Any question answered...

Padding is for pussies.

But seriously, vans hi tops protect your ankle well. They last ages too, I used to get through a pair of modern skate shoes every few months but if been wearing the same old skool vans for the past 10 years.

a few months skating? I used to get about 6 months out of mine. You can't have been skating in those vans for 10 years.