Introduction

With teenage basketball players each year it gets more intense and aggressive and to compete you must match that level of intensity. Training becomes more important to keep yourself in the best physical condition. However, sometimes your body’s ligaments, tendons, and bones cannot handle the increased intensity and aggressiveness which leads to sports injuries. And although one or two previous ankle injuries seemed like no big deal, now your ankle is turning more frequently and with more severity. We call this the Cycle of Injury which can only be slowed down or stopped wearing a professional ankle brace.

The ankle is the #1 injury in basketball primarily from stepping on another player’s foot and turning your ankle inward called an inversion ankle sprain. How many previous ankle injuries have you had?  Are any of those ankle injuries the more severe grade 2 or 3? This blog will help you determine if you need to wear an ankle brace, what type of ankle brace you need, and the best basketball shoes to wear with ankle braces.

What happens if you don’t address lingering ankle issues? You will eventually have to quit the sport you love due to pain associated with chronic ankle instability which ultimately leads to ankle osteoarthritis when you are older. The good news is you can stop that cycle of ankle injuries now and continue to play the sport you love.

 Had Any of These Basketball Ankle Injuries?

✅ Landing on Another Player’s Foot

✅ Quick Direction Changes

✅ High Impact from Jumping and Landing

✅ Growing Bodies and Developing Strength

Because of these risks, wearing ankle braces is one of the best ways to prevent injuries and keep teenage basketball players active and healthy.

How Do Ankle Braces Help Prevent Injuries?

Ankle braces are one of the most effective tools for preventing injuries and providing extra stability for teenage basketball players. They act as a protective layer, reducing the risk of sprains and allowing athletes to play with confidence.

Here’s how ankle braces help keep players safe on the court:

✅ Limits Excessive Ankle Movement that Causes Ankle Injuries.  

✅ Provides Consistent Ankle Stability

✅ Reduces the Severity of Sprains Meaning Shorter Recovery Time

✅ Increases Confidence in your Ankle

Since basketball places constant stress on the ankles, wearing a brace is a simple and effective way to prevent unnecessary injuries and keep players on the court, rather than on the bench.

Braces vs. Taping: What’s the Better Option?

When it comes to ankle support, some players and coaches debate whether taping or wearing ankle braces is the better option. While both methods offer some level of protection, ankle braces provide more reliable, long-term support, making them the preferred choice for teenage basketball players.

Here’s why braces are the better option:

✅ Ankle Braces Provide More and Longer Lasting Ankle Support – Tape starts to loosen and lose effectiveness as the game progresses, while ankle braces provide constant stability from start to finish.

✅Ankle Braces are Easier to Use – Taping an ankle properly requires a coach or trainer and needs to be redone before every practice or game. Ankle braces, on the other hand, are easy to put on and take off without assistance.

✅ Ankle Braces are More Cost-Effective

Because of these advantages, most basketball players—from high school to the NBA—prefer ankle braces over taping for better, long-lasting support.

What to Look for When Choosing an Ankle Brace

Not all ankle braces are created equal, so choosing the right one is key to getting the best balance of support, comfort, and performance. Here are some important factors to consider when selecting an ankle brace for basketball:

✅ Level of Support Needed

• Mild to Moderate Support: Lace-up ankle braces (e.g., Ultra 360®) provide basic protection but can restrict movement.
• Very Good to Maximum Support: Hinged ankle braces (e.g., Ultra Zoom®) allow full range of motion while providing superior stability.

✅ Fit & Comfort

• Both lace-up and hinged ankle braces will fit comfortably inside basketball shoes given a proper break-in period.
• Lace-up ankle braces can be lower in profile or “not as bulky,” but they do not provide as much ankle stability as a hinged brace.

✅ The Right Basketball Shoes

• The best basketball shoes to wear with ankle braces are low top with a traditional tongue and laces where you can loosen the laces enough to fit the brace in the shoe.
• The worst basketball shoes to wear with ankle braces are mid-tops with a sleeve or collar design (no tongue) which limits the opening of the shoe making it very difficult to fit the brace in the shoe.

✅ Durability & Long-Term Use

• Lace-Up ankle braces are made with fabric so one sports season may be all you get before the product needs to be replaced.
• Our Ultra Zoom hinged ankle brace has a one-year warranty on every component. The straps and pads can be replaced as needed to make for a very durable and long lasting ankle brace.

