Trainers & Shoes for Tendinitis
Discussion
Does anyone have any good advice on what brand trainers & shoes to look at whilst dealing with Tendinitis in the feet? I have managed to mess mine up quite a bit at the moment. Exercises, massage ball, ice are all slowly helping but finding footwear is proving hard.
Basically need something with a good sized toe box and not too narrow in the middle. Standard wide fit seems too big for my feet and my ankle ends up with no support.
I know I can look at inner soles but think I need to find footwear that fits better to start. The ones I have tried push my feet too high.
Seeing my physio at the start of October so hopefully they can help as well.
Basically need something with a good sized toe box and not too narrow in the middle. Standard wide fit seems too big for my feet and my ankle ends up with no support.
I know I can look at inner soles but think I need to find footwear that fits better to start. The ones I have tried push my feet too high.
Seeing my physio at the start of October so hopefully they can help as well.
Edited by paw270 on Wednesday 24th September 08:58
Thanks I have been to Clark’s and had my feet measured I did manage to find some shoes that was better but not perfect.
Tried various trainers Sketchers / Adidas / Nike but they just don’t seem to fit well at the moment.
Don’t mind ordering a few different styles online but general trend seems to be get wide fit but they seem to big.
Tried various trainers Sketchers / Adidas / Nike but they just don’t seem to fit well at the moment.
Don’t mind ordering a few different styles online but general trend seems to be get wide fit but they seem to big.
Assuming you mean achilles tendonitis. Achilles works very hard when you're running it stores energy and releases this to propel you into next step.
Its part of a linked system call the posterior chain which starts at your big toe carries on through the plantar fascia through the heel and up the back of your leg. When this is weak/inflexible it causes problems. Some people the plantar fascia starts to grumble; some the achilles; some calf and some hamstrings.
The underlying issue is lack of the strength and mobility to repeatedly fire off the propulsive motion. Can be difficult to fix and disappears and reappears sometimes without an obvious pattern. Single leg eccentric heel raises combined with proper deep squats are my favourite fixes because they are easy, brief and address both strength and mobility.
I take a slightly cynical and negative view about shoes. I'm not sure if any shoe can make it better but some can definitely make it worse. The right shoe might help prevent recurrence. Women who wear heels are particularly vulnerable as sometimes the tendon shortens and heel is unable to go to the floor. Something commonly seen by ski boot fitters. There's a lot of woo woo talk about stability and comfort shoes but very little about drop from heel to toe. This can be anywhere from 12+mm to 0mm. If you went from a shoe with a bit of a heel to a flat shoe this might tweak your tendons and plantar fascia. You need to check the spec of a shoe because it is not obvious from looking at it and manufacturers don't seem very consistent between models and years of the same (Inov8 in particular). Hokas can have very built up soles but are relatively flat. Manufacturers that aim for the 'natural foot shape' market like Altra seem to be fairly flat so whilst having a wide toe box, may not be the first thing to jump into if you have tight/weak achilles.
I'd suggest going barefoot around the house as far as possible and waiting to see the physio and see what they say before spending or doing too much.
Its part of a linked system call the posterior chain which starts at your big toe carries on through the plantar fascia through the heel and up the back of your leg. When this is weak/inflexible it causes problems. Some people the plantar fascia starts to grumble; some the achilles; some calf and some hamstrings.
The underlying issue is lack of the strength and mobility to repeatedly fire off the propulsive motion. Can be difficult to fix and disappears and reappears sometimes without an obvious pattern. Single leg eccentric heel raises combined with proper deep squats are my favourite fixes because they are easy, brief and address both strength and mobility.
I take a slightly cynical and negative view about shoes. I'm not sure if any shoe can make it better but some can definitely make it worse. The right shoe might help prevent recurrence. Women who wear heels are particularly vulnerable as sometimes the tendon shortens and heel is unable to go to the floor. Something commonly seen by ski boot fitters. There's a lot of woo woo talk about stability and comfort shoes but very little about drop from heel to toe. This can be anywhere from 12+mm to 0mm. If you went from a shoe with a bit of a heel to a flat shoe this might tweak your tendons and plantar fascia. You need to check the spec of a shoe because it is not obvious from looking at it and manufacturers don't seem very consistent between models and years of the same (Inov8 in particular). Hokas can have very built up soles but are relatively flat. Manufacturers that aim for the 'natural foot shape' market like Altra seem to be fairly flat so whilst having a wide toe box, may not be the first thing to jump into if you have tight/weak achilles.
