| Best Ankle Supports for Running 202423 January 2024 | Eugene Whether you're an experienced marathon-runner or on the first week of your couch-to-5k, getting back on the road after an injury to your ankle can be more comfortable (and a lot less painful) with the right ankle support. From simple slip-on sleeves to more rigid braces for rollover protection, whatever level of support you're looking for, our Best Ankle Supports for Running guide has you covered. Hit the ground running full of confidence and without worrying about ankle pain! We can't direct you to the best support unless we know exactly what you're looking for, so we've broken our selections down into a few key sections:
Best Running Ankle Support to Prevent RollingOur Winner: Aircast A60 Ankle Brace If you're looking to get back into running after a sprain, or a more severe injury that has left you with a bit of instability and uncertainty, your number one concern is probably rolling your ankle when stepping off a curb or onto uneven ground. To stop that from happening without bulking up your ankle with padding, there's no support better than the Aircast A60 Ankle Brace.
Final Word from the Experts: Made with Breath-O-Prene material that's cool and lightweight, this brace prevents dangerous movement by stopping any ankle turnover at 60° (thus the A60 name) while fitting comfortably into any running shoes. No wonder it's the top choice of plenty of pros. Not the Best For... ✘ Heel pain and Achilles tendonitis (see our solution...) Best Lightweight Ankle Support for SprainsOur Winner: MedSpec ASO Ankle Stabilising Ankle Support for Sprains Robust ankle protection usually means including rigid and bulky splints and stays, which is what separates the MedSpec ASO Stabilising Ankle Support from the rest of the market. Using stabilising straps that contour just above the malleoli (bony protrusions on either side of the ankle), this brace anchors both sides of the ankle with the bottom of the foot, preventing the dangerous inversion or eversion movements.
Final Word from the Experts: The perfect combination of a slim, low-profile and plenty of robust support. The elastic cuff provides compression to reduce pain and swelling that can linger after sprain rehab, while the straps combine in a figure-of-eight pattern to simulate the security of a physiotherapist's ankle wrapping. Not the Best For... ✘ Arch pain and plantar fasciitis (see our solution...) Best Running Ankle Brace for ArthritisOur Winner: Actimove Arthritis Care Ankle Support If you suffer from arthritis, rigid protection isn't as important as therapeutic compression to keep your blood flowing freely. The Actimove Arthritis Care Compression Ankle Support is designed to reduce arthritic pain while reducing the stiffness that usually accompanies the condition, made with ceramic fibres that direct warmth to the tendons to keep you feeling great through your run.
Final Word from the Experts: Easy to slip on in seconds, the Actimove Ankle Brace is great for those first few minutes of a run where pain and stiffness get in the way of an otherwise-great session. Not the Best For... ✘ Recovery from severe ligament injury (see our solution...) Best Running Ankle Support for Achilles TendonitisOur Winner: Aircast AirHeel Ankle Brace While any brace that provides compression to the Achilles can help with your Achilles tendonitis, none feature the targeted pulsating compression of the Aircast AirHeel Ankle Brace. Simple yet ingenious, the AirHeel uses two interconnected air cells to alternate compression between the plantar tendons the bottom of your foot and the Achilles tendon at the rear.
Final Word from the Experts: The air cells create a massaging effect that increases blood flow while shortening the 'lever' action that can strain the Achilles, making it the most effective targeted Achilles tendon support we've come across. Not the Best For... ✘ Side-to-side rollover prevention (see our solution...) Best Running Ankle Brace for Ligament DamageOur Winner: BioSkin TriLok Ankle Ligaments Support When restarting running after rehab of a severe ligament injury, it's best to have movement protection in multiple directions, which is where the BioSkin TriLok Ankle Ligaments Support excels. The secret of this brace is the combination of multiple straps with an undersleeve, together pulling weak ligaments and tendons toward the centre of the foot to mimic the action of strong stabilising tendons.
Final Word from the Experts: If ligament injuries have left you with a feeling of instability that saps your confidence across multiple planes of motion, this is the support for you. It's also a great option for PTTD. Not the Best For... ✘ Protection in especially tight-fitting runners (see our solution...) Running Down a DreamRehabilitation is never easy, but having a support to give you some assurance to start pushing yourself can make each step a little less intimidating. With a rollover support, stepping off a curb has less of a chance to set you back a few months, and with an Achilles support, that ligament strain can be more of a warning to slow down rather than a full reset for your recovery. We're confident the supports we've provided here are some of the best around to help you fend off injury and start performing again, but if you haven't found exactly what you're looking for, have a look at our entire range of ankle supports for running by clicking the link below. |