Cleat Suggestions

[coach D'E]

My daughter recently suffered thorough a severe case of shin splints which caused her to miss the entire fall- ball and field hockey seasons. Although her physical therapist gave her advice on a running and training shoe, her knowledge of softball cleats is very limited. I was wondering if anyone would have suggestions as to a softball shoe (cleats/spikes) that would provide comfort and support. Here is a good picture of her beating out a bunt from last year. It shows her foot position when it comes in contact with the ground. Thanks, D'E

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.town...70-0276c55596f4/4f8e15a447e10.preview-300.jpg

 

[coach james]

Probably should see a podiatrist and have them study her gait... IMO I'd probably go with some 3/4 Ringors and get some custom insoles base on what the doc says. Your pic looks like she may land flat footed instead of staying on the balls.
Back in high school our track coach would have the sprinters race barefooted in the grass at practice. He said barefooted running promotes the proper sequence of how the foot should land verses how it lands with cushy heeled shoes on...

 

[fastpitchthunder]

My DD had the same issue with shin splints during winter workouts last year. She also gets the issue during indoor soccer. We found that Nike cleats don't provide her the support she needs. She switched to Under Armour cleats at the beginning of the fall and has been doing great. We are buying her metal cleats in the spring, just hoping that we find a pair that worked out as well as her UA cleats this fall.

 

[happytobeme]

DD had problems with her growth plate last year causing achilles and shin problems - very painful for her. She saw a podiatrist for several months and at the end of her treatment we brought him 2 pairs of softball cleats to evaluate - Tanel and Ringor. He chose the Tanel and DD has worn them since, now on her second pair. They have worked well for her.

She also had orthotic inserts made which helped support her foot greatly. I'd second the suggestion to see a podiatrist, especially if she has already had some issues.

 

[Lenski]

Ringors....and purchase extra inserts. Inserts in shoes break down quickly. I recommend changing inserts about every 30 to 40 games.

 

[MsDinosaur]

My DD had heel and ankle issues last spring and went through PT. She also came down on her heels when she ran, rather than staying up on the balls of her feet.

She was wearing Nike cleats when her heels got messed up. She had worn UA for a couple of years without problems before the Nike's. I heard that Asics gels were very good for heel and ankle problems. I couldn't find non-metal ones for baseball/softball, so I bought her the Asics men's gel-v cut field shoe (which I think might be meant for field hockey). She's been wearing them since and her feet have been doing great. She's also in speed and agility sessions twice a week where they yell at girls who land flat-footed rather than running up on the balls of their feet. I'm hoping some of that will stick with her!

 

[Roz]

My DD had shin splints about 2 years ago which significantly affected her softball playing ability. Since switching to Ringor cleats the problem has completely resolved, and there has been no recurrence.

 

[DrPipes]

I am a Podiatrist with a daughter that has trouble finding cleats which support her and withstand the 5 to 6 practices per week.

I have found that cleats are skewed towards one particular foot type by manufacturers. She was forced to wear 3n2 cleats which were comfortable but lasted approximately 6 games. No she is not a pitcher or catcher.

The most accomodating metal cleats we've found are the New Balance 40/40. Easy to add custom othoses and held up for the past year.

Men's cleats offer many more sizes and styles than women's cleats. They are usually wider and deeper in the toebox. It is important to know the mens to womens conversion for that particular manufacturer or style. Usually it is 1 1/2 to 2 sizes. In other words, a mens size 8.5 may be a womens size 10.

After all the above, the issue I see is that your daughter needs to be sprinting on her toes. Hard to make that assessment with one photo however, forward body lean and sprinting would dictate heel off the ground and weight on the ball of the feet. Shoes will not change this. Conditioning and working with a sports trainer may help.

 

[coach D'E]

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who made suggestions. We will follow this great advise. This is the first time that we are buying footwear online. I ran across this company and I love the concept. Maybe softball shoe manufacturers will use something like it to ease purchasing and returns.

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Thanks D'E