Ultra CTS Ankle Brace – Best Ankle Stability for Arthritis, Acute Injuries & High Sprains – Orthopedic Hinged-Cuff Design for Comfort & Support While Reducing Weight-Bearing Pain

Updates at bottom ~~~~~ I have been searching for an ankle brace for couple years now (on and off) but haven't been able to find one I like, this one has been the closest match for me that I can use everyday and on the court. Our experience with the company started bad when they sent the $34 model that is just the smaller portion instead of the $134 full brace with the piece that comes on and off for additional support. The company quickly fixed their mistake and send us the correct brace in exchange for the one I received originally. Why I need it - I have rsd/crps in my left ankle with micro fractures that never healed and I roll my ankle often when playing school and club volleyball and braces tend to help but some cause more pain then do good. Pros ~ easy on, can put on in under a minute and am finished way before the rest of my team mates. ~ fits in most shoes, I haven't had one shoe it doesn't fit in yet. ~ can be switched between tall and short brace fairly easy ~ great quality ~ great customer service, fast response time under 2 hours email response both times i contacted them after hours ~ provides maximum support, WITHOUT RESTRICTING MOVEMENT!! Which was a major thing for us as all other braces did a lot of making it harder to play in for me. ~ does not tear up shoes! More st braces tear up my volleyball shoes horrible. Cons ~ price, at $134 shipped it definitely was not by any means cheap ~ takes a little bit to break in. Took about a weeks worth of practices (3 2 hour) practices and a hour every day of wearing it (5 days) to full adjust to it completely and not even notice it is on. ~ padding is sturdy and supportive, which is great for a normal injury however with RSD/CRPS my ankle is also very sensitive to touch especially with shoes, socks, bracelets, etc. we put the padding from our old brace and is 100% better. Overall I am extremely happy with this brace it is a life saver somedays and I now am much more confident playing especially with hitting a slide or anytime jumping knowing my ankle won't give out under me. I highly recommend this ankle brace to anyone with an ankle injury who hopes to return to playing their best. It is fully work the cost in my mind and are extremely happy we decided to purchase it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPDATE 1~ I have been using this brace months now and is still preforming really well, I use the brace on a daily basis and I had been using the gel/foam padding from my last ankle brace and finally made a foam padding very similar to the one provided in shape and design but a little softer in some areas as ankle is very sensitive due to RSD. I did have a small problem with it squeaking after it got caked in mud and went through a creek and I contacted ultra ankle and they quickly came up with an effective solution. some people had said you need tall socks under it however after the first week it was more custom fit to my ankle and was much more comfortable to the point it doesn't rub at all even without socks and is just as comfortable. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please click helpful if it helped!

Usually, stirrup braces aren't helpful for me because I'm hyper mobile and my ankle can roll inside of them. Not with this brace! This brace also stabilizes the arch of the foot and straps the foot into place to eliminate side to side movement while retaining heel-toe push off motion. Not only is this crucial for me in shoes, but it also allows me to have the support I need when wearing flip flops (yeah, I know, definitely not doctor recommended, but I prefer it). Additionally, this brace is higher than other supports due to its hybrid function (the highest portion can separate from the main portion to create a more discreet support). When I sprain, I sprain high up the side of my leg. With the hybrid function of the top piece, this brace goes halfway up my leg, reducing needless pain from walking. I can essentially walk normally in this brace only days after a fresh sprain (I get them recurrently). The cons: I had to use a professional orthotist to shape the plastic arch piece to my foot. It was just too uncomfortable even when resting. I know the company claims that it shapes to our bodies with our own body heat, but after 2 weeks of initial use for that purpose I gave up. It was too uncomfortable. The orthotist shaped it with heat and added moleskin padding for me and I'm pleased as ever with it. A note: The brace becomes side-dependent once it molds to you (however you manage to get it to mold). If you're someone who recurrently sprains either side, you'll want to buy two and label them. The straps are designed in a way that they offer a discreet white space to write on. For teams, this can double for a name label. For individuals, it's likely meant for labeling what side of your body that brace belongs on. Since this is a hybrid brace that comes apart, two of the straps offer this writing space. Be sure to to label the lowest one in case you ever separate it from the top piece.

Thin plastic brace with very thin cheap inside padding. For the price I expected way better. This thing is really worth more like maybe $70 on a mediocre day. The padding was the deal breaker for me. Couldn't get beyond the pain it causes from pressure spots. Fits inside shoes and boots just fine No problems there at all. Stabilization was 5 out of 10. Fitting and putting on was easy. It needs to have some kind of gel padding. Not cheap thin foam. At least higher quality foam might work. Could I have rigged it myself so it was usable? Yes. Not what I'm paying the high price for. A lace up brace with an Ace bandage over it at ankle level works better. I wore it for 5 days hoping it would form to my ankle, but no dice. My $160 can be put to better use for my ankle. I've been in every form of ankle brace for years. Tried them all almost. This one rates maybe a 3 on a 10 scale.

Helping to have protection while I drive, but fit is not good for anything else. Seemed like this was going to be a great brace to transition from an air cast, but it’s very uncomfortable and poking my ankle too much to get it comfortable. Also instructions note how to get a shoe on over it although I can’t see how this would be possible without going up by two sizes on a shoe. Disappointed with this purchase, especially for the money.