Best Sneakers for someone post ankle surgery......?

**Raps** · 12-21-2006, 11:23 AM

After 3 months of recovery i'm starting to actually put weight on my bum ankle and starting to do more in the gym. I had some Asics before my accident but they were all about support and not so much about cushion. So my question is this - what kind of sneaker would be best for someone recovering from surgery? I'm thinking something super plush like a Nike 360 or should i stick with an Asics (more supportive) type?

Thanks....

**kidwoo** · 12-21-2006, 11:32 AM

Whatever you get, throw a good arch support like superfeet in there regardless of the shoe.

I broke both my ankles two summers ago and those things make a difference. Mine weren't serious enough to require surgery though.......

Something that bugged me was soles that were too flexible. I tracked down a pair of etnies bmx specific shoes that had soft soles but were also really rigid. A concernt of mine was standing on bike pedals that wanted to bend my feet however.

I'm not sure what you have for braces but I went through about half a dozen brands before I found these.

http://www.swedeo.com/X8.htm

They allowed me to get back into some activities much faster. You can go from minor support to almost full immobilization depending on how tight you get them.

**bagtagley** · 12-21-2006, 11:55 AM

Don't you kinda miss high tops sometimes?

**BS720** · 12-21-2006, 12:01 PM

Mion shoes RULE!! Not a lot of ankle supprt, but you could wrap your ankle and wear these. Lots of cush! If you do wrap your ankle, might want to take out the thermo-molded insole, so it doesn't mold to a wrap.

**couloirman** · 12-21-2006, 12:57 PM

Those ankle braces are key. Ive broken both ankles more times than I can count. If i go rock climbing without those braces on, I WILL break my ankle no matter what. two years of climbing in those and Im accident free. The one time i forgot to wear them, broken. Every time I skateboard, broken, ankle. THose braces are the best, get them. I have the ASO brand, but they look exactly the same.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Whatever you get, throw a good arch support like superfeet in there regardless of the shoe.

I broke both my ankles two summers ago and those things make a difference. Mine weren't serious enough to require surgery though.......

Something that bugged me was soles that were too flexible. I tracked down a pair of etnies bmx specific shoes that had soft soles but were also really rigid. A concernt of mine was standing on bike pedals that wanted to bend my feet however.

I'm not sure what you have for braces but I went through about half a dozen brands before I found these.

http://www.swedeo.com/X8.htm

They allowed me to get back into some activities much faster. You can go from minor support to almost full immobilization depending on how tight you get them.

**mnflyfish** · 12-21-2006, 03:17 PM

Brand isn't the issue, fit is. Go to a good running store. Get fitted, explain everything that has happened to you (ie: ankle), then buy what ever shoes they fit you for. This might put you in an $80 shoe, or a $100+ shoe, don't worry about price, fit and feel are the most important things. I've seen too many people walk away from exercise because they went to Dicks and bought a pair of shoes off the rack 'cause they looked cool, only to have feet, shin, knee, problems that made it easy for them to give up the workouts and sit on the couch. If after your fitting, you use these shoes and have problems, don't be afraid to take them back, get a second opinion, and new shoes. A good running store will stand behind their shoes and fitting. Unless you show up after 200 miles trying to return the shoes.

Good Luck, and congrats on getting back in the gym!
Jay

**focus** · 12-21-2006, 04:57 PM

I own a pair of the Jordan I's pictured. One of my favorite shoes ever...

360's are plush, but not amazingly so. The running version doesn't exactly blow my mind -- though the basketball 360's are really cush. The fit in the running version seems to suck for most people. What MN said re: fit is spot on. If the $65 shoe fits better than the $300 shoe, the $65 shoe is the better shoe for you, almost every time. That said, most higher end shoes have better fit characteristics than the lower end shoes (like Asics biomorphic fit, found in the Kayano, Nimbus, etc...) that will fit like a glove (sorta literally) on many types of feet. You also do get what you pay for, so don't be afraid to drop $100 plus on a pair of good shoes.

Try on a variety of different shoes in a variety of different brands. Go to a good shoe store that has a good mix of brands and styles. Beware of any salesman that tries to tell you any one brand or style is the "best."
-- Asics work really well for lots of different people, models to look at for cushioning would be the 2110, kayano, nimbus, etc.
-- Saucony are another brand to look at, though stay away from the support shoes (i.e. hurricanes) if you're looking for cushioning.
-- I've heard really good things about Brooks, though I don't have any personal experience with them.
-- I personally really like Nike, they tend to fit me very well -- check out some models from their bowerman line (moto, pegasus, triax, etc.). Nike Bowerman are more comparable to other technical lines of shoes from brands like Asics, Saucony, Brooks, etc. Nikes outside of the bowerman line are a little more hit and miss, i.e. you could be spending that $120 premium purely b/c it's got some hype behind it (though not every time).
-- I can't stand New Balance. They never fit my feet well, either SL-1 or SL-2. They don't tend to have much cushioning or support. Some people love them, however, so.... I see way too many people try to make New Balance work for their feet because "they're the best" or they're made in the USA (they aren't, generally).

Remember, if they don't feel good in the store, they probably won't feel good a couple hundred miles down the road.

re: insoles. Superfeet are good. Spenco's another brand to look at if cushioned support is what you're after. They'll typically have more active cushioning than the superfeet, while still offering a good deal of arch support.

**nachos supreme** · 12-21-2006, 05:07 PM

When I came back from Ankle surgery I found that Asics cross trainers were pretty much the only shoe I could wear for any length of time for a good few months.
Not sure about the nature of the injury you have,mine was a stress fracture,so it was all about cushion with a decent amount of support....

**Raps** · 12-21-2006, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by mnflyfish

Brand isn't the issue, fit is. Go to a good running store. Get fitted, explain everything that has happened to you (ie: ankle), then buy what ever shoes they fit you for. This might put you in an $80 shoe, or a $100+ shoe, don't worry about price, fit and feel are the most important things. I've seen too many people walk away from exercise because they went to Dicks and bought a pair of shoes off the rack 'cause they looked cool, only to have feet, shin, knee, problems that made it easy for them to give up the workouts and sit on the couch. If after your fitting, you use these shoes and have problems, don't be afraid to take them back, get a second opinion, and new shoes. A good running store will stand behind their shoes and fitting. Unless you show up after 200 miles trying to return the shoes.

Good Luck, and congrats on getting back in the gym!
Jay

Yeah except the problem is that this summer i went to the "Super Runners Store" in NYC and did just that - ended up with some Asics and after a week hated them. I returned them for another Asics model and now i hate the new ones.....so i sold em to my roomate who liked em. Now i'm starting from scratch.

But thanks for the recommendations - i will definately try a bunch on before pulling the trigger though......

And P.S. - Bag - i'm actually kind of an old school kicks nut - have a few pairs of older Nikes including the original 85' Air Max 1's......