Do You Need Ankle Support For Hiking? Let’s Break the Ice

What’s in it for me?: This article answers the question, “do you need ankle support for hiking?”. Alongside a detailed guide for this question, we will also share quick exercises to power up your ankles and a few strategies to hike when having sprained ankles. Moreover, we’ll also share some of the most common causes of ankle injuries

A sprained ankle has 70% higher chance of getting re-sprained. Whether you’ve been hiking with weak ankles or need stability on uneven terrain, then this might be the right time to find out do you need ankle support for hiking.

Rolling ankles are quite common during hikes, especially on rough terrain. To minimise the risk of ankle sprains, hiking boots are quite on buzz. The higher cut of these boots covers your ankle, giving you some stability. 

While ‘ankle support’ is one of the overused terms among hiking experts. Besides hikers with a history of ankle sprains, most make it up just fine without big bulky boots. A combo of good trekking shoes with an ankle brace can give you the same amount of protection as hiking boots. 

In this article, we’ll take you through how to make the best use of ankle support and, most importantly, how you can be less reliant on any support by strengthening your ankle muscles. 

Should You Hike With Bad Ankles?

When you get a rolled ankle, you are advised not to hike until it heals. Straining the sprained ankle will force your smaller ligaments around the outer ankle to stretch and tear. 

This could lead to serious consequences such as chronic ankle pain and arthritis. Meanwhile, the healing time depends upon the severity. like the outer sprains or the low-grade ones heal within one to three weeks. 

During mild ankle pain, you can use ankle brace, which can be the best ankle support for hiking at this time. It helps to heal your ligaments faster and gives you a stable move during the trials.  

Quick Answer: Do You Need Ankle Support For Hiking Men’s and Women’s?

The fear of ankle sprains lasts during hikes. But do you need ankle support for hiking shoes? The answer is no. 

Ankle support shoes won’t make a difference as long as your feet are healthy. It means your Intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles are fully functional to absorb low to heavy impacts on uneven treks.  

We observe that the footwear selection for hiking is more a matter of personal preference, level of competency, and terrain requirements. 

Our recommendation for do you need ankle support for hiking is to create your own checklist. Cross-check your footwear on a similar terrain before setting on a hike. If it strains your ankle, try additional supports in the form of trekking poles and ankle braces. Make sure to spend some workout hours to build a strong foot foundation.  

Top 3 Causes Of Ankle Injuries While Hiking

In the US, around 25000 people suffer ankle sprains each day, of which half of them are due to athletic activities. 

Let’s have a look at the possible causes of ankle injuries while hiking. 

Cause#1 – Old History of Ankle Problems

You may have noticed some hikers have more ankle sprains than others. Usually, it happens because the damage is more than just ligaments on your ankle. Your nerves might get affected, which destabilises the joint as well.  

In such a case, sudden unwanted movements by your ankle remain unjudged by the brain. This results in giving up your ankle more often. 

Studies reveal that ankle twists and rolling are more common in women. So, do you need ankle support for hiking women’s? 

For many women, ankle support using braces or high-profile boots with breathable cuffs could help. Furthermore, proper exercise, both in men and women, may help to restore the instability in the ankle joints over time. 

Cause#2 – Unable To Absorb Impact Forces 

More challenging and technical terrains require tough leg work. Normally, while crossing rivers or jumping over the rocks, your muscles need to absorb more impact than in walking and running. Gravitational pull is another factor that keeps pushing you downward more than 3 to 4 times your body weight. 

Such scenarios can be hard to meet if you have poor midfoot balance. Train your forefoot to land softly on the balls of the feet. 

Also, go with boots with extra cushioning or use orthodox instead. This would absorb shock while jumping from higher points, keeping your ankles safe from rolling inwards. 

Cause#3 – Supination Of The Foot

Normally, when we walk or run, our body weight is pulled more towards the big inner toe than the outer toes. If the natural phenomenon goes against and the weight of the body is more towards the edges, that is, the outer toes, we say your foot is supinated. 

Overweight hikers can develop improper foot position. Losing your leg balance leads to ankle injuries and stress on hip and knee joints. Proper footwear and exercises can help you get back to the correct posture for comfy hiking. 

