
Have you noticed that most all ankle braces are made with either fabric in the case of lace-ups, or rigid plastics in the case of stirrup or hinged designs?
When designing a modern preventative ankle brace to replace the century old lace-up corset design we were faced with some overwhelming design challenges. We did not want to use a fabric material because fabric stretches and loosens the longer you wear it. Plus it collects bacteria and can develop an unpleasant odor, even after laundering. However, making a low-profile, tight-fitting preventative ankle brace using a rigid plastic would be significantly uncomfortable. Our design goal was to develop a bridge material between fabric and rigid plastics.
We developed an advanced thermoplastic resin material called Performathane® custom-fit soft shell technology which will change everything you think about ankle bracing.
The unique properties of a thermoplastic resin is that it will flex and form to the ankle with body heat generated during a practice or game. This unique forming property drove us to develop the first preventative ankle brace that will custom-fit to the ankle, the Ultra Zoom®.
Just after a brief break-in period of a practice or two, the Performathane soft shell form-fits to the ankle. The benefits of a custom-fit ankle brace are significant. It’s incredibly comfortable, lower profile, tighter fitting and more supportive because it takes the shape of the ankle.
Now you have a choice when it comes to recommending a preventative ankle brace to your athletes. Corset lace-ups restrict range of motion, loose support rapidly, collect bacteria and stink, are a pain to fit and they wear out quickly. Contrast this century old lace-up design to the advanced Ultra Zoom®, a custom-fit low profile performance ankle brace that allows full range of motion for long lasting ankle support. The Ultra Zoom® is easy to apply, fits in any athletic shoe and offers multi-season durability which makes it a great value over lace-ups.
- Rick Peters
- March 15, 2016
- 12:30 pm
- No Comments
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