild arch is extremely painful.


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## Guest

redlude97 said:


> whats the difference between those and the ed viesturs in terms of cushioning? Thats what I'm running


Hey, sorry for taking so long to reply. The cushioning on the Ed Viesturs footbed is the same as the Softec Ultra. The difference is, the EV has anti-odor silver fibers, is cored out in non-structural areas to make it lighter, and $1 from the sale of each pair is donated directly to Big City Mountaineers.


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## phile00

K1tt3n5 said:


> The only problem with forcing an arch is the extreme aspect of it. I have a truly flat foot and forcing anything more than a mild arch is extremely painful.


Well, force was the wrong word. I mean, if I turn my shins out it puts a nice arch in my foot that makes it much more comfy to be in snowboarding boots. Unfortunately the orthotic I have in there, although it works well, doesn't put as big an arch in my foot as I would like.

I have flat feet as well, but an arch makes my feet feel good. Do putting any arch in your foot cause discomfort?


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## Guest

phile00 said:


> Well, force was the wrong word. I mean, if I turn my shins out it puts a nice arch in my foot that makes it much more comfy to be in snowboarding boots. Unfortunately the orthotic I have in there, although it works well, doesn't put as big an arch in my foot as I would like.
> 
> I have flat feet as well, but an arch makes my feet feel good. Do putting any arch in your foot cause discomfort?


Not any. I have really messed up feet. I've had multiple sets of orthodics, and really they only hurt my feet more. I have some superfeet orange in my boots and they are quite nice. I wish they had a tad bit less arch. But snowboarding without them isn't worth the pain. I could do about half a run and have to stop without them.


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## Guest

Link is fixed...Good looking out! Shred Soles snowboarding gear giveaway


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## Guest

i use green superfeet in my burton shaun white's and they definitely make a world of difference. without a doubt the best investment out of any of my gear.


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## RVM

I've used Sole Softec Ultras and Softecs. In my opinion and for my feet I think Superfeet are better. If you (Sole) could deepen the heelcup a bit and make it more supportive they'd be a lot more stable. Also I found the Sole insoles to be too soft. Soft = less support.





cardeo said:


> Matt from SOLE here, thanks for the product recommendation. If you guys would like to read more testimonials on our Footbeds, there's a ton over at:
> 
> yoursole.com
> 
> We usually recommend our Softec Regular footbeds for Snowboarding, but if you would like more cushioning, you could try our Softec Ultra footbeds.
> 
> If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask me. We're also on Twitter and [url="http://www.facebook.com/itsyoursole]Facebook[/url]
> 
> thanks


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## Guest

Shred Soles Insole Review
Posted Today at 12:48 AM by david_z
I got hooked up with a pair of Shred Soles performance snowboarding insoles ($45) a few weeks ago, intending to try them last Saturday but I forgot to trim them. With warm weather and rain in the forecast, I got out for probably my last shred day of the season last night. I made sure to trim the soles to fit my ThirtyTwo TM2 boots the night before.
I would’ve liked to give them a proper multi-day test, but unfortunately I only got about 4 hours to ride them, so here’s my review as best I can offer:

* The Shred Soles looked to be about twice as thick as my stock insoles. I know some of this thickness will pack-in or break down over time, but I was definitely worried that the break-in period might be painful. It wasn’t. There was no cramping, no pinching, no discomfort whatsoever.
* The arch support was more robust than any stock insole I’ve ever ridden, so I was leery about that, too because it seemed awfully stiff. Again I’ve gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. No arch discomfort at all.
* The EVA insert in the heel didn’t blow me away, but the snow was super soft last night—it would’ve been impossible to find a “hard” landing anywhere. But this feature is pretty standard, too. Most of the boot manufacturers put some sort of EVA or gel padding to absorb shock and help on icy landings.

Here’s where it get’s great… I have always had a tough time with boots, only on my left foot which is probably a little larger than my right foot. Even after I break them in, I often feel pinched in the arch, or a weird cramping feeling. This usually only lasts for the first hour or so. Sometimes I can alleviate it by loosening the inner laces on my boots, but not always. This problem has persisted through three pairs of boots and three sets of bindings.


With the Shred Soles, that was gone. No pinch. No cramping. Nada. I rode all night and never thought about my boots, my feet, my arches, etc. Honestly, with the Shred Soles, it was like they weren’t even there, which is awesome. The last thing you want when you’re snowboarding is to have sore or uncomfortable feet.

