Ice, Bourbon and Clogs
December 21, 2011
It’s been 3 months since my achilles tendon rupture and now I’m finally walking in regular shoes, well clogs anyway. It’s slow and if I do it for more than 30 minutes it’ll hurt but I’m not complaining. Evening ice pack has become a ritual, probably for a very long time. I’ve come to enjoy it though, especially with a little extra ice for the bourbon.
Would appreciate some feedback on shoes. I’m using .25″ heel lifts with shoes/sneakers that have good arch support and heel height. On a recommendation I tried Dansko Professional shoes (closed heel clogs) today; they are often recommended by ortho’s and podiatrists for achilles tendonitis and tears.
Have never worn clogs before but they are very comfortable, accomodate late day foot swelling and have a high enough heel to toe ratio (about 2″ to .75″) that I don’t feel the need for a heel lift. Also, the rocker bottom design (not as pronounced as Sketchers or MBT) allows for good push off, useful given the pathetic state of my calf. Pricey though.
Any comments or advice?
Entry Filed under: ATR recovery, Uncategorized, achilles tendon tear, shoes. Tags: achilles tendon injury, physical therapy, shoes.
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1. housemusic | December 21st, 2011 at 10:10 pm
I’ll take the ice and the bourbon, you keep the clogs (JK)…
II’m at 3 months post op and my PT only lets me wear sneakers or running shoes with a 1/2 inch lift. I am not allowed to wear flat shoes, or heels higher than one inch.
I was told to wear shoes with a .75″ to 1″, and most running shoes already have that lift built in, so this is the protocol for at least one more month. Boring…
2. rosethorn | January 3rd, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Stay well away from pronounced “rocker bottom” shoes such as Skechers StayFit. These put excess stress on foot stabilizers and a variation of these were part of the cause of my Achilles tendinitis, which eventually led to rupture (three times in one year). I’m with you on the bourbon train though!
3. ryanb | January 3rd, 2012 at 6:52 pm
I’m typing this shod with my Sketcher Shape-Up’s rocker bottom shoes :-(. Yes, they look somewhat ridiculous on my feet.
I agree about them putting stress on all of the foot stabilizers, including the Achilles. I wear them not despite this… but because of it. As part of my ongoing rehab, I think it’s good to give these muscles some low-intensity work throughout the day. I guess where we would probably disagree is your characterization of this stress as excessive.
I know that a couple of other Achilles bloggers have used them for this purpose as well (as a bonus, they’re pretty good at reducing heel pain too). I will say that it took me a while to work up the strength and endurance necessary to wear them all day without adverse effects (temporary pain and swelling).
4. jjniss | January 4th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Danskos never worked out for me. Spent too much time looking for the “perfect” shoe until I finally realized the shoes I’ll wear for the next few months, “recovery shoes”, won’t be the same ones I’ll necessarily wear 6 months from now.
My recovery shoes are Merrell Jungle Mocs with the non-sticky bottom (hard to find but better indoors). They offer a good combination of support and stiffness with enough roominess for heel lifts and non-squished toes. Got them half size larger in moderate wide width to accomodate end of day swelling and .25″ heel lifts.
@ryanb I like your idea of the Sketchers as part of a recovery plan; I’ll probably try them at about 18 weeks (at 14 weeks now). My tendon feels very stable but want to be sure for obvious reasons. Plus I’m 57, everything seems to take a little longer than it used to