There's an art to finding the best hiking boots for ankle support. Many hikers wrongly assume that any mid-cut hiking boot will protect their ankles when they're hiking through root mazes and rock gardens. However, many popular hiking boots don't provide much ankle support. For example, the best-selling hiking boot in the world—the Merrell Moab Mid—has below average ankle support, and the average low-cut hiking shoe has more ankle support than the mid-cut Altra Lone Peak. How can you tell how much support you'll get from a hiking boot? What are the best hiking boots for ankle support? This post explains how to find hiking boots with the best ankle support and recommends a six-pack of hiking and backpacking boots with good ankle support to help you narrow down your choices:
La Sportiva Nucleo High II
Best ankle support among lightweight hiking and backpacking boots
Vasque Breeze
Best ankle support in a mid-weight hiking boot at a moderate price
Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite
Sturdy hiking and backpacking boot with good ankle support
Tecnica Forge
Customizable boot can be heat-molded around ankles at select stores
Lowa Renegade GTX
Sturdy backpacking boot in Backpacker Magazine's Gear Hall of Fame
Salomon Quest 4
Athletic backpacking boot with solid ankle support
How to find hiking boots with good ankle support
It takes more than a mid-cut ankle collar to provide hikers with good ankle support. For the best ankle support, you should look for hiking boots with these three features:
Hanwag Alaska with 3 eyelets above ankle
tall ankle collars
The higher a boot extends up your ankle, the better the ankle support. For above average ankle support, look for hiking boots with at least two eyelets above the ankle bone. Taller ankle cuffs may prevent more ankle injuries.
Sturdy ankles on Salewa MTN Trainer
sturdy ankle collars
At the same time, light and flimsy ankle collars won't provide much protection. For better ankle support, you want stiffer, sturdier material around the ankle to help lock in your ankles on uneven terrain. Leather and polyurethane work great, and so does synthetic mesh, as long as it's sturdy.
Limited flex = good ankle support
stiff & sturdy soles
Many hikers don't realize that a hiking boot that's stiffer underfoot can also prevent ankle injuries. Boots with sturdy outsoles, PU midsoles, and integrated shanks or chassis add stiffness for better torsional rigidity—resistant to twisting—that may prevent your ankles from turning over on rocks and roots. The less flex underfoot, the more ankle support.
Ultimately, heavy duty backpacking boots offer the best ankle support. They feature high and stiff ankle cuffs and stiff soles with little to no flex in the foot. This includes traditional Alpine trekking boots that weigh close to four pounds, such as the Hanwag Alaska and Scarpa Kinsesis:
Scarpa Kinesis is a heavy-duty backpacking boot with good ankle support
Those hard-core boots provide necessary foot and ankle protection for people carrying heavy weights over harsh terrain, such as wildland firefighters, trail crews, elk hunters in the Rocky Mountains, and backpackers carrying heavy packs on difficult trails. However, they're overkill for the average backpacker—and way too much boot for the average day hiker. 99% of hikers will be much happier with mid-weight hiking and backpacking boots that weigh much less—and cost much less—than those heavy-weight, alpine trekking boots.
best hiking boots for ankle support
My hiking boot recommendations cater to the 99%—not to the backwoods bad asses who might need a bombproof backpacking boot that weighs close to four pounds and costs $400. If you truly need that heavy-weight ankle protection, please start with my heavy-duty hiking boot recommendations. However, most hikers and backpackers will be happier with one of these mid-weight hiking and backpacking boots—they're lighter, less expensive, and offer plenty of ankle support for most men and women.
