McDavid Lightweight Ankle Brace

My ankle measured 9", 1" above the protruding bone (per instructions) and I bought a medium. It fits well. I sprained my ankle badly hiking. After the swelling mostly went down I started using a wrap brace. It kept sliding off. I tried a compression wrap but it was tight and cut off circulation to my foot. When searching for a new brace I saw this item recommended on the website of a local foot and ankle specialist in my area. It offers great support and keeps my ankle from moving side to side. I have to loosen the whole thing and unlace the top 2-3 eyelits to put it on, unlike what the video shows. I also have to unlace it all the way down to the toes in order to take it off. I adjust the foot area then re-tighten the ankle area a few times to get the fit right for me. Longer laces might have been helpful, and I would not have been able to use this when my ankle was very swollen as it is hard to pull on easily. I am impressed with the quality and the ability to contour to the curve in my ankle. I tried it on and it does fit in my Sauconney running shoe. I am hoping it will work for support hiking and will update once I have worn it for a longer time period.

For starters, we purchased the medium ankle brace first, and then the large ankle brace. The reason we purchased both was because we wanted one for each my wife and myself, but thought that the medium would fit me.My foot falls right between medium and large, so the medium was a little on the tight side. Especially with a swollen ankle/foot! The large size fit a LOT more comfortably.One big suggestion due to the above would be to anyone that falls right between medium/large to end up getting the larger size as it should suit your needs better. Its just a suggestion though! Don't kill the messenger (:Okay, onwards and forwards - to the meat and potatoes of the review.I've worn this thing literally dozens of times over the last 9 months or so, and its performed flawlessly. Its very comfortable, and I can fit it just fine in my shoes [K-Swiss, Etnies, DCs] and it fits a little tight in some Danner boots, but it is what it is.The shoe lace is plenty long, and what I do is after getting everything nice and tight before finally tying the laces, I wrap them once around on the top, and then tie 'em and voila, done. Its better than having loose lases roaming around your shoe and whatnot.For the price, its hard to beat it. Its a quality product as most [if not all] of McDavid's products are. Have only used a few [including knee braces] and they have all worked wonderfully. They do what they say they do, at a reasonable price. What's more to ask for?This ankle brace also helps prevent my foot from swelling [before taking it off and raising my ankle] when I am having certain issues, so there is a preventative aspect of it as well.We definitely recommend this for anyone needing an ankle brace. You will not be disappointed.

I use it while playing basketball as I'm a weak-legged, painfully mediocre player with a history or sprained ankles and I just happen to be taller than the other players in my group so I use my height to my advantage a lot (lots of jumps and landings).-The Brace obviously limits my movement in Basketball and makes me less agile than the players around me. But, that's just what you get for wearing the most protective Ankle Brace McDavid offered for Basketball! It may limit my agility significantly (especially against, shorter and faster players) but it has protected by ankles countless times (you can literally feel your ankle begin to turn/shift and then be pushed back in place by the brace which bring a smile to your face!) and increased my on court confidence tenfold!-If you play Basketball frequently you know how much injuries negatively effect confidence. In a sport where split-second decisions mean everything (even in pick up games!), all it takes is that hesitation when the man you are defending goes up or when you are near the basketball getting ready to elevate. All it takes is that second of hesitation for someone to be there to block you or corner you and you are frozen and forced to find a pass. This Ankle Brace has brought out my full potential on Defense and I have no fear going up to defend or get a rebound, I don't need to worry about my feet at all! It brings your confidence to where it should be, on the court!-WHY I GAVE THIS A 4-STAR AND NOT A 5:The Brace is as comfortable as you want it to be without sacrificing it's purpose when tied tightly. The only problem here is when you add on your shoes and tie them, the knot of your shoes meets at the bend in your foot (that upper arch) will be tight and put pressure on your foot during activities. This isn't debilitating or anything if you are wearing high socks like me, but it's not comfortable.-If using the Brace during Basketball, the loss of mobility in your Ankle I find, is made up by my Knee. The inability to bend my Ankle would force my Knee to move a bit for my Ankle when adjusting my position laterally (especially when "your man" has the ball and he is in front of you trying to fake you one way so he can crossover or just drive the opposite way). This put a lot more strain on my Knee than I would have wanted. But a simple Compression Sleeve on Knee kept/keeps my Knee flexible but resilient and after games, I find myself with very little strain/soreness compared to before.-Overall, this Ankle Brace is great, you only need one, just mentally be ready to put your force on the Ankle with the Brace a bit more than your other Ankle and you won't sprain either one. The laces will begin to fray a bit like any laces and the Brace does show wear and tear over extensive amounts of time. Great brace but when it eventually comes time to buy a new one, I will definitely look into new options before buying these expensive ones again (although I will most likely buy them again if not much has changed)! By no means are these worth the price or spectacular beyond belief so no customer loyalty, but I like what I bought and they perform well!

This thing was a lifesaver when I sprained my ankle. I wore it for 3 months when I would hike or go to the gym. I was able to hike 20 plus miles with 9K elevation gain with no ankle pain and proper support. Will feel tight inside your hiking boot at first and a little uncomfortable but I was able to get used to it, just don’t tighten the bottom of the lace too much.The only thing I wish I could change is the bulky mess of the material by the heel. But all of the less bulky braces I tried didn’t give me the proper stability.