Darlene has a fused ankle with very little ankle flexibility and loves the power and speed of shinfinTM fins for her Masters club training, swimming about a mile a day. They work so comfortably for her because they strap to her legs above her ankles. So they don’t strain her fused ankle and the fins remain streamlined along her legs. Furthermore, she finds them great for working her thighs and hips because they guide her to kick from her hips. Understandably, she finds all regular foot fins impossible to use, having tried all kinds.
Darlene’s review from The Woodlands, USA
“I love the fins. They really are comfortable and help so much with power and speed. I have the fused ankle which makes it impossible to use a regular foot fin. But fused ankle or not, they are great for working your thighs and hips. I use them for Masters Swimming. I have a fused ankle with very little flexibility.”
Darlene’s review: Masters Swimming fins for fused ankle
“I hope they work for me as I have a fused ankle and very limited movement. I swim in a masters club about a mile a day. I’ve tried all kinds of fins and just can’t use them. Really looking forward to getting these.”
Reply
Customers with fused ankles generally find it better to wear the fins a little bit higher up the leg than usual, perhaps with the fin tips somewhere near the base of the toes or even a bit higher. So please experiment to find the best height and orientation around your leg. The fins are quite flexible and adaptable to fit at different positions. Your angled foot will still cause some drag in the water but the fins will reduce this. Please let me know how you go and any questions just ask, I am here to help.
Darlene
“I love the fins. They really are comfortable and help so much with power and speed. I have the fused ankle which makes it impossible to use a regular foot fin. But fused ankle or not, they are great for working your thighs and hips.”
“I use them for Masters Swimming. I have a fused ankle with very little flexibility.”
“Thanks for your help too. The fins got here in a week.”
Reply
Good to hear from you Darlene, and thank you for your kind words. It sounds like you are going very well with them. Can I ask a favour please, would you mind if I put some extracts from your emails on the website?
Darlene
“Sure, you can use any of my emails, I hope they are helpful. I think these would be awesome for competitive swimmers to work with and fitness swimmers alike, so I’ve been showing them off a bit. Hope it helps.”
Reply
Thank you for your kind permission Darlene. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it. And the shinfinTM word is spreading well thanks to people like you showing them around.
Conclusion
If you have a fused ankle, or very little ankle flexibility, shinfinTM fins will work for your water activities, including Masters Swimming training. This is because they strap to your legs above your ankles. So they remain streamlined along your legs and don’t strain your ankles. What’s more, they guide you to kick from your hips, so they work your thighs and hips. Here is another review from a competitive Masters swimmer enjoying the streamlined body and stronger kick from using shinfinTM fins.
People with ankle problems generally find all regular foot fins impossible to use. A further review shows shinfinTM fins being used for workouts and snorkeling by someone with ankles fused and reconstructed. And to demonstrate that they really don’t stress ankles, or even need ankles, here is a review from a transtibial (below knee) amputee using them for snorkeling, diving and pool swimming.