Footwear article with lockable ankle protection

An item of footwear comprising:

• a stiff lower part that is configured to extend at least in part around a foot of a wearer, below an ankle joint, said lower part being attached to a sole;
• a stiff upper part that is configured to extend at least in part around a lower leg of the wearer, above the ankle joint;
• said upper part including a calf element that is attachable to a rear portion of a wearer's leg, and a gaiter part that is flexible enough to open at a lateral opening and allow the item of footwear to be donned and stiff enough to hold the calf element in position relative to the lower leg of the wearer;
• a flexible part extending continuously between peripheries of the sole, the lower part, and the gaiter part so that said flexible part, said sole, said lower part, and said gaiter part together can close the item of footwear on the wearer;
• and
• at least two limit elements that each extend between the lower part and the upper part;
• said lower part and upper part being movable relative to each other;
• wherein said relative movement between the lower part and the upper part is inhibited selectively by the limit elements, each of said limit elements being displaceable between a free condition in which the lower part and the upper part are movable relative to each other, and a locked condition in which the relative movement between the lower part and the upper part is inhibited in at least the direction in which the limit element is displaced from its free condition to its locked condition;
• wherein said item of footwear has a medial side and a lateral side that is opposite from the medial side;
• wherein said limit elements include a first lateral extension that is configured to extend diagonally upwards from the lower part and is configured to extend generally laterally of the ankle joint on the lateral side of the item of footwear, and a second lateral extension that extends from the lower part about transversely to the first lateral extension on the lateral side of the item of footwear, the first lateral extension and the second lateral extension both being on the lateral side of the item of footwear;
• wherein said limit elements include a pin extending on the lateral side of the item of footwear, from the first lateral extension through an aperture defined in the second lateral extension;
• wherein the first lateral extension and the second lateral extension are movable relative to each other on the lateral side of the item of footwear when the limit elements are in the free condition, and
• wherein said relative movement between the first lateral extension and the second lateral extension is arrested by the pin when the limit elements are in the locked condition.