Stiffest Mountain Boots Available?

[Quicksilver]

I’m on my second pair of Scarpa gran dru gtx. Any mountaineering boot should give you minimal movement. I’ve been in packout situations where I probably would have had ankle injuries if it hadn’t been for the rigid sole and ankle support. I’d look into a Scarpa boot as an option.

 

[JasonM]

I’m on my second pair of Scarpa gran dru gtx. Any mountaineering boot should give you minimal movement. I’ve been in packout situations where I probably would have had ankle injuries if it hadn’t been for the rigid sole and ankle support. I’d look into a Scarpa boot as an option.

The grand dru is a beast of a boot I tried a pair they are built to take punishment I just wish I could have gotten them to work for me but they about crippled my Achilles tendon.

 

[43.6N]

If it hasn’t been mentioned yet, the GoHunt shop lists their boots by stiffness. I have multiple pairs of Salewa (the last is a good fit for my feet) and I have found the GoHunt stiffness rating to be accurate.

The Vultures I posted earlier rate a 5 (max).
My favorite salewas are the mountain trainer, and they rate a comfy 3 flex.
@Geewhiz recommended the Condor, which would also be a 5 (I think the vultur replaced them).

A flex rating of 4 might be a safer general recommendation. Something like the Salewa Repace. (Or similar brand, this is just from my experience)
Lots of places online let you order with the understanding that returns for fit issues will be common. You can try them out, and if not stiff enough return them and get the next model up in stiffness.

You can also get custom external boot lateral stabilizing braces/AFO devices if your lateral stability is dangerously bad. https://taycobrace.com/products/rec...fPtpO_IcehePi6FVhXfnge-3Dy5PB0sunDw-5JByKchGM

 

[kcm2]

Talk to Lathrop and Sons. They are podiatric orthopedists. Their hunting boots are very stiff. And they know their stuff.

 

[Bubblehide]

Other than mountaineering boots, the stiffest I have tried was the Scarpa Fuego boots. I have no doubt that Scarpa makes a few models that would work for you, given the right fit.

 

[270-300]

If you really want no ankle movement, look at the boots sold for dirt biking that have a hard plastic shell with buckles.

 

[yfarm]

In regards to Lathrop and sons, the father Ralph is a licensed podiatrist, his two sons run the boot store and are avid hunters and expert boot fitters. I am unaware and can find no information they are licensed podiatrists. While in Illinois I drove to Robinson to buy boots, unfortunately the store is not where their inventory is located, inventory is in a warehouse somewhere not accessible. As a result my fitting was estimated as my exact size and width was not at the store. It all worked out in the end but not as I anticipated. As reported by others the boots are stiff, significantly more than a Schnees Beartooth in my experience with no ground feel but excellent if you are sidehilling in steep and loose terrain

 

[Bobrobheimer]

When you say the ankle has some movement, which type of movement are you referring to? Because up and down ankle movement (like pushing a gad petal, or walking straight uphill) doesn't bother me as much, it's the inversion and eversion (side to side like walking on a side hill) that kills me. That's the only motion that I'm really trying to limit.

They allow for decent ankle movement front to back for walking and some ankle movement side to side. I am very tolerant personally of ankle movement as I am pretty used to low tops in uneven terrain so I am not a good judge maybe. That said they are extremely stable in steep side hilling terrain where you need to keep just the inside edge of your boot on the mountain - so the ankle is stiff enough for that. As mentioned before the are on the wide side - at least compared to other scarpa boots I have had.

 

[BluMtn]

Try Hanwags. They are rated a 4 on stiffness. I have several pairs of them and and they work for me.

 

[Wrench]

I have the scarpa grand dru, scarpa wrangell, crispi guides, meindl.....Hoffman, asolo....etc. the wrangell is my favorite. You'll break your leg before you hurt an ankle in a wrangell. The dru has a little more rocker in the sole and a bit lower ankle support. The wrangell tongue can be moved about the boot for a custom fit too.

 

[Sylus]

There is a fair amount of BC sheep and goat hunters running something from the La Sportiva Nepal family. Either the Evo or the Cube. I think the Evo wins in terms of durability, but at the cost of weight. Both are ski boot stiff.