5 Best Ankle Support Strategies For Hiking

Your hiking success lies in improving your joint health, and if you do need ankle support for hiking then here are some of the best ways to prevent ankle injuries:

Tip#1 – Take Help From Hiking Poles

Your ankles and knees have to bear not just the body weight but a few extra pounds of your backpack as well. 

Hiking poles give you that added strength to support your ankles and knees. The extra two anchor points distribute the weight of your body to the arms, making your joints less strained. 

Moreover, it’s easy to mix it up with different terrains. Whether you’re trekking uphill and downhill or across small, slippery rocks, it gives you the right amount of balance to prevent accidental slips or stumbling. 

Tip#2 – Wear Ankle Support Hiking Boots

Your ankles are formed from a hinged joint. Unlike the one we have on our shoulders that allows more movement, ankle muscles have less mobility. This is the reason that unwanted movements or large strains can cause your ankle ligaments to tear or rupture. 

So, do you need ankle support for hiking men’s? For most hikers, boots are a reliable choice for ankle support. They allow better toe movements with a roomy toe box. 

Whereas snug your ankle to limit any excess ankle movements. That is how they’re designed to embrace the natural behaviour of your ankle. 

Tip#3 – Use Ankle Braces

Got an ankle sprain earlier? Don’t let any chance of getting it re-sprained. It’s always a safe precaution to wear ankle braces while hiking, especially on bad ankles. 

When you wrap them with an ankle brace, the warmth inside increases the blood flow. Hence it promotes faster healing of ankle ligaments. 

These sports guards are also easy to carry with any type of footwear. The best part is that most hikers love the duo of ankle braces on trail runners due to their less bulky combination for thru-hikes. 

Tip#4 – Make Sure Your Boots Are Properly Fit In

Your shoe can make or break your trail experience. An ill-fitting shoe takes more of your effort to push you forward. With that, hiking could be a disaster. 

It shouldn’t be tight, not roomy, while the perfect fit is one that bears a natural shape of your feet. When your shoe design matches your foot type, you’ll experience improved body posture and a good amount of balance walking down the toughest terrains.  

Tip#5 – Open All Eyes While Hiking

Be steady and careful. It’s one of the most overlooked factors during hiking. Don’t lose sight of your treks, as falling can let you face serious consequences. Try to refrain from things that can possibly let you stumble or divert your attention. The following checklist might help you do so: 

3 Quick Excercise To Power Up Your Ankles

Now you know why do you need ankle support for hiking. Ankle strengthening exercises can help you heal from muscle soreness, evacuate pain or restore mobility issues. These are a few that you can do easily at home. 

1. Wall Stretches 

Step 1 

Stand closer to the wall with your legs stretched such that your feet align one behind the other.

Step 2

Now, bend your knee to the extent that your kneecap touches the wall. While the other leg could feel a little stretch. 

Step 3 

You can increase the distance from the wall if you feel your knee easily touch the wall. 

Step 4 

Maintain the stretch for about 30 seconds. 

2. Squat Jumps

Step 1

Stand erect on your feet and extend one of your legs backward. Then, place your forefoot onto a stable bench for firm support. 

Step 2

Now, pull your hands back and bend your knee to 90 degrees. While keeping the same position for the forefoot as in step 1. 

Step 3

Now, release the bend position and take a single leg skip. 

Step 4

Gain support from the other foot positioned above the bench to push yourself during jump squats. 

Step 5 

Also, make sure your knee shouldn’t go away from the toes. By pulling your ankle muscle correctly, you can strengthen the ligaments to prevent future ankle sprains.  

3. Negative Calf Raises

Step 1

Stand, keeping your feet erect on a levelled surface. 

Step 2 

Now, slowly raise both of your heels such that the pressure of your body is on your toes. 

Step 3

Hold the position for a few seconds and drop your heels down slowly back to position 1. 

Do You Need Ankle Support for Hiking?- FAQs

Final Say-  Do You Need Ankle Support for Hiking?

Hiking can be equally good with or without ankle support. So, what’s the point of the debate? Do you need ankle support for hiking? In fact, it’s you who’s going to decide if your ankles need some confinement. For this particular reason, you need to look at the amount of load at your joints, your off-trek terrain conditions, and lastly, the muscular strength of your ankles.