La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX
Main Benefits:
The Nucleo High GTX offers the highest ankle cuff among lightweight hiking and backpacking boots. Made with soft nubuck leather, this good-looking boot is relatively light yet relatively supportive for its weight. Performance-wise, it features waterproof-breathable Gore-Tex Surround and a Vibram outsoles for good grip on technical terrain. Fit-wise, Sportivas run narrow and may require you to size up more than normal. But the updated Nucleo II (2021) is also available in wide. The Nucleo's soft uppers don't offer bombproof ankle protection. (That would require stiffer, heavier upper materials.) Among lightweight hiking boots, however, it’s the one with the best ankle support.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
Vasque Breeze
Main Benefits:
Vasque Breeze is a classic mid-duty boot that's tough enough for backpacking yet flexible enough for day-hiking. The Breeze has a tall and substantial ankle cuff and a stiff sole with torsional rigidity, which helps prevent rolled ankles. It’s also made with ventilating mesh and air ports (“breeze”) that makes the Breeze AT a popular pick for warmer climates. Vasques do run a little heavy. However, those few extra ounces add up to above average ankle support. Fit-wise, the Breeze runs narrow, but it's available in wide sizes for hikers who need more room in the forefoot and toe box. Recently dropping their price while other brands raise their prices, the Vasque Breeze is a great value for a hiking boot with ankle support.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid
Main Benefits:
Stiff and supportive, the Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is a mid-weight hiking and backpacking boot made for 3-season alpine use. It offers solid ankle support, thanks to its sturdy outsoles and ankle collars, 3F fit system, and heel stabilizer, which locks hikers' ankles into place. It's a nice hiking boot for technical trails and rock scrambling, too, thanks to its grippy outsoles and climbing lace that extend to the toes. Fit-wise, the MTN Trainer series isn't as narrow as most Salewas, but U.S. hikers may want to size up more than normal for their best fit.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
Tecnica Forge
Main Benefits:
Adapting technology from the ski boot industry, the Tecnica Forge is the world's first customizable hiking boot. At select stores, the boot’s thermoform uppers and insoles can be molded to your feet and ankles in twenty minutes using heat and pressured airbags. As you might imagine, custom-fit hiking boots aren't cheap. However, a boot that's heat-molded to conform to your feet and ankles could be a revelation for hikers with foot and ankle problems. That being said, the Forge would impress even without a custom fit. It's got premium (GORE-TEX) waterproofing and (Vibram) soles on top of its premium fit. This boot runs a little narrow—and can only be customized in person at select outdoor retailers. But this could be an epic buy for hikers who want a rock-solid boot with a best-in-class fit.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
Lowa Renegade Mid GTX
Main Benefits:
The Renegade is Lowa's classic hiking boot for rugged day hikes and backpacking trips. With sturdy leather uppers and midsoles, this beefy boot offers above average ankle protection. It also checks plenty of other boxes, too, such as Gore Tex waterproofing and Vibram outsoles for solid traction. Fit-wise, the Renegade is also available in narrow, regular, and wide widths. (The links below include both standard and wide fits for women and women.) This may be an expensive boot, but it's got a lot to offer backpackers and hardcore hikers who need traditional support.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
Salomon Quest 4D
Women's Quest 4D
Main Benefits:
The Salomon Quest is an iconic backpacking boot that’s dominated award lists in backpacking magazines and outdoor gear sites for years. The Quest is built on the chassis of a trail running shoe, but it nearly matches the support of heavy-duty backpacking boots. With its sturdy soles and uppers, this boot offers excellent ankle protection. It's also stacked with waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX, a locking shoelace system, and excellent uphill and downhill traction. With its moderate weight and athletic chassis, you could day hike in the Salomon Quest 4D; however, it’s a much better match for backpacking or off trail hiking.
See available sizes, colors, and options:
buying the best hiking boots for ankle support
This short list should help you narrow your choices down to the best hiking boots for ankle support on the market right now. One of the boots above is bound to have the look or feel or fit or features that you want. If not, please browse Hiking Feet's brand recommendations or my lists of the best hiking boots for other options.
But I'm hoping that you've just found your new favorite hiking boots?! If this post helped you pick your next pair, please consider buying them through the affiliate links above. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). These commissions fund this site (and compensate me for the hundreds of unpaid hours I spent creating free content to help you buy the right hiking boots or shoes). If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too. Thanks, I appreciate it!