Boot rec & stiffness & ball of foot discomfort

[gostovp]

Ok I’ve got a weird predicament here. Lately I’ve been having issues with discomfort in the metatarsal area of my left foot, especially when wearing my stiffer mountain boots around. Feels like a sock bunched up under there or having a rock/stone right there… yeah classic symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma or metatarsalgia ( I do have an appt tomorrow with an orthopedic dr….)… but the weird thing is it only really feels uncomfortable in stiff soled boots ( Moutain Extreme and Nevada)… my Dude Shoes and running shoes it’s not bad, and when walking barefoot it feels fine, and when wearing my more flexible boots ( Danner Recurve) it’s not bad either. I tried one of the tests for Morton’s where I squeeze the sides of my foot together and I don’t hear or feel a click and that doesn’t manifest the symptoms. I’m thinking the issue came on from some exercises I was doing a couple weeks ago when I was doing a lot of burpees… hopefully the doc will be able to give me a better diagnosis ( I’m hoping rest and rehab will fix it… I don’t want steroid injections or any surgery!)

Ok… long way to get to my question… any recommendations for quality boots that are pretty flexible like my Danner that have good cushioning ?

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

Crispi lapponia III

 

[MOwhitetail]

I second the lapponias. I’ve got a pair and they’re my favorite boots. Quite flexible and light.

 

[Willyb43]

I just posted a review of some boots that are quite flexible while still being a pretty rugged leather boot. Bergkomfort wanderstiefel 2.0.

Boots are quite personal in fit, comfort and feel. But I had similar issues with crispi nevadas on 2 separate week long mule deer hunts about 5-6 years ago, never an issue before, never an issue since I stopped wearing those boots. I personally found the nevadas to be wide enough for my wide feet but the fit was quite vague. The heel and mid foot are overly wide, or it just had to much padding inside to properly secure my foot. I was tightening the boots down a lot to keep my feet from moving in the boots, and that resulted is some funky pressure on the top of my foot I think. By the end of the hunt I was suffering every time I booted up for the day, it was miserable.

Stiff soles have some benefits, but I find they require a good snug fit and more ankle support to counteract the leverage that the stiff outsole has against your feet. Try walking around in untied stiff soled boots on uneven terrain, it’s brutal. Personally, less stiff, and more flexible boots just work better. I don’t have to run them as tight, my foot slides around less in them, and I have more ground contact and better ankle mobility as a result.