My favorite pair are VERY old and the bottom[metal] actually tilts down to help ankle angles. Have a few friends that have bought them. LovED them and then once their riding level improved hated them and went back to regular plain stirrups. Another thing with the jointed ones is that they always bend so if you really needed a support its not there. Most leg/ankle problems are leg/hip placement or using muscles to try and hold on rather than stirrup issues. I do recommend safety stirrups the kind with rubber on the outside-I've been drug ITS NOT FUN.