Heel drop 12mm vs 10mm

Running Shoes/Running Gear Shoes

1 year ago 05/25/2023 1:36pm EDT

Greetings, masters runner here and heel striker.

I had to stop running for years because of achilles issues and try to be "on guard" so it does not happen again.

I've been running in the Brooks Ghost which I like but it's a bit cushiony yet it has a drop of 12 mm.

Picked up a pair of Tracksmith Eliots, which have a firm ride which I love, but am a bit worried about the 10mm heel drop for daily training.

I race and do track work in Vaporflys 8mm drop

Is dropping to the 10mm increase my chances of achilles issues again?

I don't even remember the heel drop being discussed years ago.

Any help would be appreciated

Shoe question for those in the know wrote:
Greetings, masters runner here and heel striker.
I had to stop running for years because of achilles issues and try to be "on guard" so it does not happen again.
I've been running in the Brooks Ghost which I like but it's a bit cushiony yet it has a drop of 12 mm.
Picked up a pair of Tracksmith Eliots, which have a firm ride which I love, but am a bit worried about the 10mm heel drop for daily training.
I race and do track work in Vaporflys 8mm drop
Is dropping to the 10mm increase my chances of achilles issues again?
I don't even remember the heel drop being discussed years ago.
Any help would be appreciated

yes

yes, if you keep running like someone walking, but fast, you will continue to get achilles issues.

Heel striking is never legitimately good form. You should change to a forefoot or midfoot strike instead of changing shoes

1 year ago 05/25/2023 2:00pm EDT

re: heel striking bad

Well I don't wake up and try to be a heel striker, it's my natural form. I've experimented with trying a different strike but it's never felt natural and is really uncomfortable.

I'm surprised when people suggest "just change your strike" really?

10 vs 12mm isn't enough to make a difference. I've run in Brooks models for many years and race in Vaporflies without issue.

1 year ago 05/25/2023 2:41pm EDT

re: heel striking bad

heel striking bad wrote:
Heel striking is never legitimately good form. You should change to a forefoot or midfoot strike instead of changing shoes

How is this going to help the achilles issue?

2mm seems indistinguishable. I'm curious about the production variability for stuff like heel drop. Is your tracksmith shoes really something like 10mm +/- 1 mm? But I get your concern. At the master's level small changes can make a difference. I guess let us know how it goes.

(This is coming from someone who went from a 4mm to 12 mm and now hasn't run for 9 months due to knee issues)

Shoe question for those in the know wrote:
Greetings, masters runner here and heel striker.
I had to stop running for years because of achilles issues and try to be "on guard" so it does not happen again.
I've been running in the Brooks Ghost which I like but it's a bit cushiony yet it has a drop of 12 mm.
Picked up a pair of Tracksmith Eliots, which have a firm ride which I love, but am a bit worried about the 10mm heel drop for daily training.
I race and do track work in Vaporflys 8mm drop
Is dropping to the 10mm increase my chances of achilles issues again?
I don't even remember the heel drop being discussed years ago.
Any help would be appreciated

Yes, it might increase your chances of Achilles issues by 2mm, which is only a small amount of Achilles issue.

As much as some have been dismissive you're right to be a bit cautious. A 2mm difference may not seem like much but it's about the range of motion that your achilles isn't having to go through currently. If you're injury free today I would just switch them out progressively over 6 weeks or so, run a quarter of your runs in the 10mm shoes for 2 weeks, then half for 2 weeks, then 3 quarters before you do everything in the lower drop.

It's not worth taking risks with a low blood flow tendon later in your running life.

1 year ago 05/25/2023 3:55pm EDT

re: RunsAllWeek

Excellent idea!!!

Thank you

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