Best running sneakers for Achilles Tenditis

R

Roadrunner21

Runner
I have been recently diagnosed with achilles tenditis. My orthopedic says it might be an issue with my sneakers and the drop. He is recommending that I go use a higher drop. I am a heel striker, wear a wide, 10.5/11 size. I used to wear the ghost but hated last years version so I switched to the NB 1080 v10 which is a drop of 8 compared to the ghost which is at 12. I am not sure 10 months later how or why this would happen but it did. I am looking for some recommendations on a sneaker that can help me possibly. TIA.
 
AlexMatteson

AlexMatteson

JV
A higher drop shoe could definitely help. (Not that 8 is super low).
I know brooks has come out with a newer model of the ghost which I still haven’t tried, I also wasn’t a fan of the 12.
Another shoe that is getting good revyrhat might work for you is the Mizuno wave rider 24. The wave riders are known for having high drop and good for heal strikers.
The new balance 880 is another good neutral every day trainer. It’s got a 10mm drop though but I really like this shoe.
Lastly I’ve found with Achilles issues the most important thing for me is doing lots of heal drops, stretching and rolling. Even once it starts to feel better it’s one of those things you have to always be working on and strengthening.
Best of luck, Achilles problems suck!
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
AlexMatteson said:
A higher drop shoe could definitely help. (Not that 8 is super low).
I know brooks has come out with a newer model of the ghost which I still haven’t tried, I also wasn’t a fan of the 12.
Another shoe that is getting good revyrhat might work for you is the Mizuno wave rider 24. The wave riders are known for having high drop and good for heal strikers.
The new balance 880 is another good neutral every day trainer. It’s got a 10mm drop though but I really like this shoe.
Lastly I’ve found with Achilles issues the most important thing for me is doing lots of heal drops, stretching and rolling. Even once it starts to feel better it’s one of those things you have to always be working on and strengthening.
Best of luck, Achilles problems suck!
Click to expand...


Thank you for the advice and responding. I usually run in NB and will defintely try the 880 out. I ran in one of them before and thought it was just ok. I tried the ghost 13 and have to say it feels really good and I might end up getting it. It seems after a run and the runs I do now are slow paces, that is when the achilles will bother me the most. After a stretch session then it starts to feel normal. It does suck and I hope to be able to be doing a threshold run sooner then later. I have never tried anything of Mizuno but will look into it. I really appreciate all the feedback you have given me. Thank you again.
 
PEG

PEG

JV
Another type of shoes you could look at are some with a rocker shape (such as the Saucony Endorphin Speed with “Speedroll”) as that shape is designed to reduce the load on the ankle. Usually the focus with this is to increase efficiency but also helps to reduce the load on your Achilles’ tendon.
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
PEG said:
Another type of shoes you could look at are some with a rocker shape (such as the Saucony Endorphin Speed with “Speedroll”) as that shape is designed to reduce the load on the ankle. Usually the focus with this is to increase efficiency but also helps to reduce the load on your Achilles’ tendon.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. Can I still buy this even thou I wear a wide? I have seen videos on the Endorphin Speed and I think it looks like a amazing sneaker. I was supposed to be training for the Philly Marathon, but with covid that is happening but that was one sneaker I was considering.
 
imnothammer

imnothammer

Moderator
Roadrunner21 said:
Thank you for your reply. Can I still buy this even thou I wear a wide? I have seen videos on the Endorphin Speed and I think it looks like a amazing sneaker. I was supposed to be training for the Philly Marathon, but with covid that is happening but that was one sneaker I was considering.
Click to expand...

Just chiming in in support of Saucony's SPEEDROLL, at the tail-end of a marathon training cycle I recently switched from Nike Pegasus 37s to the Saucony Shift (my local store was sold out of the Speed). I am really enjoying them. Trying them on in the store instantly sold me on them and, at least in my experience, it is a really unique feel.

Hope your injury subsides... with all of the official races off it is even more important to take care of yourself (no sense in injuring yourself for a virtual!)
 
R

rundmv87

JV
My Achilles injuries have always been attributed to over training or running overly strenuous hills with proper warm up, so although a higher stack shoe may help you definitely want to look into overuse or weakness in the calves/ankles.
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
The thing is I have cut a lot of miles off this year because of no races. That is why this is preplexing. Thank you all for your replies, I really do appreciate them.
 
RW Admin

RW Admin

Administrator
Staff member
Roadrunner21 said:
I have been recently diagnosed with achilles tenditis. My orthopedic says it might be an issue with my sneakers and the drop. He is recommending that I go use a higher drop. I am a heel striker, wear a wide, 10.5/11 size. I used to wear the ghost but hated last years version so I switched to the NB 1080 v10 which is a drop of 8 compared to the ghost which is at 12. I am not sure 10 months later how or why this would happen but it did. I am looking for some recommendations on a sneaker that can help me possibly. TIA.
Click to expand...

@Roadrunner21,

Welcome to the TR Message board!

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Back in 2016, I injured my achilles and was forced to take a year off from running. It is really rough getting an injury like that.

