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  1. #1
    Registered User Cedar1974's Avatar
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    Question Can anyone recommand some good shoes for bad ankles.

    I am in the market for a new pair of shoes, and I want something light and durable. Though I have bad ankles from my time in the Navy climbing up and down helicopters. So any recommendations for a good set of footwear?

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    Registered User kayak karl's Avatar
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    i did exercises to strengthen ankles. i wear high stiff boots at work and found my ankles weak for low shoes. doc said boots for hiking do little support ankles. they just protect them. im sure others will have tons of info on what to buy.
    I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.

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    Registered User Cedar1974's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kayak karl View Post
    i did exercises to strengthen ankles. i wear high stiff boots at work and found my ankles weak for low shoes. doc said boots for hiking do little support ankles. they just protect them. im sure others will have tons of info on what to buy.
    Can you point me to these exercises you do for your ankles to help get them stronger?

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    Registered User kayak karl's Avatar
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    like these. one that i do is stand with my toes on a 2x4 and lift. this has been a big help for Plantar Fasciitis.
    I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cedar1974 View Post
    I am in the market for a new pair of shoes, and I want something light and durable. Though I have bad ankles from my time in the Navy climbing up and down helicopters. So any recommendations for a good set of footwear?
    HI- My ankles rebelled while hiking across PA - duh - I had just kept walking from Maryland and realized I had on my favorite hiking Keen sandals. Dumped them at Port C, hit the walmart there for anything with deep lugs in the soles to hike me forward until my Merrells came in mail to Palmerton. I was going to quit my ft. hurt so bad. My feet love my mid height Merrels. My ankles were happy. Please go to REI or Sports Authority and try on. It took me 2 months to find and to find the right price after locating. Mine are weaved sides and breathable (non gortex), deep lugs, high arch, very light weight. I hike with 2 different thicknesses of socks and switch off. I also am the one you see by the stream with my socks and shoes off renewing my feet. Hope this helps. Happy hike.

  6. #6
    Registered User Cedar1974's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lynnette View Post
    HI- My ankles rebelled while hiking across PA - duh - I had just kept walking from Maryland and realized I had on my favorite hiking Keen sandals. Dumped them at Port C, hit the walmart there for anything with deep lugs in the soles to hike me forward until my Merrells came in mail to Palmerton. I was going to quit my ft. hurt so bad. My feet love my mid height Merrels. My ankles were happy. Please go to REI or Sports Authority and try on. It took me 2 months to find and to find the right price after locating. Mine are weaved sides and breathable (non gortex), deep lugs, high arch, very light weight. I hike with 2 different thicknesses of socks and switch off. I also am the one you see by the stream with my socks and shoes off renewing my feet. Hope this helps. Happy hike.
    This does help, and we just got a Gander Mountain store here so I may check there too. We also have a DSW which had lots of great hiking boots, but I really think my current boots are just too heavy which is why my ankles are acting up just from daily wear. I'd love to get myself another pair of Hi Tec Magnums to hike in since they come to mid calf and would help protect against snakes.

  7. #7
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    I've dealt with ankle issues my whole life, simply because of some sever sprains in my youth (basketball). An expert boot-fitter (Neptune Mountaineering in boulder) once told me that one of the biggest myths with boots is that high-top boots provide some significant ankle support. According to him, they just do not; as KK said, they only provide ankle protection (from rocks, etc).

    What provides ankle support is a stiff shanked sole. Having torsional (twisting) stiffness in the sole is the single best thing you can get in a boot/shoe for ankle support.

    So, since then, I have always sought out stiff-soled hiking shoes, and one particular model, the Merrell Chameleon has a very stiff sole. This is still a relatively light shoe, low-top, but super comfy for my feet and again, has a stiff sole, and has been my go-to hiking shoe for at least a decade now.

  8. #8

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    I had an ankle wrap, involving velcro, worn inside shoes when I had an ankle injury. The comfort that ankle wrap added was amazing. Maybe an orthopedic store near a hospital?

    I got it at the orthopedic store next to St. Francis Hospital, San Francisco.

    There is my own website link for Conditioning. That link is found in Site Map link under the photo at the top of every webpage.

    Here is the link: http://www.csuchico.edu/~sbarker/inj...nkle_rehab.pdf

    It was hiding in The Statement of Purpose off the Introduction.
    Last edited by Connie; 11-07-2014 at 02:43.

