A History of Walking Boots At Swim Meets And Why They Apparently Mean Nothing

2022 U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

Swimming has a relatively short but well-documented history of walking boots.

Over the last year and a half we’ve seen three relatively high-profile names show up on deck wearing a boot, nursing some type of injury, and it seemingly hasn’t mattered.

But prior to the recent exploits of Shaine CasasBobby Finke, and this week, Leah Hayes, it was actually the GOAT himself who first appeared in a walking boot prior to a big-time competition.

Back in August of 2009, shortly after winning five gold medals and breaking a pair of individual world records in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the World Championships in Rome, Michael Phelps was seen wearing a walking boot on his right ankle while promoting his upcoming clash with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. Phelps had injured his ankle after he was involved in car accident.

Phelps was to battle Shaq in his television series, “Shaq VS,” where the Los Angeles Lakers great took on sports stars in their respective specialties with an advantage to level the playing field.

After dropping the first race, Phelps came back to win two in a row to defeat the seven-foot-plus O’Neal (you can watch the battle on YouTube here).

As it turns out, Phelps isn’t the only swimmer to find success in the pool despite dealing with an injury that required a walking boot.

Shaine Casas

At the 2020 Art Adamson Invitational, Shaine Casas, then in his junior year at Texas A&M University, was on fire at the mid-season meet, having dropped a time of 1:38.95 in the 200 IM and 43.87 in the 100 backstroke (SCY) to become the third-fastest swimmer of all-time in both events during the first two nights of finals.

However, on Friday morning, Casas showed up on deck wearing a walking boot, and subsequently added 17 seconds to his 200 back best time and failed to make the ‘A’ final in 1:53.85.

However, Casas came back and blasted a time of 1:36.62 in the ‘B’ final at night, narrowly missing his personal best time. He went on to win the NCAA title in the event that season in 1:35.75, and his walking boot time was only topped by runner-up Destin Lasco (1:35.99).

In fact, Casas’ walking boot best would’ve won the NCAA title this past season by more than a second, with Lasco claiming victory in 1:37.71. (Casas would’ve been a senior this year but turned pro early.)

Bobby Finke

Bobby Finke, the reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 800 and 1500 freestyle and the fastest miler in collegiate swimming history, showed up at the 2021 SEC Championships wearing a walking boot.

Despite dealing with whatever injury caused him to wear it, Finke had a very strong performance for the University of Florida, highlighted by his performance in the 1650 freestyle.

Finke put up a time of 14:12.18 in the event, the second-fastest swim in history, narrowly trailing his all-time record of 14:12.08 set the season prior.

Then in his junior year with the Gators, Finke also placed second in the 400 IM (3:39.15) and fifth in the 500 free (4:13.48) at the competition, and one month later, picked up a pair of national titles in the 1650 free and 400 IM.

Leah Hayes

The most recent walking boot revelation is 16-year-old Leah Hayes, who showed up this week at the U.S. International Team Trials wearing a brace and told SwimSwam that she was dealing with a stress fracture in her foot.

Hayes added that it doesn’t hinder her swimming, and she’s proved it through five sessions in Greensboro, headlined by her performance on Thursday morning in the women’s 400 IM.

Hayes dropped three seconds from her best time in 4:39.65, claiming the top seed for finals while moving up into fifth all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group.

The Fox Valley Park District Riptides also established a personal best time on Tuesday in the 100 freestyle, clocking 54.89 in the ‘B’ final to lock in a spot on the Junior Pan Pac team, and she also neared her lifetime best in the 200 free to finish 11th overall on Wednesday night (1:59.71).

So while seeing a swimmer show up on pool deck wearing something that indicates an injury is usually cause for concern, the walking boot has shown it’s not an indicator of performance in the pool.

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Mark Rauterkus
2 years ago

Recent ISCA Meet Champion in 1650 was on top of podium w 1 shoe due to broken toe.

swimmerswammer
2 years ago

Phelps went 23.3 and 1:54.2 in a scy 50 free and 200 IM and was visibly not kicking and holding his right ankle at a 90 degree ankle. It was comical that they still did that event, he clearly had a very hurt ankle and probably wasn’t training at all at the time because of it.

The Original Tim
2 years ago

I’ve never had a boot, but I did wear a knee brace for a few months in the spring of ’14 after hyper extending my knee and seriously destabilizing it. I even had to wear the brace in the water for the first month or so.

My performances at meets that spring while I had the brace, though I was able to mostly swim unimpeded after the first month, were definitely more reminiscent of Casas’ Art Adamson swim. I added time across the board in all strokes.

Major props to folks like Hayes and Finke who can still get it done while booted up!

Last edited 2 years ago by The Original Tim
There's no doubt that he's tightening up
2 years ago

Lmao never forget Vollmer, Kukors, Soni, Shaq relay vs Phelps.

Grant Drukker
2 years ago

Sounds like feet are overrated.

Wanna Sprite?
2 years ago

Yes

PFA
2 years ago

its reminding me a bit of the NBA mask’s how whenever someone put on the mask during a game, they just went god mode and did very well that game.

Wanna Sprite?
Reply to  PFA
2 years ago

Just wait till someone swims with the boot on. Easy world record

iLikePsych
Reply to  Wanna Sprite?
2 years ago

Combine that with a mask and they’ll have the swim of their life

sscommenter
2 years ago

I still think if Giannis got bored with basketball and switched to swimming it would take maybe 3 years for him to become a gold medal favorite in any event

Steve Nolan
Reply to  sscommenter
2 years ago

Not the same thing, but Eric the Eel’s my favorite example of how good someone can get later in life. Dude almost drowned in 2000 at 22 and was going a 56 or 57 in a lcm 100 free in the lead up to 2004.

Idk if someone with very little swim experience earlier in their life could ever get to gold medal status, but I do think a freakish NBA/NFL athlete could rip a pretty ridiculous 50 free if they already had the basics down as a kid.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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