I'd like to second @AlexMatteson recommendation of the Mizuno Rider 24. This has a lot of the qualities you indicated interest in. I've also heard a lot of good buzz around the 24 (although I have not run in it yet myself). The Ghost 13 (which you seemed to have looked into recently) is the another solid option. Unfortunately, there aren't many higher heel-to-toe offset shoes in wide & neutral. If you are interested in exploring something around 10mm, there is the Brooks Glycerin. This is more comparable to the 1080 than the Ghost would be.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. We hope you heal up soon!


Justin
RW Staff
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
RW Admin said:
@Roadrunner21,

Welcome to the TR Message board!

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Back in 2016, I injured my achilles and was forced to take a year off from running. It is really rough getting an injury like that.

I'd like to second @AlexMatteson recommendation of the Mizuno Rider 24. This has a lot of the qualities you indicated interest in. I've also heard a lot of good buzz around the 24 (although I have not run in it yet myself). The Ghost 13 (which you seemed to have looked into recently) is the another solid option. Unfortunately, there aren't many higher heel-to-toe offset shoes in wide & neutral. If you are interested in exploring something around 10mm, there is the Brooks Glycerin. This is more comparable to the 1080 than the Ghost would be.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. We hope you heal up soon!


Justin
RW Staff
Click to expand...
I thank you very much for the kind words. I really hope I will be over to run before the new year is out. I can do some light running but it does not feel the same it you cannot go fast. I will look into those sneakers and once again thank you for your help.
 
Runsplit

Runsplit

Runner
imnothammer said:
Just chiming in in support of Saucony's SPEEDROLL, at the tail-end of a marathon training cycle I recently switched from Nike Pegasus 37s to the Saucony Shift (my local store was sold out of the Speed). I am really enjoying them. Trying them on in the store instantly sold me on them and, at least in my experience, it is a really unique feel.

Hope your injury subsides... with all of the official races off it is even more important to take care of yourself (no sense in injuring yourself for a virtual!)
Click to expand...
I would steer clear of the Shift it has a 4mm drop
 
J

Joe

Administrator
Staff member
A couple of old school solutions to consider. If you have a few pair of old running shoes laying around, remove the insoles and cut the back 4" or so off and stack 2-4 underneath your current shoes insole in the heel to create a higher drop. If this help relieve the discomfort, you can remove a lift every week or so until you are back to your normal height. If it doesn't work, no biggie as it doesn't cost much. Solution 2 is to try a stable shoe to limit the lateral side to side movement of your heel which may help. As someone mentioned a shoe with a rocker may also assist. In the NB lineup I'd look at the More V2 (do not get the v1, not a good shoe). The other model to consider would be the HOKA Bondi which is available in wide widths.

Good luck. I had lots of achilles issues when I was trying to be good, I understand the frustration.

Joe
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
Joe said:
A couple of old school solutions to consider. If you have a few pair of old running shoes laying around, remove the insoles and cut the back 4" or so off and stack 2-4 underneath your current shoes insole in the heel to create a higher drop. If this help relieve the discomfort, you can remove a lift every week or so until you are back to your normal height. If it doesn't work, no biggie as it doesn't cost much. Solution 2 is to try a stable shoe to limit the lateral side to side movement of your heel which may help. As someone mentioned a shoe with a rocker may also assist. In the NB lineup I'd look at the More V2 (do not get the v1, not a good shoe). The other model to consider would be the HOKA Bondi which is available in wide widths.

Good luck. I had lots of achilles issues when I was trying to be good, I understand the frustration.

Joe
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply and answer. Yes like I said before it is very frustrating dealing with this. I am running less and doing the exercises my orthpedic dr. gave me. Some days are some are so-so but I do notice less pain in the mornings. I thought about the Bondi but would a lower drop sneaker be wise. Some as well as my ortho were saying a higher drop would take less stress off the calf area and achilles etc. I tried on the NB 880 v10 the other night and they felt very good. The salesman was nice and said the 880 is less plush then the 1080 but the stack height is different by 2---1080 - 12 and 880 - 10. he said the difference should not be a factor. He said its a good durable sneaker with medium cushionong but would still do the job. May I ask how long did it take before you were able to do tempo/thresh hold runs? Did you switch sneakers to help you as well? Thank you again.
 
J

Joe

Administrator
Staff member
Start with the heel lifts, then it doesn't matter what the drop of the shoe is you can customize it to any height you like. Bondi's are inherently stable and do not bend, both of which should lessen the stress on your achilles allowing it to calm down.

I had achilles problems on and off from 1979 until 2005 or so. Last serious case for me was in November 1986, that lasted until mid-February 1987 where I did not run much at all. I ran 10 minutes every Monday and if I felt it, I took another week completely off. When I went for my weekly 10 minute run in February and I didn't feel it, I ramped up pretty fast. I only had 11 weeks or so until track Nationals, so once it felt better I was training hard almost from day 1 since it was my last season of eligibility and I didn't have a choice. I was fortunate, the achilles held up and I made All-American in the 5,000m.

Joe
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
Joe said:
Start with the heel lifts, then it doesn't matter what the drop of the shoe is you can customize it to any height you like. Bondi's are inherently stable and do not bend, both of which should lessen the stress on your achilles allowing it to calm down.

