in a given shoe may be made of a different material from the horizontal components used in that shoe in the drawings the horizontal component of the shoe sole insert of the present invention is shown in striped lines and the vertical component of the shoe sole insert of the present invention is shown in cross hatched lines whether located in the outsole midsole or as part of an inserted insole the horizontal and or the vertical components of the present invention can be manufactured into the outsole and or the midsole if the component is manufactured into the outsole the material may be a color different from the outsole this different color would be desirable to distinguish the shoe from shoes without the components of the present invention in the outsole the insert of an embodiment of the present invention may also be incorporated into an innersole which is inserted into the shoe at some point after the manufacture of the other components of the shoe the shoe sole insert of an embodiment of the present invention can be made of one material or of a combination of natural and or man made materials the choice of material or combination of materials the shape of the materials and the location of the component within the shoe can be determined by the wearer 39 s desire to optimize specific performance enhancing characteristics of the shoe the primary specific characteristic of the shoe sole insert of the present invention is to efficiently return energy that would be wasted without the shoe sole insert of the present invention in response to an applied load such as kicking a ball or striking.