Herald Scotland

Hi all,

I'm quite fit, play a lot of squash/football and never suffer from any ankle problems.

Even a middling walk (<10k) rears no problems.

But on longer walks and multi day trips I constantly get painfull ankle(s)

I don't consider myself to have inherentantly "bad" ankles, so am thinking my boots might be the either compounding, or failing to provide sufficient support to my ankles.

They are a fairly cheap Solomon boot event fabric pruportadly waterproof, but in reality leak like a rusty kettle.

So,

Anyone recommend a good value (sub £150)3 season, waterproof (or as close to as possible) boot, with good ankle support.

I'm a size 11 if any particular brands are good/bad at larger sizes.

Many thanks for any advice offered.

Ali

I've found Meindl to be a very good make but they don't come cheap. That said you might find a pair around the £150 mark. I managed to get a pair last spring for £85 but they were end-of-line last pair in shop boots so I was lucky. I've found them waterproof (gortex liner), very comfortable and durable (walks up to c.18 miles and mountain rescue exercises). I don't know how well they work for ankle support but as they are well made and fit in all the right places they should be good.
I would also suggest consulting a physio if possible for advice (your local surgery should have one on tap).

There will be a host of other boot makes (Scarpa, Brasher just to name two) that have very good reputations. I also found Hi-tec to be comfortable but of sadly weak construction when it came to the lace eyes.

Hopefully Mr TGO geat tester-supreme will answer this one for you - as he clearly has a lot more experience with such gear than me. Calling Chris !

Ali,
It could be the case that your ankles are OK but it's wearing boots that are making them painful. I'd have thought that if you are a regular football player and squash player your ankles are probably quite strong. It could be because you are actually trying to support your ankles that they've become painful. I'm no doctor or physio but in my experience boots don't actually give ankles much support, the support comes from having a solid heel cup. Keep your heel in place and your ankles will be fine. Be interesting to hear the thoughts of others...

I don't think it's wise to assume lack of "support" is the problem. It might be that you've got slightly flat feet -- or possibly high arches -- and this might be what's causing your ankles to hurt when you walk for larger distances. Buying stiffer boots won't help if that is the problem, and might make things worse if your ankles rub against the stiff sides of the boots as you walk. You might be best to consult a podiatrist -- in some areas this can be done through your GP, or there are a few private ones around.

Hi Ali,
I've got some 3-season MEINDL boots in a size 11 for sale at the moment on ebay - Meindl Air Revolution 2 Goretex boots

these were sold, but the buyer turned out to be a time-waster.

Decided to go down the doc/physio route initially and get their opinion.

Saw doc this week and she couldnt see anything obviously problematic, and has refered me to physio for gait etc analysis.

Thanks for the advice in meantime, and I'll try and post any findings etc which might help me narrow down a choice of boots/shoes.

Cheers

Ali

Just to continue/complete this post.

Had my Physio appointment this afternoon, and left quite satisfied with her input.

She eliminated any “inherent” bad ankle problems, but did diagnose movement/strength problems in my gluts/hips most likely a “by-product” of my bad hamstrings.

She feels this has a balance / proprioception (dang it, that’s the 2nd time I’ve read that word in a fortnight, after the TGO article on it!) knock on affect that may be aggravating my ankles.

She’s given me sets of exercises to carry out, combined with core strength work and building up my “hill fitness” hopefully over time the problem with lessen/disappear.

Regarding boots :

Her personal opinion falls along the (increasingly common wisdom that) mid height, lightweight boots are better than heavy, high leg boots as the lack of balance they cause isn’t offset by any perceived increased “support”

So,

£100-£150 to spend on a good pair of lightweight, waterproof (or as near as matters) mid height boots for Scottish 3 season romping and multi day treks, suggestions?

Or just pick a “good name” brand and try what fits nicely?

Cheers again

Ali

"just pick a “good name” brand and try what fits nicely?" Definitely! Fit is by far the most important factor. There are many good boots. The best ones are the ones that fit you not anyone else. Do check the weight though. Some so-called lightweight boots are actually quite heavy.

I am a size 11 and have wide feet but have found the Meindl Air revolution very comfortable. Worth a try out down the gear shop?

Spent the afternoon in Tiso's trying on half their stock :)

Finally settled on a pair of Berghaus Explorer GTX's.

• Full grain Leather - so about as waterproof as it gets i guess
  

• Gortex lined - so will let feet breath a bit in hotter weather (if Scotland ever gets any...)
  

• Fairly lightweight
  

• Comfy as a pair of baffies
  

They feel great, went for a wee dander this afternoon, really looking forward to putting them through their paces.

Thanks again for the pointers and advice.