By selecting the right ankle brace and pairing it with proper basketball shoes, teenage players can stay protected without compromising their comfort or performance.

Conclusion

For teenage basketball players, ankle injuries are a real risk, but they don’t have to be an inevitable part of the game. With the fast-paced nature of basketball—jumping, cutting, and landing—ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries. The best way to prevent them is by wearing a professional ankle brace.

Compared to taping, ankle braces provide better support, last longer, and are easier to use. Choosing the right brace depends on the level of protection needed—lace-up braces offer mild to moderate support, while hinged braces provide very good to maximum support without restricting natural movement.

To get the most out of an ankle brace, pair it with the right basketball shoes. Traditional tongue-and-lace shoes work best, while high-tops should be avoided since they don’t provide extra support and can create pressure points.

By investing in the right ankle brace, players can stay healthy, confident, and focused on improving their game—all while reducing the risk of injury.

Ankle Injury? Recover Faster – Get Back in the Game Sooner

If you’ve just suffered a second-degree (grade 2) ankle sprain, you’re likely dealing with swelling, bruising, and significant pain with every step. A sprain of this severity involves a partial tear in at least one of the ligaments that stabilize your ankle, making it difficult to walk or bear weight (MGB). Your medical team may have recommended a walking boot to immobilize your ankle, providing some relief from weight bearing pain. However, recent research suggests that even severe ankle sprains recover better and faster when exposed to protected movement. Regardless of your treatment plan, your main question remains: When can I start practicing and playing again?

The Road to Recovery

After a week of therapy, your swelling and pain may have decreased enough to transition out of the boot. At this stage, introducing protected movement is key to optimizing your recovery. Movement improves circulation, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients to the injured joint, while also strengthening the muscles and tendons. This, in turn, helps you regain lost agility and gets you back to your sport faster (SIP).

Protected movement is made possible by wearing an ankle brace that allows your ankle and foot to move freely in all the natural ways-but restricts excessive movement to the already injured ligaments, muscles, and joint surfaces (SIP). Because your ankle is now unstable, you’ll need to stabilize it with a brace when you return to practice, allowing your ligaments to fully heal and protect against reinjury.

There are two types of ankle braces that can provide this stabilization: lace-up ankle braces and hinged (or semi-rigid) ankle braces. Lace-up braces, such as Ultra Ankle’s Ultra 360, offer support through a combination of laces and figure-8 straps, providing some flexibility while bracing the ankle. However, lace-up braces can lose their effectiveness as the fabric stretches and loosens over time, putting you at risk of re-injuring your ankle.

On the other hand, hinged ankle braces like the Ultra Zoom® help prevent your ankle from rolling side to side while still allowing the up-and-down movement needed to promote healing. This not only keeps you protected but also facilitates a quicker recovery (MVH). The Ultra Zoom’s patented hinge-cuff design offers an additional benefit: it helps prevent high ankle sprains, which are typically more painful and have a longer recovery period.

Recover Faster with the Ultra Zoom® Ankle Brace

The key to a quick and effective recovery is restoring your ankle’s range of motion and strength. The Ultra Zoom’s hinged-cuff design allows your ankle to move naturally, aiding rehabilitation while your ligaments heal. By maintaining normal ankle movement, the Ultra Zoom accelerates healing and rebuilds muscle strength, putting you on the fastest path to recovery. For more information you can watch our Ultra Zoom Product Features video.

Play Sooner – With Confidence

When you’re ready to return to practice or games, protecting your ankle from reinjury is critical. Your ankle is now more susceptible to twists and turns, increasing the risk of another sprain. The Ultra Zoom’s hinged-cuff design limits excessive inversion and rotation—movements that lead to ankle injuries. Its Performathane® soft, flexible shell forms a custom fit to your ankle using body heat, providing a secure, comfortable fit for all-day protection during every practice and game.

Ankle injuries are common in sports, but recurring injuries don’t have to be. By taking the right precautions with the Ultra Zoom Ankle Brace, you can stop the cycle of ankle injuries, and protect your pre-existing injury and play with confidence all season long.

The ankle remains the primary site of injury in high school, collegiate and professional basketball for both genders. Regardless of an athlete’s physical conditioning, preventing ankle injuries remains challenging. Such injuries often happen in scenarios where players go up for a rebound and land on another player’s foot, or they are cutting to the basket and mistakenly step off another player’s shoe. These contacts can lead to the common inversion ankle sprain, which occurs when the ankle is forced to rotate excessively inward.