I'd suggest going barefoot around the house as far as possible and waiting to see the physio and see what they say before spending or doing too much.
Thanks Oddman
This is helpful I don’t have a definitive diagnosis beyond tendinitis from the doctors. So fingers crossed the physio is a bit more specific so I can focus rehab more. Pain tends to be around the instep and top of my feet.
Just trying to make my feet comfortable at the moment and do what I can before seeing the physio.
This is helpful I don’t have a definitive diagnosis beyond tendinitis from the doctors. So fingers crossed the physio is a bit more specific so I can focus rehab more. Pain tends to be around the instep and top of my feet.
Just trying to make my feet comfortable at the moment and do what I can before seeing the physio.
I would go to a proper running specific trainer shop.
They will get you to walk over a pressure pad and be able to advise you better aa to where you need support.
You may find your feet suit Brooks or Asics or some other more running focused brand rather than the normal high street brands.
They will get you to walk over a pressure pad and be able to advise you better aa to where you need support.
You may find your feet suit Brooks or Asics or some other more running focused brand rather than the normal high street brands.
paw270 said:
Thanks Oddman
This is helpful I don t have a definitive diagnosis beyond tendinitis from the doctors. So fingers crossed the physio is a bit more specific so I can focus rehab more. Pain tends to be around the instep and top of my feet.
Just trying to make my feet comfortable at the moment and do what I can before seeing the physio.
Doesn't sound like achilles. Hope the physio can shed a bit of light.This is helpful I don t have a definitive diagnosis beyond tendinitis from the doctors. So fingers crossed the physio is a bit more specific so I can focus rehab more. Pain tends to be around the instep and top of my feet.
Just trying to make my feet comfortable at the moment and do what I can before seeing the physio.
As I said, where possible, no shoes might be the best bet.
Oddman's point above is pretty much spot on from my experience.
A good running shop will analyse your gait and see if there's an underlying cause to where the tendonitis is coming from. They can then recommend shoes that will work with your gait, that are comfortable for you and suit the type of exercise / running you do. For me it was Saucony, but everyone is different.
The negative rep type calf raise was the exercise I was doing to build the strength up in my calf after having steroid injections in the achilles and wearing an air boot to immobilise it for several weeks. So you really want to go and see a physioterrorist too and have a pro look at the damage and advise treatment.
A good running shop will analyse your gait and see if there's an underlying cause to where the tendonitis is coming from. They can then recommend shoes that will work with your gait, that are comfortable for you and suit the type of exercise / running you do. For me it was Saucony, but everyone is different.
The negative rep type calf raise was the exercise I was doing to build the strength up in my calf after having steroid injections in the achilles and wearing an air boot to immobilise it for several weeks. So you really want to go and see a physioterrorist too and have a pro look at the damage and advise treatment.
I suffered a medial meniscus tear a few years ago. MRI also found chondromalacia patella. I was able to avoid surgery and changed my cardio routine away from running for a couple of years. Slowly started to get back into it with a good pair of supportive running shoes and I’ve found I can run up to about 5km a couple of times a week and not have too many issues. I found Hoka Bondi 8s to be awesome for me. They have very chunky soles so may not suit everyone, but I really like them.
Definitely agree with going to a good running store when you are ready. My shop let me try a bunch of different shoes and go for a short run in them.
Definitely agree with going to a good running store when you are ready. My shop let me try a bunch of different shoes and go for a short run in them.
Great advice from Oddman. This exactly describes my problems. I have spent a lot of money on testing different footwear as most shoes make it worse for me.
I finally found the answer in Salomon products. They have been transformational for me and I buy nothing else now (no shoes still the best though). I suspect it will be different for different people though depending on your own anatomy. Good luck
I finally found the answer in Salomon products. They have been transformational for me and I buy nothing else now (no shoes still the best though). I suspect it will be different for different people though depending on your own anatomy. Good luck
Stuart70 said:
oddman said:
The right shoe might help prevent recurrence.
