Best shoes for achilles problems

I suggest you discuss w/her PT, and if her PT is not a runner or understand runner's issues find, one who does. Do not rely solely on letsrun opinions as your daughter's needs are different than most posters. I believe the key to your decision will be the height of the heel drop. The higher the drop the shorter the AT will be moving when running. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing based on her type of injury and what the PT has been rehabbing w/her.

My AT required a higher (12mm) drop so I have been running in Mizuno Wave Riders (pretty lightweight) and Brooks Ghost 5. NB 890's and Asics Cumulus are also in the same category. I also suggest a running specialty store v. a chain. Good luck.

HIgher heel, to give support to heel area.

I'm with Boston 34 on Asics Cumulus selection.

I am going to say, do that opposite of what the previous poster suggested, and get some zero-drop or minor drop shoes. Keep in mind, this is not the same thing as minimalism. There are cushioned shoes without huge heel drops. Although, to be honest, if I new better when I was 13, I would have tried to do most of my mileage in minimalist shoes.

Structure Triax have been good for me. Only reason I bought them was because I saw Rupp wearing them & thought I'd try them out. But they've been great, calves not as tight after runs anymore.

Boston34 offers good advice. However, the best help for my son--who plays soccer but has had a few lower leg/foot problems--came from an excellent sports podiatrist. And when my son does running workouts he uses Nike Air Pegasus 29.

You don't give a young girl with a shortened achilles tendon/gastroc complex a shoe with a higher heel. It will just get tighter.

teammom wrote:

My 13 yr old daughter loves to run and needs a good running shoe. She has been in physical therapy for 4 months trying to stretch her left side achilles as it is not growing/stretching as she is growing. She has finally got the green light to start running again, but finds her shoe needs are different. She always wore lightweight Nike running flats before, but those are not supportive/comfortable. Any suggestions. Prior to the injury she ran approx 15 miles per week outside of track season/during her other sports seasons. During track season she runs about 5 miles a day. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

Barefoot. Every able-bodied human being should be able to run comfortably barefoot. Get her comfortable with it now and you'll save her a lot of injuries in the future. I wish I had started when I was young.

Barefoot on grass. Some slow, some fast.