Mine have been holding up okay. Not great in some the neoprene areas, but still totally acceptable as far are safety and appearance. I have found the gap between the ankle and the shin pad to be ideal, but I have rather short legs so they extend further down my shin than the would for others. Unless you get pads that specifically protect the rear of your leg (which are rare these days) you will not get the protection of your achilles you are looking for. These are knee and shin pads, not whole lower leg pads. You might like to give the Race Face DH pads a try.