# Boot to buy with weak ankle?



## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

I currently have a pair of DC Rogans that i feel the quality is diminishing. They were size 9.5 and the fit was good at first, but now that they are packed out, they seem a bit loose. Should i drop down to a size 9 and hope that when packed out, they will fit perfect?

I also have a weak ankle w/ limited mobility, so would it be more beneficial to get a stiffer boot or would a softer park boot still give the support that i need? I usually tighten my boots pretty tight to maintain the support that i need. 

I have a 2012 never summer evo w/ Rome 390 boss bindings and will be riding a lot park and some mountain. 

Feet are also flat and a little wide if that helps with any recommendations. I do like the fit of DC's, just dont know which model to get.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I have flat wide feet and 32's fit me great. The Prime is a good choice for a stiff bomber boot that will give your ankle lots of support. They have a couple other stiff models also.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

Will a stiffer boot make it harder for jibbing and doing butters?


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

tspkenneth said:


> Will a stiffer boot make it harder for jibbing and doing butters?


An ill fitting boot sure will.

Find the boot that fits your foot, and supports your ankles and shit. Then worry about how to deal with it in butters and jibbing.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

jdang307 said:


> An ill fitting boot sure will.
> 
> Find the boot that fits your foot, and supports your ankles and shit. Then worry about how to deal with it in butters and jibbing.


Lol yea you're right..you always seem to have the right answers for me...must have some sort of connection since we have the same last name, if dang is your last name. Bromance? lol 

Thanks for your help guys.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Yeah you can cut that shit out right now





Just dispensing the advice given to me ...


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

You may consider the new Remind Liners, perhaps u can throw those in your old DC's, half the price of a new boot, but new support, zero packout, etc, they look sick to me!

http://www.angrysnowboarder.com/reminds-solution-aftermarket-boot-liner/


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

I was looking into those liners when you posted about it, but I think I'm looking for an excuse to get new boots  and pass down my old setup to my brother


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

I stepped on a rusty nail @ 4yrs old, @12 they finally figured out my entire heel bone was infected. I had my heel bone hollowed out, then cleaned out daily for 4 months.

I had a hollow heel bone for a few years.
Cracked it twice before it filled in, sprained it to many times to remember.
It is much weaker than the other one, it's fucked, & constantly bugs me.

I need quality boots, stiff boots, & unfortunately usually expensive boots. 
The stiffness keeps my ankle from further injury, the range of motion is far less. 
You will lose some tweek-ability, but you gain strength & strength in snowboarding = Bigger, faster, you will be able to stomp landings from much larger airs & go way faster.

Normally I wear a size 10 shoe, 11 work boot, but always go 1/2 size smaller with my booties. Last year they didn't have a 9.5 in the boot I wanted & ended up getting a 9. 
They were a bit to tight the first couple times I rode with them even after heat molding them. I was worried they weren't going to break in.

Now they fit perfect & I crank em up really tight. 
I bought 2011 Burton Grails, they would probably be perfect for you too.
They are a freestyle boot, but one of the stiffer ones. 
Check out the reviews, everyone loves em.
They were the 3rd or 4th most expensive Burton boot in 2011.
These are the exact same boot.
Burton Grail Snowboard Boot 2011 size 9 | eBay
Burton Grail Snowboard Boot Review
On Sale Burton Grail Snowboard Boots Black/White/Red Mens 7 - Snowboards, Boot, Snowboarding Gear, Equipment bt2gr09bwr11


TT


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## crxken (Aug 27, 2012)

IMO, if you have weak ankles then you should go with a stiffer boot that wont give as easily putting more pressure on your ankles. If you are able to twist your ankles then you're gonna get hurt. 

I just bought a pair of the DC Judge boots, it has dual zone Boa system. It holds the ankles in pretty tight and keeps it pretty stiff. Real nice. But then I just tried on the Burton Imperial 2012 and it fit my foot like a glove right out of the box. Nice lean and slender profile. It has "cushioning" like in the Nice Air max shoe. 

Sports chalet is setting up for the Labor Day weekend sale. Those boots will most likely be 50-70% off. That drops both boots to around $100 each.
\


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Guess what I'm learning the best thing for weak ankles is to strengthen them (google ankle strengthening excercises). I'm not saying every traumatic injury can be overcome, but its easy to do and a true story.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

snowklinger said:


> Guess what I'm learning the best thing for weak ankles is to strengthen them (google ankle strengthening excercises). I'm not saying every traumatic injury can be overcome, but its easy to do and a true story.


Stiff boots help too.

But good for you, never stop learning.

TT


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

I've definitely been stepping up leg workouts at the gym to strengthen all parts of my legs including my knees and ankle. I just want that extra support just in case.

Any thoughts of the 32 TM Two boots? and im pretty sure the 32 lashed are too soft right? I've been searching all ski stores locally and cannot find 32 to boots to try on at all!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

32's break down quicker than most.

I'd go for Salomon or K2 in my experience.

But whatever fits best is gonna be best.


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

tspkenneth said:


> I've definitely been stepping up leg workouts at the gym to strengthen all parts of my legs including my knees and ankle. I just want that extra support just in case.
> 
> Any thoughts of the 32 TM Two boots? and im pretty sure the 32 lashed are too soft right? I've been searching all ski stores locally and cannot find 32 to boots to try on at all!


