Do Limmer boots have good ankle support?

[Tuck]

I have very sprain prone ankles and am continuing my search for the best boot solution for them. I currently have Asolo Khumbu boots and like that the collar is above my ankle and provides good support. I have still twisted by ankle a few times in them though. I have heard great things about Limmer boots but not much about their ankle support. Any insight greatly appreciated. Thanks

Tuck

 

[peakbagger]

I wouldn't describe than as having any more or less ankle support than any other high boot. I found that when I hiked with my custom limmers for three years of hiking in the whites that I did still roll my ankles with Limmers and when I did it was generally quite severe, requiring several days of recovery. Once I switched to low cut trail runners I found that I still rolled my ankles but at a lowered frequency than with the Limmers but with far less severity. When I roll an ankle these days, I usually gimp for a few minutes and am back to my prior pace very quickly. It is quite noticeable how much I have tightened up the structure of my ankles using trail runners.

The other issue is fatigue, Limmers are far heavier than a standard boot. I have some boots that are as high as Limmers and arguably offer even more ankle support that weight far less. Limmers are great for odd sized feet and as work boots for trail crews but for most hikers they aren't the right answer.

 

[erugs]

I have started wearing a compression sock on my weakest ankle. That seems to help. Hiking helps, too.

 

[JustBob]

Like peakbagger, I also have custom Limmers and have had exactly the same experience. My ankles got stronger when I switched to low trail shoes or trail runners.

 

[sardog1]

The other issue is fatigue, Limmers are far heavier than a standard boot. I have some boots that are as high as Limmers and arguably offer even more ankle support that weight far less. Limmers are great for odd sized feet and as work boots for trail crews but for most hikers they aren't the right answer.

Limmer Ultra-Lights weigh 3.5 pounds a pair and nobody was ever burdened wearing them. Limmer Light-Weights similarly weigh 3.5 pounds per pair and many, many hikers and backpackers swear by them, including my wife. The latter are grossly mis-named in terms of their capabilities. Now, when you get to the Mid-Weights (4.0 pounds) and the Standards/Customs (4.25 pounds), you are talking about some heavier boots that probably exceed the needs of many hikers.

 

[dave.m]

My answer was heavy doses of PT.

I suffered a major grade 3 sprain of my left ankle about 10 years ago. Narrowly escaped surgery by begging my way into additional rounds of PT. There's a huge regimen on the progression of exercises that I wouldn't want to describe (a PT should do that) but for me, they ended up with work on a balance board or balance pad. Lots of walking on tip toes and heels and other odd things.

When I was still recovering, my ankle doc had me hike in an Air Cast brand solid stirrup brace, something like this. It caused some fit issues in boots but provided massive amounts of lateral support preventing my ankle from "going to pieces" (and polite translation of my doctor's stated concern).



I've tried on and owned several classic boots. Limmers are among the lowest cut and least supportive in the ankle. Fabiano Rias (no longer made) and the big Montrails offer a lot more. My knees can't sustain the impact and weight of heavy boots anymore and I only use them in snowy conditions.

Like others have stated, I found that strengthening the ankles was the best solution for me.

Good luck.

 

[TJsName]

I have very sprain prone ankles and am continuing my search for the best boot solution for them. I currently have Asolo Khumbu boots and like that the collar is above my ankle and provides good support. I have still twisted by ankle a few times in them though. I have heard great things about Limmer boots but not much about their ankle support. Any insight greatly appreciated. Thanks

Tuck

The worst ankle sprains I have had while hiking came while wearing hiking boots. I was discussing this behavior a couple of weeks ago on a hike (as a friend was trying out trail runners in lieu of boots). The consensus we reached was the having the thinner/softer footwear increased our feel for the trail and resulted in less inadvertent stumbles/falls. The biggest tradeoff in question was ankle support. We came up with a theory that the trail runners allowed us to react more quickly if we were in danger of rolling our ankle, and that we might have many smaller rolls, it prevented us from having 'the big one'. We also theorized that a boot with good ankle support might prevent the small ones better, but that once you hit a certain threshold, it would roll and roll hard. This is all conjecture and personal experience though. I suspect that this is a highly personalized type of preference, with a big focus on body type and individual body mechanics.

 

[sardog1]

I suspect that this is a highly personalized type of preference, with a big focus on body type and individual body mechanics.

And the load carried and the terrain traversed. Some "hiking" is far closer to "walking" in terms of the challenges presented.

 

[sierra]

My go to boots for the Whites are Merrill Wilderness. I believe they are similiar to Limmer boots, maybe a little softer. I find that I can roll my ankles on occasion, but I always seem to "catch" them before any damage is done, this comes from experience. When I'm on steep talus or "use trails" out west, I wear lasportiva makalues. Theses are much heavier and very stiff. I have never "rolled" my ankles in my macks. I find the security on loose unforgiving terrain offered by the heavy stiff boot, worth the weight and peace of mind. I tried trail runners and was very uncomfortable in them, my ankles rolled at will and I saw trouble looming, so they are not for me. Maybe its an issue of what you start out in, I see many trail runners out there and the people using them swear by them and scoff at heavy boots. One size doesnt fit all, thats for sure.