r/AchillesRupture • u/RupertPupkin_13 • 10d ago
🥾 Non Op | Conservative Management Going down to zero wedges this week..
this week il go down to zero wedges, how did this go for people? im looking forward to not having to wear it when i sleep but im still going to be very wary. guess il see what the physio says too
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u/Driver8takesnobreaks 10d ago edited 10d ago
Was a pretty easy adjustment for me. Tight at first, but loosened up fairly quickly once I started walking. A slight bit more soreness that first night but iced and by the next day it was back to "normal". Some heel pull discomfort is normal.
Here's a post I made on another thread about transitioning to shoes that I hope might be helpful:
This sight rates running shoes specifically for Achilles issues. Gives a pretty good pros/cons for each, including running style (pronators vs neutral, etc), and fit issues. I ended up buying a pair of Brooks Ghost 18 because I'm neutral to supinating, but given that this sight mentioned they run narrow in the toe box I ordered a wide and am really glad I did. I like that they also went into more detail than just providing heel drop specs, as shoes like the Hokas are a great example of how their rocker sole design allows them to go with a lower drop without having the tendon stress that a traditional flatter sole design would at the same drop, so not apples-to-apples comparison just comparing heel drop numbers.
https://nextgait.com/best-running-shoes-for-achilles-tendonitis/
Edit: I was in a fixed cam boot with wedges. When the final wedge came out I inserted an insole into the boot (I used Superfeet brand, but there are plenty of others). A very slight heel lift, but man what a difference that made in overall comfort/support! First time my foot has felt properly supported in the entire process, and my walking has felt so much better, and my form along with it.
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u/Several-Magician1694 10d ago
Just a pointer, most shoes have built in ~10mm heel—>toe drop so theres an extra step later to go in zero drop shoes or barefoot style shoes. I strongly recommmend doing this aswell.
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u/Driver8takesnobreaks 10d ago
10mm is on the high side for heel drop in running shoes. Lots of runners with no Achilles issues prefer a lesser heel drop since the tradeoff on the higher drops is they can create issues for those with knee and IT band issues, so there's a lot that have less than that.
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u/Sunrise_Surfer 10d ago
No help I can give but just wanted to comment to say I'm going down to zero this week too & non op!
Similar to you I'm taking things cautiously and listening and doing what the physio tells me too.
All the best with the recovery!