Even though ankle sprains are the most common type of injury in soccer, the last thing a player wants to do is wear a soccer ankle brace.

In most instances, those who choose to wear ankle braces are the ones who suffer from chronic ankle instability due to repeat ankle injuries. To keep their ankles healthy and to be able to play the game, soccer players need to have a lightweight, preventative ankle brace option that fits in their cleat and allows for full foot and ball control.

When it comes to ankle braces for soccer, any type of brace will limit the mobility of your ankle to some degree, but there comes a point where getting injured and not playing is hurting your game more than losing a little bit of performance while wearing an ankle brace.

Performance-based ankle braces feature a hinge to prevent low ankle injuries. Some, like the Ultra Zoom, have a hinged-cuff design to help prevent both ankle twisting and turning that cause low and high ankle sprains. If you’re a soccer player looking to limit your performance as little as possible while wearing an ankle brace, the Ultra Zoom is your best option for lightweight, low-profile ankle protection. It only restricts any excessive movement that may result in an injury while allowing all the natural movement of your ankle.

While we recommend the Ultra Zoom for limitless performance, it works best in low-top soccer cleats larger than a US women’s size 8 or US men’s size 6 that have a traditional tongue and laces. If you have a smaller or more narrow shoe, or have a cleat that you cannot easily loosen the laces, we would recommend the Ultra 360 Lace-up ankle brace. 

The Ultra 360 locks your ankle in place while the figure-8 straps provide 360º of ankle support to help prevent excessive ankle rolling. The multi-adjustable design allows you to customize your level of support – making it more adaptable than semi-rigid braces to fit in your soccer cleat.

 

You’ll play better and play more, losing less time to injuries.