Broken ankle making me rethink boots

[ahawk116]

In the past I've always worn light hikers, but I broke my right ankle two years ago in a freak accident (not hiking) so I am rethinking my boot selection.

I am due for a new pair this year and I am thinking seriously about moving to more of a guide type boot ex crispi guide boots.

If you were in my situation do you think my logic makes sense? Or would you continue going with what you know?


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[Grundy53]

I have a bad ankle and prefer stiffer boots. I like the support/protection.

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[Ross]

To many rollovers here playing basketball to not have heavy support along with age. Better to have a little heavier boot and more support than take any chance of a rollover that can ruin a hunt or season. I can say the Nevadas have great support

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

I destroyed my ankle 10+ yrs ago. I use tall stiff boots. Been using Lowas for a while and like them. My ankle hurts all the time when I'm hiking no matter what I wear though.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Even if I'm not hunting or hiking in the mountains I like the support of tall stiff boots on my ankles. You never know when you might step in a gopher hole or something.

 

[Easton]

Speaking from 20 years of experience with one seriously bad ankle (no ligaments or tendons holding it together anymore). I went through the same ordeal as you several years ago. What I found after trying several different types of boots was that you will undoubtedly roll you ankle in anything other than plastics. I used Lowa GTX extremes, Meindle Alaskan's, Scarpa Liskamm's, etc. and rolled my ankle in each pair. What I found was if the top portion of the boot is bendable (meaning...if you can grab the top of the boot and bend it 90 degrees either way), you will be able to roll your ankle no matter what boot you use (Lowa GTX extremes Meindle, Scarpa, Salewa, Kenetrek, etc. or pretty much every leather boot on the market). Also, a boot with a higher and narrower sole/footbed, will cause your foot and ankle to be further off the ground and more prone to rolling. The only type of boot that I personally have found in which I cannot roll my ankle are plastics. I have used Koflach Degre's for the last five years for Sheep and Goat hunting and they are the only boots that I feel like my ankle is locked in place and unable to roll. That being said...they have their pro's and con's like any other boot on the market. They actually flex a lot more than a guy would think and really work well. This is just my two cents based on my personal experience by trial and error.

 

[tradarchery]

I haven't broken my ankle but I had a 3rd degree sprain 5years ago. The general weakness and instability of the ankle caused persistent rollovers until I switched to a 10" Lowa a couple of years ago and couldn't be happier. I still carry my Bledsoe brace just in case, though.


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[Jordan Budd]

I had a gnarly sprain a couple years ago on a sheep hunt. Since I've started wearing stiff boots (la Sportiva Trango Cubes) I've noticed a huge difference especially in steep country. They just don't allow near as much stress to be put on your ankle. Big difference when I threw on my soft boots on and went climbing.


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[Felix40]

I broke my ankle (fibula complete and tibia fractured) last april. I was back elk hunting in september in my regular boots (lowa renegade) with no real problems. I bought some asolo sassalongs a couple months ago and havent had any issues with them either. Neither of those is a really stiff or tall boot but they arent trail runners either. I think if I was really worried about rolling my ankle I would just wear normal hikers and tape the shit out of it. The problem with stiff boots is that the soles are usually taller and stiffer which to me negates the extra stiffness you may get in the upper by putting your foot higher with less flex for uneven ground.

 

[PathFinder]

I went to a Lowa Tibet last fall after breaking my tibia in July. The taller boot really made a difference, especially when my ankle was still really weak.

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[ahawk116]

Thanks for the replys. Y'all have helped affirm my decision. At the end of the day I don't think it's going to hurt for me to wear a taller boot. Around here it is just not necessary so I was ignorant to the options that are out there until i stumbled upon this site and a few podcasts.


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[5MilesBack]

Breaks heal, and usually heel up stronger than they were before. It's the sprains and tears that weaken your ankle, and make it more prone to rolling. Like Ross, years of basketball took a toll on my ankles and knees. I had a major reconstruction on my left ankle 28 years ago. About 5 years ago I started using a balance ball (flat piece of wood on top of half a ball shape). Now at almost 52 my ankles feel better and more stable than they have in decades. I run up and down and across slopes all the time while hunting. I use 7" high boots that are fairly flexible (leather and cordura uppers), but they are very comfortable and I can wear them the entire season. But.......rolling an ankle can happen at any time.

 

[ahawk116]

Breaks heal, and usually heel up stronger than they were before. It's the sprains and tears that weaken your ankle, and make it more prone to rolling. Like Ross, years of basketball took a toll on my ankles and knees. I had a major reconstruction on my left ankle 28 years ago. About 5 years ago I started using a balance ball (flat piece of wood on top of half a ball shape). Now at almost 52 my ankles feel better and more stable than they have in decades. I run up and down and across slopes all the time while hunting. I use 7" high boots that are fairly flexible (leather and cordura uppers), but they are very comfortable and I can wear them the entire season. But.......rolling an ankle can happen at any time.

I agree it has healed and is stronger than it previously was. I guess I'm thinking I should be cautious because both bones were broken and all of the ligaments were torn on the inside of my foot.
I will say to anyone with weak ankles physical therapy really works it's just painful and takes some sweat equity.


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[ColoradoHunterHiker]

Along with the boots, I'd look at getting a set of gaiters. Properly fitted, they add some extra support. I go through that, and the other reasons I wear gaiters, even if it's not snowy/wet here:Essential Gear & Tips #3 - Gaiters - Kuiu, Kenetrek, First Lite - YouTube

Just a thought.

Good luck with the recovery.

 

[Schnee's]

Definitely give a stiffer boot a try. We have quite a few guys in your situation asking us the same question. Give our Beartooth or Granite boots a try. The Granite being the stiffest and the Beartooth being slightly less stiff. Plus they are all 10% Off + Free Shipping right now. Promo Code: SBOOT17. But don't take my word for it, search around on here.

Matt