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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Bobaru on November 12, 2017, 11:15:00 AM
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My "good" hunting boots bit the dust.
I do have muck boots which I love. I have some Bean boots, which are nice because they are light weight. Neither, however, provide really good ankle support.
I'm recovering from a minor ankle problem. I was wondering if anyone knew of a good fitting boot that they think will work well. I;m guessing it should probably be a high boot with laces to keep my ankle in place.
I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks ahead!
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I have a pair of Irish Setters that support my ankles. Not the warmest however. What brand were your good boots ?
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Meindl Denali's are the best I've ever came across. They are a little pricey but last forever if taken care of and far exceed others in comfort.
John
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Bobaru, I have worked as an orthopedic nurse for 15+ yrs, what we recommend and what I have used personally for ankle support is an over the counter lace up ankle brace. Easy to use, light and gives good support
Can be worn instead of a stiff boot or worn with a stiff boot for added support.
Just a thought. Should fit inside the muck boot and might save you a few bucks on new boots. Good luck.
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Mike, the boots that wore out were Cabelas. But, I believe they were a Danner boot.
I'll look into the Setters.
Kevin, that's good advise. I have an ankle brace. I'll test it out to see if I can get it to work and let you know.
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Ditto on the Irish Setters. I have a pair I just put the fourth set of laces on last week!
I have put miles and miles and miles on mine - deer, grouse, showshoeing and just walking the woods - in the last 15 years or so. Still going strong.
I believe mine are the 809 ("Elk Hunter") model.
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Originally posted by kevsuperg:
Bobaru, I have worked as an orthopedic nurse for 15+ yrs, what we recommend and what I have used personally for ankle support is an over the counter lace up ankle brace. Easy to use, light and gives good support
Can be worn instead of a stiff boot or worn with a stiff boot for added support.
Just a thought. Should fit inside the muck boot and might save you a few bucks on new boots. Good luck.
x2 on the brace.
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Irish Setter, Chippewa, Georgia, Carolina, Danner.....
Lots of good boot makers out there!!! It's the "style" that makes the differance!
What you want, is a good "Logger" style boot. Forget about all the so called "Hunting Boots"... What you want is a sturdy, insulated boot, that is made for the woods. They will be HEAVY, and EXPENSIVE, and they will also last you for years.
Loggers make their living in the woods. Every day, hard work and abuse, in rugged terrain and conditions. Their boots are as important as their chainsaw... If it doesn't hold up, it's a waste of money!!!
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I just picked up a pair of Irish Setters, too. I'm not sure the specific offshoot (I think they were Deer Trackers), but they are great! I walked up and down some pretty steep hills with a lot of thick underbrush and I had no troubles with my ankles. It was also around O degrees out and my feet were nice and toasty. Finally, another time I was out, I was walking near a slough and there was a patch that wasn't completely frozen yet. Had water past my ankles, but my feet were nice and dry!
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Last evening, I put on the brace I had and then put on my Muck boots. The one with the brace was a little tight. But, I walked around the house for a couple hours with it that way. It worked just fine.
Went hunting today. Through the brace in my pack just in case I started coming up lame. The really good news is that my ankle was able to handle the stress of walking through muddy fields - without the brace.
Bad news is I didn't see any deer.
But, considering that I'm able to finally "get around," I'll take that good news over not seeing a deer.
Thanks for the advise. The brace is in my pack and it does protect my ankle really well.
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Good on you. I wear my brace quite a bit this time of year.
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Kenetrek
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The lace up brace sounds like an excellent idea!
Combined with the right boot and I think you would have double protection and the extra suppert you need.
I would not overlook a quality after market insole as well or even a custom made one specifically for you to add in reducing stress and impact.
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Kenetrex or meindls great boots worth every penny
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I've got ankles that were sprained in sports so many times in my younger days that they'll roll on a twig. I used to "push back" and make it worse, but over the years I've trained myself to just go with it and hit the ground, lol. I like my Danner Frontiers. This model may no longer be available, but when I got them they were made in USA and definitely a cold weather boot with 1000 gram Thinsulate. I just had them resoled for the first time, which is a nice feature. I seem to get the best ankle support with the lacing pattern that has an eye or "speed" hook that's offset back when you get about the level of the top of your foot. My Danners as well as my favorite hiking boot (Asolo) have that feature.