Product Specs from ShredSoles.com:

A: ShWedge™. Innovative ShWedge™ taper gives better performance by realigning ankles, knees, and hips to natural and balanced riding posture. Reduces stress on knees caused by wider stances.
B: Arch Support. DynArch is engineered specifically for snowboarding to maximize arch support and minimize strain and injury.
C: Heel Cup. Deep-well heel cup with firm high-riser sidewalls stabilizes heel and reduces friction from lateral foot movement.
D: Heel Plug. EVA heel plug absorbs shock. The plug passes through top and bottom surfaces for added support and cushioning.
E: Insole Base. Insole base is made of DuraShred™. Insole forms to your foot after extended wear. The material is odor inhibiting, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal for better foot health and comfort.


This post originally appeared at Shredding Gnar Snowboard Blog,


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## phile00

Cool, thanks for the review  I'm going to try them out next season.


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## jgsqueak

A canted footbed doesn't really make sense. If something is canted inside the boot it would encourage your foot to pronate and "mis-align" your Tiba, or inside of the ankle bone (posterior), with shape of the boot liner. The affect would be discomfort in the ankle area (which may or may not be fixed with heat molding the liner) and altering the axis on which the boot was created to flex on.

Canting outside of the boot, i.e. on your bindings, is where any canting modifications should take place. This way you are aligning the entire boot and foot with the leg...and not just the lower foot with nothing else.


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## jpb3

The canted footbed might not make sense to you but I can tell you after riding with the Shred Soles for a weekend I am a believer. It is a very noticeable difference, in fact I ditched the heel wedges I had in my boots for the last two seasons and was in bliss. 

Seriously, my feet felt so much better after a day of riding and my stance on the board is definitely improved.


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## GnarlesBarkly

*Footprint Insoles*

I skate and snowboard and by far these are the best insoles. They are more like a custom orthotic you would get from the doctor. You inject water and it takes the exact shape of the foot. Super stoked on these!
www.fpinsoles.com

Some of their videos
here


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## thetraveler

this is the best money can buy. he treats tennis players (the little cripple Agassi is an ex-client), top skiers and soccer stars. if you live in states or canada i'm sure he can recommend a good counterpart he has there

Podologo Podologi Podologia Sportiva Centro Podologia Riabilitativa Clinica Piede Studio Podologico Visite Specialistiche Podoiatra


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## mdc

IMO, the best out of box insoles for me have been the blue Sole insoles. My wife got me the shred soles for xmas and I'm highly disappointed with them. I should have returned them but I'm lazy like that so they have gone to waste. They have no arch support at all and really cause more foot pain for me than stock insoles. I really wanted to like the shred soles being they are local md/va/dc company but I just don't, they don't work for me. That said, I have a friend that is a podiatrist and he will be making my next insoles. He said don't "f" around with anything not made by a Dr. so I gotta give that a try next season.


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## zk0ot

Just going through a few different insoles. Remind medics. Shred soles. FP game changers. 

The FP game changers would be my hands down choice. Quality is great. Support is good. Moldability is good. Cushion is good. 

The medics is a second choice. Not as supportive. But cushioning is good 

The shred soles honestly don't make sense. canting your foot within a boot made to keep you leg straight up and down. The support was OK. Cushion is crap except the canted side. The whole boot needs to be canted.


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## Elektropow

So, I spent last season without thinking about my feet, for once. 

Stock insoles are crap, yeah. Two years ago I purchased some Remind Medics which were a huge improvement, but the arch support was just too much and it was so thick it would disturb my circulation. Quite cushy still but wouldn't let me just ride all day.

So now I've found the best insoles by far: D3O Insoles - ShoeInsoles.co.uk

The first time I got to try the material in computer and cell phone cases and handle it in its raw form I instantly thought it should be used as a material for insoles. My prayers were answered about a year later. 

I got all the three models and for skateboarding I use the Comfort and Performance ones. These are slimmer in the forefoot and give great control but still cushy with the Performance being more ergonomical and good for primos with the plastic parts. For snowboarding I use the Support one the most, being a bit cushier and thicker overall, since my boots tend to break in upwards a bit and don't like to have too much air between my toes and the top of the toebox. It fills the gap nicely. If you have big toes and like to have even more control, the Performance is great with the best arch support, though not being nearly as prominent as on the Medics. 

Being so low profile (all models thinner than the medic) and still offering the best shock absorption I've ever tried by far is pretty awesome. They're ridiculously nice for big drops and jumps and overall not having fatique throughout the day at any point, even on those 7 hour groomer adventures. It's even more awesome for skateboarding since you maintain an excellent board feel with great shock absorption.

One more thing, the Comfort has broken in with visible sink ins at toe parts, the Support and Performance models have better material though they don't state this and even after about 70 days on the Support and 30 on the Performance they remain as new. 

I dare someone to try!


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## virtu

So, the insoles that you are talking is the one between the boots and the liner, right?


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## wrathfuldeity

virtu said:


> So, the insoles that you are talking is the one between the boots and the liner, right?


no most all insoles go inside the liner...btw take out the stock ones first...also see the boot faq sticky


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