I'm not saying to not look at other boots but at the end of the season last year I switched from the Lashed to the TM Two and I love them. They are a good bit stiffer...but I don't have a lot of time in them yet so I can't comment on how fast they will break down.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

Grasschopper said:


> I'm not saying to not look at other boots but at the end of the season last year I switched from the Lashed to the TM Two and I love them. They are a good bit stiffer...but I don't have a lot of time in them yet so I can't comment on how fast they will break down.


From looking at the stiff rating scale between the Focus, TM Two, and the Lashed, I think the TM Two would be a perfect medium for me. I just need to see how 32's size up on my small wide feet lol.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

crxken said:


> IMO, if you have weak ankles then you should go with a stiffer boot that wont give as easily putting more pressure on your ankles. If you are able to twist your ankles then you're gonna get hurt.
> 
> I just bought a pair of the DC Judge boots, it has dual zone Boa system. It holds the ankles in pretty tight and keeps it pretty stiff. Real nice. But then I just tried on the Burton Imperial 2012 and it fit my foot like a glove right out of the box. Nice lean and slender profile. It has "cushioning" like in the Nice Air max shoe.
> 
> ...


Seconding the DC Judges.

I'm coming off two ankle arthroscopic surgeries ( OSTEOCHONDRITIS DISSECANS - TALUS ) in the last 9 months due to snowboarding injuries and I just got a pair of these and they fit amazing, I feel like I'm getting a lot of support with the dual boa plus the stiffness of the boot.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

will definitely look into the DC Judges also. Thanks guys!


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

Before the interweb & the ability to just check the stiffness rating, all you had was what was in front of you. You went to a store & checked out what they had.

A good way that I found was to grab the empty boot, do the laces up with nothing in them. Put the toe on your chest, laces facing up.
put your hand @ the top back half of the boot & compress it like you would be bending at the knee.

You can instantly tell which boots are stiffer than others but also how each boot company's stiffness rating matches up.
One company's stiffness rating of 8 could be a diff company's 4.

One thing I've noticed doing this over the years is, some boots when you compress them the shell instead of compressing or the top half sliding over the bottom half so that it maintains its shape, will just expand out the sides.

But when you put it in a binding, the strap won't allow it to go out the sides.
So it goes inwards, this creates pressure points. 

That's a shitty boot. That tells me two things, one it's probably going to hurt when I ride in them. Doesn't matter if they're comfy now, it matters when I'm riding & two I won't be able to tighten them up as much as I'd like, making them sloppy.

If a boot doesn't do really well in the stiffness & expansion test, I don't even waste my time trying them on. Regardless of brand or price. They're garbage.

If you can fold a boot front ways or sideways, that's bad, unless you are specifically looking for a boot that will do that.
The forces generated snowboarding are far stronger than what you can do standing in a shop.

I broke my ankle when my shitty Airwalks folded in half.

Just my 2 cents

TT


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

I can vouch for 32 boots being shitty, well maybe not shitty when they're new & maybe not shitty if you don't go often or hard.

They break down super fast, I have friends that tear through those things.
There is a shop in my area that has literally hundreds of 32 boots that are all broken in some way. 

I buy expensive boots, I need them to last

TT


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

32 goes decently fast. They are the best boots out there Imo, but they are short and sweet. With the cheap price of most of them though there is no excuse not to just pick up two.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

As far as sizing on 32's, I have short wide feet, wear 10s in most of my regular shoes, sometimes 9 1/2, but the 32's fit me perfect in 9s. If u cannot try on and you order them just make sure sending em back is feasible.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Got 32 focus boas, 32's do pack out abit but just add some foam in the right places and it works fine, I got the short wide feet they fit great and I can tighten them way too tight and ime they are stiff and responsive but I don't do park. Plan on using them for the third season to hit about 100 days of wear on them this winter...and we'll see how they hold up to hiking this winter.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

found 2012 dc judge boots for $140.00...do yall think it'll get any cheaper than that? or should i go ahead and order before they sell out?


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

tspkenneth said:


> found 2012 dc judge boots for $140.00...do yall think it'll get any cheaper than that? or should i go ahead and order before they sell out?


Are you able to send them back if you don't like them?

I'd pay a few extra bucks, just to know I could trade em in for whatever reason.

TT


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

tspkenneth said:


> found 2012 dc judge boots for $140.00...do yall think it'll get any cheaper than that? or should i go ahead and order before they sell out?


That's the cheapest I've seen them. I thought I got a deal months ago at $160


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

sabatoa said:


> That's the cheapest I've seen them. I thought I got a deal months ago at $160


bit the bullet and ordered! woohoo...thanks for all the help guys. Truly an awesome forum.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

sabatoa said:


> That's the cheapest I've seen them. I thought I got a deal months ago at $160


Are these the same year or last years?

Mens Judge Snowboarding Boots - DC Shoes

TT


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

timmytard said:


> Are these the same year or last years?
> 
> Mens Judge Snowboarding Boots - DC Shoes
> 
> TT


Man I would have been annoyed if they had my size.


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## tspkenneth (Mar 12, 2012)

they have my size! haha but i think ordering from dogfunk is better for me because of their return policy.


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