I had achilles problems on and off from 1979 until 2005 or so. Last serious case for me was in November 1986, that lasted until mid-February 1987 where I did not run much at all. I ran 10 minutes every Monday and if I felt it, I took another week completely off. When I went for my weekly 10 minute run in February and I didn't feel it, I ramped up pretty fast. I only had 11 weeks or so until track Nationals, so once it felt better I was training hard almost from day 1 since it was my last season of eligibility and I didn't have a choice. I was fortunate, the achilles held up and I made All-American in the 5,000m.

Joe
Click to expand...
I ran in the bondi for a few months. I will defintely consider it, thanks. Congrats on your amazing running career, I am very impressed. Do you run much these days? Is there a exercise that might have helped you as well. I run once a week now because the doctor said I could but at slow speeds of course. I am considering not running this week to see if it would help it out more. Do you think the brooks ghost 13 or NB 880 v10 would be a good option too? Any help is appreciated and thank you again.
 
J

Joe

Administrator
Staff member
Try a stability version of the shoes you're looking at to limit the side to side movement of your foot when it hits the ground. Imagine you running on sand, the heel will twist quite a bit and it stresses the attachment of the achilles. So look at the Brooks Adrenaline and the NB 860 instead - it's worth a shot.

I run 6-7 days a week 3-5 miles each day. I picked up the golf bug, so I'll usually run before work or during lunch and play 9 holes after work. In some cases I'll walk 2-3 miles in the morning beforehand. I used to run about 8-9 miles a day, I try to cover the same distance its just broken up differently now.

I haven't had much success with achilles strength work. I've had better luck with rest, ice and stability shoes.

Good luck.

Joe
 
R

Roadrunner21

Runner
Joe said:
Try a stability version of the shoes you're looking at to limit the side to side movement of your foot when it hits the ground. Imagine you running on sand, the heel will twist quite a bit and it stresses the attachment of the achilles. So look at the Brooks Adrenaline and the NB 860 instead - it's worth a shot.

I run 6-7 days a week 3-5 miles each day. I picked up the golf bug, so I'll usually run before work or during lunch and play 9 holes after work. In some cases I'll walk 2-3 miles in the morning beforehand. I used to run about 8-9 miles a day, I try to cover the same distance its just broken up differently now.

I haven't had much success with achilles strength work. I've had better luck with rest, ice and stability shoes.

Good luck.

Joe
Click to expand...
So you are saying I should try on a stability sneaker instead of a neutral running sneaker? Should I go to a store and have them do a gait analysis? Would that help? Is the adrenaline a good running sneaker? I know of it because I know brooks so well. I will have to look into the 860, like I said I do enjoy NB a lot. I have run in them a lot lately from the 1080 to 880 and the beacons and the propel. I will ask this to my doctor and see what he thinks? He is a former runner as well. Thank you again.
 
RW Admin

RW Admin

Administrator
Staff member
Roadrunner21 said:
So you are saying I should try on a stability sneaker instead of a neutral running sneaker? Should I go to a store and have them do a gait analysis? Would that help? Is the adrenaline a good running sneaker? I know of it because I know brooks so well. I will have to look into the 860, like I said I do enjoy NB a lot. I have run in them a lot lately from the 1080 to 880 and the beacons and the propel. I will ask this to my doctor and see what he thinks? He is a former runner as well. Thank you again.
Click to expand...

@Roadrunner21,

Just to follow-up on what @Joe is saying here. The recommendation for a stability shoe has more to do with what your foot may be doing over time. Regardless of our level of overpronation, the foot can move side-to-side a bit more as we fatigue. So, the stability shoe may help reduce some of the stress on your achilles (especially as you fatigue). I don't think it is necessary to go get a gait analysis. However, if you feel that your mechanics have changed, you may want to explore that option to be on the safe side.

The Brooks adrenaline 20 (and upcoming 21) are excellent running shoes. The Guide Rail system should help as you fatigue without inhibiting your ability to maintain a neutral gait while you are fresh. Another option that has similar features is the ASICS Kayano Lite.


Justin
RW Staff
 
C

CarlsbadOrtho

Newbie
Roadrunner21 said:
So you are saying I should try on a stability sneaker instead of a neutral running sneaker? Should I go to a store and have them do a gait analysis? Would that help? Is the adrenaline a good running sneaker? I know of it because I know brooks so well. I will have to look into the 860, like I said I do enjoy NB a lot. I have run in them a lot lately from the 1080 to 880 and the beacons and the propel. I will ask this to my doctor and see what he thinks? He is a former runner as well. Thank you again.
Click to expand...

There are many causes of Achilles tendinitis, excessive pronation being one of them. Moving to a higher drop and/or more stable shoe can help in the short term by reducing stress to the tendon as the inflammation resolves. Long term, when it is not painful to do so, you will want to start a strengthening program including heel drops like @Joe suggested. You need to strengthen the tendon so that it can handle an increased load, otherwise your tendinitis will return. Your doctor should be able to assess your individual case and give you a schedule of exercises and progressive load management.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top