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You may want to try a minimalist approach. I trip & twist more often in big, clunky shoes of any design or amount of support. Minimalist designs can help you feel the ground better to avoid tripping or rolling in the first place. Plus there's less leverage on the foot so if you roll, your foot doesn't roll as far or with as much force.
If you need any evidence for the effect of a raised heel causing problems, just watch a woman try to run (or even walk) in high heels. Fat heels are dangerous. A 2" boot heel is better than a 5" woman's heel. But 0" is best of all.
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Well... I don't know about that, Sam!!??
I watch women running for the train, in high spiked heels every morning!!! Most of these women, could probly run a marathon in them. Ok, I'm old & fat, but I can still run!!! I know I couldn't catch them if I had to! LMAO
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I bought a pair of Rocky Grizzlies last year before my elk hunt and have been really pleased with them. They are lightly insulated (200 gram) but plenty for active hunting in my part of the country. Ankle support is good, they lace to the toe in the style of the Danner Elk Hunters.
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I have very poor arches. Meindle Perfekt
Hikers gave been very good to me.
Four trips for elk in Colorado, two if which were backpack trips. I am get satisfied.
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After spending 26 years in the Infantry I finally found some good boots in Fairbanks Alaska.
I spent the money and got some Kenetreks....and cannot express how much I love them.
If only I'd had these all those years ago....
My feet might not hurt like they do now.
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I bought a pair of lightweight Irish Setters this year for warm to minimally cold weather and they are really good, comfort and support. They have been surprisingly warm too with the last few days being in the twenties.
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Kennetrek......I own two pair. Just got first pair back from resoling, like new again. I wear them daily for work. After rolling my foot and breaking my talus in 2015 while wearing a pair of Danners.....Kennetreks for me. Scott.
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boots are always gonna be subjectively personal, like bows and arrows. i've had a gaggle of different brand/style "hunting" boots in the last 60 years or so, and a few years back on a recommendation from a west coast park ranger i got a pair of hitec altitude ultra waterproof boots. i've hiked the very rugged nor'east appalachian trail with 'em for countless miles and if ever they wear out i'll get another pair for sure. for me, they're better than good.
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I wore Danner Pronghorns for several years and now I wear a Danner work boot called the Vicious. It’s everything the Pronghorn has but with a much stiffer ankle support. Very comfortable and performs very well in steep terrain.
They don’t stretch as much as the pronghorn either.
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The best boots I've ever worn are the venerable Redback Everests. Made in Australia but I believe there is a dealer in the States.
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I’ve fought boots all my life! Not because of poor ankles, but because of poor fit. After years of fighting crappy boots, I finally broke down and spent the money on a pair of Russell’s. When I first put my foot in the Russell’s I could not believe how well they felt. I’ve never had a hot spot, no blisters or any of the problems I had with the other boots. I’ve had em for probably 5 years now without any issues. Sounds like a paid endorsement, but I just really like the boots!
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If you want to talk about bad ankles then listen up.
4 years ago I destroyed my ankle. I went to the only Doctor within 500 miles of me that'd be willing to let me keep my foot. Everyone else wanted to amputate it. I still have it though and I learned many things.
First off, any boot that goes over your ankle and tightens is better than the best low profile shoe.
Wear a brace under your boot. The cheap lace up braces are generally good enough however you might want to look into custom braces, they are not that much more expensive. I wear my brace anytime I'm going to be on uneven surfaces. After a few minutes of walking I can't even tell that I'm wearing it. It also has the side benefit of protecting my heel from blisters. Without the brace I can walk about 1-2 miles on a decent path before I start feeling any pain. With the brace I can go for 4-5 miles. I usually wear my water boots when out in the woods. Can't tell much of a difference when wearing the brace.
Trust me a good brace will make a huge difference for you. An expensive brace is also much cheaper than a broken ankle. Or in my case an amputated foot.
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I've been very happy with my Meindl "Ultimate Hunter" boots from Cabela's. Believe they are made by German company. Comfortable from day one with good ankle support. Different sole than the Meindl "Danali" boots mentioned above. My boots were in the $270 range two years ago. It has proved to be money well spent.
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I could never wear cheap boots, flat feet with pronated ankles won't allow it. The only boots I have found that give great support are Lowa's and Kennetrek's. I just purchased a pair of mountain extreme's by kennetrek and find them to be the cat's meow for walking over boulder fields and uneven rocky terrain. You may experience sticker shock at the price but, nothing good is cheap anymore.