The Armour Archive

I'm not entirely sure this is section for this question, but what the heck...

Considering my recent injury, the shoes I wear for fighting will probably not support my ankle. What you suggest I do about this, once I am healed-up and all. What sort of boots would you use?

Thanks,

Mord.

Get a decent ankle brace. Don't rely on the boots to support you. After that, for your period, I would suggest some of Bohemed's boots....

Get a decent ankle brace. Don't rely on the boots to support you. After that, for your period, I would suggest some of Bohemed's boots....

After I tore UP my ankle, ripped the tendon mostly off the bone, and spider-webbed the bone up pretty good, I wore an ace bandage for a LONG time, or thick socks and combat boots TIGHTLY laced on the bad leg.

It still bugs me on damp/weather-fronty days, and if I'm extremely tired I tend to fall down.. (which tells me the ankle never really healed right, and it's my muscles making up for the stability that SHOULD be there in the joint).

For "period" I'd have to agree with the above. Get a GOOD custom made brace.. if Steve Austin can _WRESTLE_ in th damn things, you can certainly fight safely in one. Then get some boots that cover it decently for traction and appearance sake.

BdeB wrote:Get a decent ankle brace. Don't rely on the boots to support you. After that, for your period, I would suggest some of Bohemed's boots....

Bohemond's Boots

I had the same injury as you several years ago. I haven't found any special footware to be a neccessity for fighting. Untoil it's fully rehabed an ankle brace along with whatever shoews your comfortable in would be my choice.

Get a good ankle brace (mac David makes a good one for cheep) and a solid set of insoles with arch support and a heel cup. It will make all the difference in the world.
wear whatever you are comfortable with that you can fit those two things into.

I'll see if I can find you a link to the brace I wear.

As someone with a plate and screws in my right ankle, I fight in a pair of black Magnum ankle high boots that you can get at sports authority. Make sure you get something that you can lace tight for support, but that has some cushioning around the ankle so that you it spreads teh tension around the ankle, not focusing all the pressure on one spot.

I recently have been wearing a pair of "cover-ups" somewhat similar to D. Sebastian's. I'm not entirely happy with the appearance of my first attempt, and am planning the next pair, but boy are they comfortable.

Cased greaves and sabatons!

[img]http://josh.mediumaevum.com/sabbie1.bmp[/img]

Best ankle support ever!

I wear military jump boots. Lightweight, lots of ankle support, and good ground grip.

on the topic of Jump boots, Sportsman's Guide often has the Bates "enforcer" and "responder" series pretty cheap (I have gotten them for as low as 49$ a pair) with zip-sides. So once you get them laced as tight as you like them, all you have to do is deal with the zippers.

I just don't fight in shoes from my period. Bog shoes just aren't right for the fighting field.

I have a pair of East German Officer's Boots I dearly love, but the days when they were readily available are now long gone. I usually save them for events and demos, and fight in sneakers or hiking boots for practice. That may change. I had somebody hit me in the ankle (on the top of the inside sticky out part) last night, and it freaking hurts to wear socks today. Nothing is broken, just a bad bruise.

So, the sneakers are now just plain out.

I guess I am dusting off the hiking boots for practice again. Durned things are just a pain compared to rebok sneakers.

f

Sir Wilhelm vonOstenbruke wrote:I wear military jump boots. Lightweight, lots of ankle support, and good ground grip.

In full agreement. I used to have a pair that I fought in and they were fantastic...even thinking of getting another pair(I wore my old ones so much I destroyed them and that's hard to do). I even wore them parachuting with my brother once.

Josh Warren wrote:Cased greaves and sabatons!

[img]http://josh.mediumaevum.com/sabbie1.bmp[/img]

Best ankle support ever!

Josh, have I ever mentioned that I hate you?

Actualy, I should ask if those are yours before I say that

If they are, my comment stands.

(j/k)

Jason

Yes, those are mine. Very protective and very comfortable.

this

http://www.weplay.com/McDavid/ankle/150/

and

https://www.walkfit.com/order_init.html ... 01_insoles

and you should be good to go!

freiman, I just a got a catalog for Sportsman's something or other and they have the East German Officer boots for $30 a pop. I'll send you the order info if you like, after I get home from work.

