Lunarswift and achilles tendonitis (Read 691 times)

After 2 years with no heat in the tendon, that feeling came back after one 5K run in my new lunarswift's.

And in the opposite ankle from where I had problems before.

 

Methinks that too much stability and a lower heel is a bad combination.

Viich:

Everybody's different and our situation is also just as unique.  But that said, I google-searched the image of Lunarswift and...this is something I've been concerned with ever since Shox and/or Free came out.  Nike seems to have gotten to this weird "S" shape last.  This particular model actually have this "S" groove on the bottom even.  I understand that's just a decoration and the actual shoe is more "straight".  Some people have very narrow feet and maybe even a bit straight than others but, as far as I'm concerned, human foot is more or less a banana-shape (as Arthur Lydiard used to say); not an "S" shape.  When you try to fit a banana-shape foot into something very straight or even "S" shape, the inner heel would more likely get pushed inward; in other words, excess over-pronation.  I have put together this thing to visually show what I mean if you're interested--shoot me an e-mail (nobby415@msn.com) and I'll send it to you.  When this happens, most shoe manufacturers would add extra "stability" divice to forcefully control this excess "push".  But the actual fact is; there's only so much "stability" divice can do to control ill-fitted shoe shape. 

The thicker the heel, the further off you'll be from the ground.  The further off you are from the ground, the less stable you'll become.  With my Achilles proble, this "instability" and high and rigid "Achilles tab" was a deadly combination--that really dug into my Achilles and physically hurt my tendon.  From the image, for my personal liking, Lunarswift (heel) is actually too thick for me.  When almost all else failed, with my Achilles problem that lasted more than 5 years, going minimalist shoes and running more cross country (along with a few other things) are what cured it.  Even though I'm struggling with a knot in my calf which, for the first time in a week today, is finally improving (with a lot of pain with tough massaging), almost ALL of my calf and Achilles problem are almost 100% cleared.  In fact, It was about 3 years ago I seriously thought about a surgery.  I couldn't even run 20 minutes without limping.  Then it improved to the point where I could run pretty much freely without limping but it still hurt a little bit.  Last year, when I actually raced more than any other years in the last, oh, say 15 years or so; I almost completely forgot I even had an Achilles problem--my pain is almost ALL gone.  My favorite shoes are ASICS Piranha and I run up to close to 2 hours on the road in those as well as HyperSpeed--HS is as thick as I would go.  Another feature I like about these shoes are, like I said, the Achilles tab--it's almost non-existing.

I'm not piggy-back riding with all this talk about barefoot running--I don't barefoot run.  But I swear by minimalist type shoes; at least, the less the better.  My opinion, my experience and this is my 2 cents.  Achilles problem is a b!tch, sorry to say.  But one thing I COULD say confidently is that you CAN, and WILL, overcome it eventually.  Stay positive and keep doing what you can.