  9. #9
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    My ankles have been dodgy at times, and I'll join the chorus that having a lightweight shoe helps more than the minimal ankle support you get from a low boot. I also find that heel stabilization helps a lot. My current pair is New Balance 610v3's, with the factory insoles tossed and replaced with green Superfeet. The soles on the 610's have a stiff enough forefoot that I found the green works well. If you want to go stiffer still, try the orange instead. The 610's are not waterproof by any stretch of the imagination, but I was pleasantly surprised at how fast they dry. They seem to be adequate on rocky trails. Most of my hiking is in the Catskill Crud, which is geologically very similar to the Pennsylvania Rocks.

    They are somewhat wanting in durability, and I don't expect to get more than 400-500 miles out of a pair. On the other hand, they're cheap enough that I can afford to replace them more often. And I don't get the much-vaunted ten-plus-year service life out of Big Leather Boots, either - the sandstone here is abrasive and eventually the leather is simply too nicked and scraped to be serviceable.

    These shoes have become my "go to" for any time that I won't need more traction gear than microspikes. I would NOT trust them with snowshoes or crampons. I use Big Clunky Leather Boots or Sorel pac boots once the weather gets that messy. (In the Catskills, that means I'm about to get the winter boots out of the closet, and I'll probably be using them into early May.)


    Of course, your feet are probably different from mine. What works for me might be horrible for you.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  10. #10

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    I have a horrible left ankle from 20years of breaks andsprains. I also firmly believe in strengtheningexercises and the idea that boots do not really provide support. I've found the T2 brace from Active Anklepaired with a good low top trail runner provides support unmatched by any bootI've tried. It's ridged yet comfortableand makes it impossible for me to turn my ankle. The ridged design does not work for me in aboot. In the winter I wear an ASO braceinside the boot. It's more of a softerwrap style brace. But the brace/bootcombo doesn't offer near the support of the T2 and low shoes.

  11. #11
    Registered User goody5534's Avatar
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    Salomon Quest 4D solved all my twisted-sore ankles while on the trail. I won't wear any trail runners or low-tops because of the higher probability for a twisted ankle that leads to a severely sprained or broken ankle, which leads to knee and then back problems... Safety over speed or gear weight...

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    Quote Originally Posted by goody5534 View Post
    Salomon Quest 4D solved all my twisted-sore ankles while on the trail. I won't wear any trail runners or low-tops because of the higher probability for a twisted ankle that leads to a severely sprained or broken ankle, which leads to knee and then back problems... Safety over speed or gear weight...
    It's not about speed or gear weight:. I actually find that my ankles hurt less in a low-cut shoe, as long as I have heel stabilization. Your ankles, of course, may behave differently, As I said, I'm doing what works for my body.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cedar1974 View Post
    I am in the market for a new pair of shoes, and I want something light and durable. Though I have bad ankles from my time in the Navy climbing up and down helicopters. So any recommendations for a good set of footwear?
    I have ankle issues and have really enjoyed these Neutron light hiking boots from Asolo. They provide a nice amount of support and are waterproof but aren't overly heavy. They also have a Vibram sole which I like for wet conditions. Good luck.

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    Registered User q-tip's Avatar
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    I tried everything and ended up with trail runners and ankle braces. Its the only thing that worked for me.

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    Hiker bigcranky's Avatar
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    Another hiker recommended the ASO ankle brace, and my physical therapist okayed it. The brace fits inside one's shoe and helps prevent twisting motions of the ankle -- sort of what a good taping job would do, but without having to buy lots of tape and ask someone else to do it for you. It provides a LOT more "support" (anti-twisting) than a high top boot does, at least for me. They are about $25 at Amazon.

    Of course, I am not a doctor and you should consult one before just buying something online.
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

  16. #16

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    For those who don't know,there is a place Footsmart.com which sells every conceivable accessory that is foot/ankle/or toe related and then some.It is worth checking out if you are not familiar with it.

  17. #17
    Registered User Cedar1974's Avatar
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    Wow! All this great advice! Thanks for the exerciser, the advice on what to look for in a shoe, the brace idea was a really good bit. I wrapped my ankle in an ACE bandage and it made it feel so much better. I'll see abotu gettign a few compression braces for my ankles as well. Also thanks for the website Five Tango, I found some great shoes there that are all orthotic friendly as well as Diabetic friendly. My dad is diabetic, so I will point them to the site as well.

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