The truth about how bad shoes can be... (Read 698 times)

Yesterday I met with the podiatrist and had an extensive assessment including the taping of me running on a treadmill. It was a great appointment for me because within the first few minutes he identified the problem and the solution. I don't need othotics. I don't have a biomechanical problem, my running pattern and foot plant are near perfect barefoot. I may have trained too much and ran a hard race but that's not why I am injured in his opinion. It is 100% my shoes, which are indeed so crap that he believes I definitely have a stress fracture because of them. He said that his gut says stress fracture because six weeks post race the pain is incredibly localised and it is only in one specific place on the bone after all the soft tissue damage has healed. Also it got worse on running and much worse on stopping - in his opinion all indicators of a fracture. He asked to look at my shoes - poked them for a minute or two and said that they were rubbish. They only had support on the outer edge and actively pushed the foot inwards because of the poor design. They were also trail shoes and not designed to absorb the impact of running on concrete for sustained periods. He then video taped me on the treadmill barefoot and played it back to show me the results. A score of '0' is perfect and a score of '8' is as bad as it gets. Barefoot my left leg was in perfect alignment and scored '0', my right leg was a '2'. '2' is fine. '2' means new shoes and doesn't even require orthotics. Then we video taped me running with my shoes on. The difference was amazing! I scored '4' on my left leg and 7' on my right. You could see my ankles collapsing inwards every time my feet planted. He was horrified that I was sold these shoes as they were completely unsuitable for someone with a neutral gait and also he thought that the shoe (New Balance Achieve Off Road) wasn't very well made at all. He explained that the poor alignment of my leg when running in these shoes has put an enormous amount of pressure on my lower leg. He believes that this pressure led to a stress fracture because my muscles became fatigued trying to cope with the misalignment and when muscles become too fatigued to cope it leaves the bones at risk of greater shock and trauma. I have been referred to a specialist assessment centre where they will find me shoes that don't break my legs I also have a very weak leg now. I couldn't push his hand away properly with my damaged leg, either when I push to the left or upwards. My physio retested this today and was shocked at how weak my leg is. I have been given a series of exercises to try to get my leg strong again. The good news - new shoes and two weeks and I can start run walking as I will have had two months off my feet. I will be complaining to the running shop that sold me the shoes after not one - but two assessments because the first shoes they sold me were so wrong for my feet I couldn't run in them! All in all I have to smile because the solution is an easy one and I am near the end of my recovery period. I will be back on here annoying you all with my 'run/walk greatness' really soon. Claire xxx

I guess that is good news, but it's a shame that you were fitted for shoes that were so wrong for you. Asshats. I hope you heal quickly and have success with your new shoes. BTW, you've been missed around here. k

That is great news! I am so glad to hear you don't have to deal with orthodics...agree w/K about the asshat comments! Lynn B

Wow. What a difference that can make! Knowing you, you'll be back to running too hard again in no time at all. Hang in there - only a little while longer!