Top 10 Running Ankle Braces Reviewed and Rated

People who suffered from ankle injuries are very familiar with ankle sleeve for running. They help align the weakened tissue around our ankles and make walking possible again. But when should you wear a brace if you’re not injured?

Ankle support for running started to appear around the 1990s. It is all thanks to the new design which made them a much cheaper option than taping up the ankles and joints of athletes. Today, there are many types and styles of an ankle sleeve for running; all meant to give us different types of support specific to the sport we are into. They are used to either prevent an injury or to help one heal better.

One thing that you should know is that an ankle brace will not make your injury less severe. It will only make it less probable for the injury to happen in the first place. Your ligaments, muscles and tendons, and of course the bones of your ankle make up the internal support that keeps your ankles safe and working correctly. Of course, these parts are also a vital connection to your knees and hips, which all affect your performance. Ankle braces for running support your ankles from the outside and limit your movements to a degree. They also make you more aware of where your ankles are in space, and you are less likely to hurt yourself this way. If you want maximum benefits from your brace, it should fit comfortably in the shoes you wear during running. Keep in mind, if you are using an ankle brace to recover from an injury, it is not an all miracle cure. You will still need to allow your ankle to heal properly before going back to running. Otherwise, you will drag on the injury and prolong the healing process.

Usually, people who are prone to ankle sprains and injuries will get the most out of ankle support for running. It is not to say that you will not experience any benefits while wearing an ankle brace! Also, if you suffer from any joint conditions and still want to give running a try, an ankle brace could very well be your trump card. If you want an ankle brace that is best suited for you, your best bet is t talk to your doctor, since they will give you the best info.

As we said, ankle braces for running support weak and injured joints. There are two types of ankle support for running, and they will give you varying degrees of support. A stretchy cloth ankle brace will keep your ankles in place, but if you need hardcore support, it’s best to opt out for one that has metallic or plastic elements. For the best possible support, each side of the brace will have parts that support your ankles, giving you plenty of stability and confidence.

Ankle braces for running also calm swelling and pain. The most common ankle injury is the ankle sprain, where your foot rolls on the side, resulting in blinding pain, and subsequent swelling and tenderness. If your injury is like this, you should wear a brace that has metallic parts on the outer side. This way, your injured tendons, and ligaments can take a break and heal, while the pain and swelling calm down. If your ankle rolled outwards, then you need a brace that offers support all around.

But what about runners who do not have any injuries yet still use ankle support for running? Well, by wearing braces when your ankles are healthy, you can avoid possible future injuries, especially if you are prone to ankle rolling. Ankle braces for running are cheap, and much more reliable than the taping method, which has been around for quite some time. They are effectively designed so that an athlete can wear it whenever he or she needs to without the brace being a bother. Many athletes wonder whether wearing a brace during their every run will weaken their ankles. It is true for some styles of ankle braces for running, like the lace-up brace. These ankle support for running will almost completely restrict the movement of your ankles, and in time, they will be weaker, to some degree. But, hinged ankle braces are the ones that will allow you to run with braces and keep that ankle strength. We will discuss this in greater detail in our style section, so stay tuned!

The material your ankle brace is made out will affect many things. First things first, it will affect the breathability. You don’t want your feet to suffocate while you have your brace on! It will also promote sweating and bad odors, which are prone to happen anyways simply because feet tend to sweat a lot. The support and fit will also vary because of the material, so buying braces made out of the right kind of material will help keep you on track.

Many ankle support for running today are made out of neoprene. If you like water sports and participated in such events, or even went diving, the chances are that you’ve run across neoprene. Nylon and neoprene were made around the same time, and they are derived from the very same thing - plastic. Scientists at DuPont were working with polymers around the 1920s, and it was then that they discovered one that acted just like natural rubber does, and aptly named it DuPrene. It was renamed to neoprene in the 1930s and was broadly used during World War II. Then it started to gain commercial popularity and value, and we cannot avoid it. Today, since it found many great uses, and ankle support for running is one of them. Neoprene is super resistant to all kinds of wear and tear, and it handles a great range of temperatures, meaning it will keep you super safe. It’s squishy like foam, so it even acts as a pad, giving you additional comfort. But neoprene is not so breathable, which is why it’s usually combined with vents and nylon to make it even better. Also, it’s easy to embroider neoprene, which is where you will usually see the company logo!

The amount of support your braces offer you is also something you should consider before buying one. The support braces give you can range from almost non-existent to completely immobilizing your joints. The amount of support you need will be determined by your previous conditions and by how strong your ankles are. If you are recovering from an injury, you will need all the support you can get! But if you are going to use the brace as extra support and security while you run, you don’t need to be supported all that much. A simple brace will do the job just fine!

A few things determine the support a brace offers. First things first, it’s determined by the material your braces are made out of. Nylon is the stretchiest one, especially in combination with elastane. It is what you need if your ankles are strong, to begin with, and are not prone to twisting. Sometimes, plastic or metal elements are added to the construction, which makes the braces sturdy and not so flexible. It is ideal when you have an existing injury and need something to keep your ankles from moving around too much. But when you run, this won’t do you any good, since the rigid frame and details could only hinder your performance and keep you from running to your full potential. Then, the support can be determined by the type of closure the brace has. If it’s a simple sleeve, again it won’t offer that much support. Lace-up sleeves are just what the name suggests - they lace up like regular shoes do, and usually have some wrap-around that keep your ankle sturdy and secure even more. These types of ankle support for running will not let your ankles wiggle all that much, and are ideal if you are already hurt. Hinged braces allow your ankles to roll smoothly, and are what you ideally need when you run injury free!

We mentioned the many different styles ankle braces could be, but it’s time we addressed this criterion fully and in detail since it is one of the most critical factors. You must consider the restriction the ankle brace style provides before anything else. As we mentioned before, lace-up or corset braces restrict all joint range of motion, even the up and down moves you need to do while you run, by binding your ankles with Velcro straps or laces. It means that the lace-up brace will affect your mobility and your ankle strength, and should generally not be used when you are running unless you have a pre-existing injury.

It brings us to the hinge ankle braces. These braces allow you to move your feet up and down, and they do not weaken your ankles at all. These braces have a hinge on each side of the ankle bone, which makes the brace move together with your ankles, not against it. There are two styles of hinged braces available today, and those are hinged and hinged-cuff. Hinged braces were designed to prevent ankle turning or inversion. Hinged-cuff braces also prevent rotational twisting, making ankle rolling a thing of the past!