It became clear that last week's cramping was from decreased hip flexor activation, which was caused by foot pain.  Lions try to keep their paws low & rely on their hips instead of glutes for force, when they hurt.  The Target insoles only made a subjective difference, after a while.  The Walmart flip flops may be required for the long distances.  There might also be a way to activate the hip flexor/glute system without raising the paws.  The lion kingdom only has Sage Canaday videos where he always raises his paws high.

An experiment with 3/32" cork insoles failed.  It crumbled on contact.  $5 gone

There's definitely a benefit to having more cushioning, but to keep the toe area as light as a sandal, it's easiest to put all the cushioning under the heel.  Then, you can get more cushioning by heel striking, while keeping the toe feel of a sandal.  Such is why shoes are the way they are & it all begins with wanting the feel of a sandal.