I would have thought both would help?
I may have put this slightly awkwardly. What I meant was no shoe can fix a problem that is already there but if you choose the right shoe for you then you might stand less chance of a recurrence of the problem. What is really needed is a proper diagnosis of what's going on and a plan of remedial therapy to correct the issue (likely imbalance/weakness) that has led to the problem. My initial reply was making the assumption that the problem was achilles tendinitis which on further information from the OP sounds less likely.
However well meaning and although it's what the OP asked for, IMO getting too specific about shoe advice is putting the cart before the horse.
From the description I believe the OP is referring to extensor tendinitis.
It is often caused by poorly fitting footwear that is laced too tightly to overcome the poor fit. I've had a very mild case myself but I know others who have suffered with longer lasting cases.
I believe tight calf muscles can also put load on the extensor tendons.
I don't think there is a particular one size fits all solution in terms of a specific brand of footwear, it's a case of trying many and seeing what fits best for you.
Asics, Brooks and Hoka all offer buy and return options that will allow you to use them for up to 90 days and return without any issues.
It is often caused by poorly fitting footwear that is laced too tightly to overcome the poor fit. I've had a very mild case myself but I know others who have suffered with longer lasting cases.
I believe tight calf muscles can also put load on the extensor tendons.
I don't think there is a particular one size fits all solution in terms of a specific brand of footwear, it's a case of trying many and seeing what fits best for you.
Asics, Brooks and Hoka all offer buy and return options that will allow you to use them for up to 90 days and return without any issues.
Thanks for everyone’s input it’s appreciated. See the physio on the 6th so not too far off. I could see someone sooner but would rather see someone I know and trust. Just a pain having to wait for the appointment.
As things have eased over the week I have actually been able to wear my Brooks running trainers again. A week or so ago they felt awful but now feel much better. Those alongside the shoes I got from Clark’s have at least given me a couple of options that don’t seem to make anything worse.
Using a light resistance band to do some gentle foot exercises is also helping. Definitely no running, long walks or intense gym sessions at the moment though.
It’s better then when I found myself at the doctors but definitely need a proper diagnosis to fully rehab things.
As things have eased over the week I have actually been able to wear my Brooks running trainers again. A week or so ago they felt awful but now feel much better. Those alongside the shoes I got from Clark’s have at least given me a couple of options that don’t seem to make anything worse.
Using a light resistance band to do some gentle foot exercises is also helping. Definitely no running, long walks or intense gym sessions at the moment though.
It’s better then when I found myself at the doctors but definitely need a proper diagnosis to fully rehab things.
Plantar fasciitis? If so, typically pain under heel, particularly first thing in the morning.
If this, then stretches and under heel cushioning are important, but it can takes months to get better. Physio will advise. In the meantime avoid going barefoot, walking on beaches (sand) and wearing flip flops / loose shoes or boots (like wellies).
If this, then stretches and under heel cushioning are important, but it can takes months to get better. Physio will advise. In the meantime avoid going barefoot, walking on beaches (sand) and wearing flip flops / loose shoes or boots (like wellies).
Edited by Discombobulate on Saturday 27th September 10:09
Having a similar problem with left foot/ankle. Initially thought it was achilles but I can stand up on my toes without any twinges, tweaks. I have a very tender area just at the back of my heel, actually a little bit swollen some days, and the pain can manifest itself down either side of ankle and round to bottom of foot.
It really flared up after school owne day when I had been running around in unsuitable shoes playing sports with pupils but had been niggling for a good while before then. My feet get very tender after long walks, very painful, and are generally very sore after work. I wear good trainers or walking boots although my beloved Merrel boots are now shot and I have struggled to replace them...perhaps another pair from same manufacturer is the obvious thing?
It really flared up after school owne day when I had been running around in unsuitable shoes playing sports with pupils but had been niggling for a good while before then. My feet get very tender after long walks, very painful, and are generally very sore after work. I wear good trainers or walking boots although my beloved Merrel boots are now shot and I have struggled to replace them...perhaps another pair from same manufacturer is the obvious thing?
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