Metal Ankle Plate and Mountain Boots

Howdy Folks, 

So I've got a metal plate in my left ankle from a previous injury years back, probably 4 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide with several screws. When I wear my mountain boots they seem to "cut" into the bottom of the plate and it can be pretty uncomfortable by the days end, so uncomfortable that I'll walk in an unnatural manner to relieve the pain. I usually wear Sportiva products. Currently climbing in Evos and occasionally the Trango Cubes. Doesn't bother me when wearing my Spantiks, probably due to the fact its a double boot and the inner boot has so much padding. 

Just wondering if anyone else has has a similar experience or knows of a brand that has pretty bulky padding around the ankle area. Thanks in advance for any input. 

claty wrote:

I never found a solution other than having all of my hardware removed because it was also hurt when anything touched my ankle. My doctor REALLY didn't want to remove the hardware, and I have some permanent nerve damage from the procedure (at first my doc thought once the nerves calmed down the feeling would come back, but it's now been 10 years), but I think it was worth it. 

Yeah I've contemplated that approach but would like to see if anyone had any success with other brands. I live in WNC so there aren't many outfitters with a huge line of mountain boot to try on. 

I'm covered with health insurance with my current employer but that will change in about 5 months when I quit my job. Maybe it would be worth investigating to see what the cost would be.

Honestly, you probably will not find any boots that will alleviate that issue unless you have something specifically designed for your foot/hardware issues. Typically, if hardware is still in, but is not actually serving any structural use, and is bothering you then you should get it pulled. Keep in mind that it will not be minor surgery. They will have to reopen the area to remove the hardware. You'll likely be off your feet for 4-6 weeks, and then need rehab/recovery time after that. Its a tough decision. I have significant hardware in my ankle/leg, but the hardware does not poke out or cause discomfort so I plan on leaving it in until theres a reason to pull it out.

climberish wrote:

Honestly, you probably will not find any boots that will alleviate that issue unless you have something specifically designed for your foot/hardware issues. Typically, if hardware is still in, but is not actually serving any structural use, and is bothering you then you should get it pulled. Keep in mind that it will not be minor surgery. They will have to reopen the area to remove the hardware. You'll likely be off your feet for 4-6 weeks, and then need rehab/recovery time after that. Its a tough decision. I have significant hardware in my ankle/leg, but the hardware does not poke out or cause discomfort so I plan on leaving it in until theres a reason to pull it out.

All good points. I will say that if I wear thick socks and layers around the area it is quite alleviated. But obviously I don't want to have three layers of socks around my toes making my feet sweat. Maybe I could get some super thick socks, cut off the section covering the heal and toes, then hem it up real nice. Or look for a ankle specific brace of sorts. Again, thanks for the input. 

Have you tried the La Sportiva G5 (previously the Batura)? It's a 1.5 shell boot and should have more padding than the Nepals and Trangos.  

Also the Sportiva G2 SM, I own them and they are quite comfy and soft. 

I just had two screws installed in my ankle 5 months ago.