During the colder months I like to trail run as long as the trails are snow free. Last week I made the mistake of running on the trails with freshly fallen leaves. They weren’t packed in yet so I couldn’t get a good read on the terrain. Being in the northeast we have tons of roots. So of course I twisted my ankle on my last run. It swelled up pretty good but I am probably lucky as I can get around without problems now. I’ll probably rest it a few more days to play it safe.
Currently I am just running the trails with my standard street running shoes. Do the trail shoes out there provide a little better ankle support? Any suggestions? What about the Hoka trail shoes?
Most trail shoes aren’t going to have any ankle support although there are some ‘hi-top’ style trail shoes. They usually have more more structure in the upper when compared to a road shoe which might help a little. You can do some exercises to strengthen your ankles so they don’t roll as much but running on trails more often will also help with this.
I don’t wear Hokas myself but it seems the taller platform would only make it easier to roll your ankle??
You’ll get better support because in some cases the trail shoe just feels more stable. I run in Salomon Speedcross 3 and will go 4s after my current pair run out. I like the heel/toe drop and the lugs are great for mud/snow not so much for rocks though.
As you run more, your foot will become stronger and even if you hit a root you’ll be fine. You’ll also get better at the “light” feet thing so again a roll shouldn’t be as bad over technical trail.
I run in the Hoka Stinson’s. I used to run in a Mizuno trail shoe but it felt heavy. While I agree with the comment about rolling the foot, focusing on form helps. I rolled my foot a couple of times during my training but used those as opportunities to improve and focus on how I was landing. I agree with the last reply about your ankles becoming stronger. I didn’t roll my foot/ankle during my race earlier this month but did suffer some pretty painful blisters. That wasn’t because of the shoes.
Some trail shoes have more stability and more of a cradle in their structure, but not up to the ankles. Solomon wings pro2, and LaSportiva Ultraraptor for example
If you’re looking for ankle stability on the trails ankle post-sprain, you will have more success with strapping rather than choosing any particular shoe.
Try this method:
Use a non-elastic strapping tape, 1 to 1.5" wide.
Run a strip from the medial side just below mid-calf height, straight down and under the foot near the back of the arch, then up the lateral side of your leg.
Add another strip slightly overlapping but just behind it. Again strap medial to lateral, mindful of the range of movement you are trying to restrict, ie ankle rolling outwards.
Anchor the tape ends by taping horizontally around the calf, leaving a gap of approx 1" to allow your calf muscles to expand through the course of run.
I have run plenty of trail miles while recuperating from ankle sprains using simple strapping.
For me the advantage of trail shoes is the traction. We get a lot of rain here and the hills can be steep, so traction is important.
Somewhere buried in the depths of the interwebs I found a video for strength and agility moves for soccer players. It involved a lot of hopping in different patterns on one foot. They drew out squares on the ground and used those. I just use the tiles in my kitchen. When I have a big trail race coming up, I will take 5 minutes a day and hop around the squares–front to back, side to side, diagonally–you’d be surprised how hard it is when you start. It really helps strengthen my ankles and feet.
I have also seen recommendations to practice standing on one foot or jumping rope as training for trails.
While in general I agree with the recommendations of strengthening exercises, if you do want a high top style shoe you can try the Altra Lone Peak 3 mid neo I think it is called. I’ve used them many times this year for backpacking in rocky areas and they are very comfortable. Good grip but the soles are A little thick for runnning to me, but I’m used to minimal shoes.
While in general I agree with the recommendations of strengthening exercises, if you do want a high top style shoe you can try the Altra Lone Peak 3 mid neo I think it is called. I’ve used them many times this year for backpacking in rocky areas and they are very comfortable. Good grip but the soles are A little thick for runnning to me, but I’m used to minimal shoes.