Understanding Inversion Ankle Sprains

Inversion ankle sprains can stretch and sometimes tear the ligaments holding the ankle joint together, leading to extended bench time that could range from a few days to weeks, depending on the injury’s severity. Even after resting to allow the ankle to heal, the ligaments remain somewhat stretched, making the ankle loose and unstable and prone to future ankle injuries. This cycle of recurring ankle injuries can be interrupted or slowed down by wearing a preventive ankle brace.

The Role of Preventive Ankle Braces

The term “Preventive Ankle Brace” means wearing an ankle brace during every practice and game to help prevent ankle injuries or lessen the severity should an injury occur. The right ankle brace should be determined by evaluating the athlete’s injury history and the type of basketball shoe worn.

The Importance of Basketball Shoes

Basketball shoes play a vital role in how an ankle brace fits and feels. Some basketball shoe designs will dictate the type of ankle brace needed as not all ankle braces will fit in every basketball shoe.

There are basically two types of basketball shoe designs:

     1. Traditional Tongue and Laces: These shoes allow the laces to spread out enough to fit the ankle brace inside the shoe. They offer the best fit for any type of brace.

     2. Sleeve or Collar Design: These shoes lack a traditional tongue, making the opening much smaller and very difficult to fit the ankle brace inside. Depending on your ankle injury history, you must first determine the type of ankle brace you need and then select the style of basketball shoe that fits best with that ankle brace.

Evaluating Injury History and Ankle Brace Type

1-3 Previous Ankle Injuries: For athletes with 1-3 previous minor ankle injuries, an entry-level ankle brace made with fabric that laces up, called Lace-Ups, might suffice. Lace-Ups with figure-8 straps are preferred as they wrap around the ankle similarly to a tape job performed by an athletic trainer. Think of Lace-Up braces as a reusable tape job that can be applied before every practice and game, eliminating the need for an athletic trainer.

Pros of Lace-Up Ankle Braces:

• Inexpensive and readily available online or at sporting goods stores.
• Low profile, fitting in any style of basketball shoe.

Cons of Lace-Up Ankle Braces:

• Restrict natural up-and-down ankle movement, which is crucial for running and jumping.
• Fabric stretches out, migrates, and loses support rapidly during athletic activity.

Ultra Ankle® offers a Lace-Up ankle brace called the Ultra 360®. The Ultra 360® locks your ankle in place while the figure-8 straps provide 360º of support to help prevent excessive ankle rolling. Its multi-adjustable design allows you to customize your level of support.

4-5 Previous Ankle Injuries: For athletes with 4-5 previous ankle injuries, including one or more grade 2-3 injuries, more support is required. Plastic hinged ankle braces offer a structurally sound design and additional support needed for unstable ankles.

Pros of Plastic Hinged Ankle Braces:

• Move with the natural up-and-down movement of the ankle, not restricting performance, speed, agility, or vertical jump.
• Straps stay securely in place, maintaining long-lasting support throughout a practice or game.

Cons of Plastic Hinged Ankle Braces:

• Larger than fabric ankle braces, requiring more room in the shoe.
• May take a few practices to break in and become comfortable.

Ultra Ankle® offers a plastic hinged-cuff ankle brace called the Ultra Zoom®. The Ultra Zoom® has a soft, flexible Performathane® shell that uses body heat to form a custom fit to the ankle for comfortable, long-lasting support. Its hinge design allows for natural ankle range of motion to enhance performance and keep muscles strong. The Ultra Zoom® is our preferred basketball ankle brace with exceptional durability to last multiple seasons. A full ONE YEAR warranty on every component.

Conclusion

Selecting the right ankle brace involves considering both the injury history and the type of basketball shoe. By understanding the benefits and limitations of each type of brace, athletes can make informed decisions to protect their ankles and enhance their performance on the court. At Ultra Ankle®, we are committed to providing high-quality performance ankle braces designed to meet the needs of basketball players at all levels. You’ll play better and play more, losing less time to ankle injuries.

References

• American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society. Ankle Sprain: https://www.aofas.org
• National Library of Medicine. Ankle Sprains: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Ankle Sprains Overview: https://www.orthoinfo.org