Regards,

audax

Sir Wilhelm vonOstenbruke wrote:I wear military jump boots. Lightweight, lots of ankle support, and good ground grip.

I wore Cochrans for the first 8 years of fighting (and several years of the military leading up to this). Now I wear a boot made specifically for fire fighters. The label has long since left the boot but I will make an effort to find the brand.

I can tell you once I put a boot on whether it will work for me.

Odo

Kevin wrote:Bohemond's Boots

Gotta agree with Master Kevin. Bohemond's boots are about the most comfortable things I've ever worn.


Jonah

for a wrap use the gibney technique until your ankle has healed enough to walk strongly on it.

for a brace i recommend an iso brace. while not cheap (i think mine was $120 with my insurance) you can almost forego the wrap.

footware and ankles. boots do not provide ankle support like what we need when we fight. combat/jump/motorcycle/hiking boots provide great support when moving forward in striaght lines. again, not what we do. the footware that provides the best and only substantial ankle support are football or soccer high-top cleats. they are made for the angular pounding we put on our feet in our sport. the fast hard turns, the hard press in the scrum, the quick changes in direction, etc. and they can be covered to look good:

Krieghund wrote:

Kevin wrote:Bohemond's Boots

Gotta agree with Master Kevin. Bohemond's boots are about the most comfortable things I've ever worn.


Jonah

I've had a pair of Bohemond's boots for years, and they still don't really fit. I've even talked to Bohemond about it, but at the end of the day my feet still hurt. I doubt I will be wearing my boots any time this summer.

Ceddie,

Thank you for the links.

Thanks to all those who posted here with advice.

Mord.

I did research on ankle support a few years ago, the only shoe that give good ankle support is a padded and quilted hiking boot with proper arch support. Combat boots barely gave more support than a tennis shoe.

Study I read also found more people twisted thier ankles in combat boots thinking they gave better support. The research was aimed at hikers and backpackers.

Combat boots barely gave more support than a tennis shoe.

That depends. Tactical footware has become a huge market in the last ten years, and companies like Bates and others have made some really good advances in building good, solid, lightweight footwear in multiple arch and sole profiles.

I'm not talking mil-surplus Vietnam camo's with punji plates in em..

hikers and backpackers don't lace combat boots either tight enough or the right way.


With over 10 pairs of combat boots all free from the gov't and wearing them in high-speed manuevers every day, yeah, I know what i'm talking about.


Original SWAT, in the 8-10" models are light, good traction, very comfortable and much longer lasting/better value than the Hi-Tec Magnums. I have 2 of the 6" models and after 3 years of heavy abuse they still look new.

B. Fulton wrote:hikers and backpackers don't lace combat boots either tight enough or the right way.


With over 10 pairs of combat boots all free from the gov't and wearing them in high-speed manuevers every day, yeah, I know what i'm talking about.


Original SWAT, in the 8-10" models are light, good traction, very comfortable and much longer lasting/better value than the Hi-Tec Magnums. I have 2 of the 6" models and after 3 years of heavy abuse they still look new.

So, the question is, how do you lace combat boots in the correct manner?

Logan,

Thank you for the idea, Your Grace.

Mord.

I have an ok ankle and a bad one from years of soccer and baseball (mostly the soccer though). At minimum, I wear my 9 inch (I think they're 9) altama field boots outdoors. Often I will wear my lace up ankle braces (with spring steel stays) under my boots...and then lace everything tightly...unless your toes go numb then they're a little too tight.

Havoc

Mord.. for "extreme duty" I tie em the way a buddy I had who was in the Army reccomended or rapelling.. it's kinda combination of regular "X" laceing down on the instep, and then ladder-lacing on the vertical part.

Apparently the "double"ness of ladder lacing keeps the tightness from shifthing around, and also provides a lot more strength in the "weak link" which is, of course, the laces.

B. Fulton wrote:hikers and backpackers don't lace combat boots either tight enough or the right way.

Scientist did the study not hikers and back packers.

Believe what you like, I will stick with the facts obtained through scientific study