Ultra Zoom Ankle Brace – Hinge Design Promotes Faster Healing and Accelerated Recovery with Natural Protected Movement to promote Early Activity After Injury and Prevent Future Injuries in Life and Sport.

Update 4: Many months down the road, with many hours of use on them, both of my Ultra Zoom braces are in tip top shape and still working as intended. I have lost weight though, currently at 274, 6'2", play basketball for 2 hours about 4 times a week.Update 3: I tried the Zamst 2 brace because of the very high rating reviews, but I felt it wasn't good compared to the Ultra Zoom. Ultra Zoom has better support, easier on/off applying and has great pivot support. Zamst was lose, didn't provide as good as support and was a big hassle to put on properly. I ended up returning the Zamst and buying a second Ultra Zoom for my left ankle.Update 2: So far in about 5 months of continuous basketball at ~290 pounds, it has definitely helped with everything I needed. In fact, I may order another one for my good ankle (left) which just yesterday I rolled while playing. Great! (sarcasm)Update: So far in about 2 months there have been many times this brace has saved me from an injury. If wearing correctly, you will literally feel when it stops a rolled ankle, and you will thank the people who made this. The brace is holding up extremely well too. There is slight squeaking from sweat/water, but it's unnoticeable if you are playing sports. Do not over tighten, as it will put your foot asleep. Remember, you are also tying your shoes, so keep the foot brace a little lose. That's my advice.-------------------------I am wearing this brace because I rolled my ankle playing basketball and my specialist suggested getting a typical wooden/metal stirrup brace for the healing process. I of course didn't want to go down that route because that's outdated medical technology. So I browsed Amazon and came across this performance/hybrid brace that you can wear in daily or sport conditions. I bought it immediately.When I received the package, it was kind of packed like it was just thrown in the box and taped up. The paper work was old, crinkled, and faded, although the brace was in perfect condition.The brace can be very uncomfortable at first, be sure you wear a high sock for added comfort. Remember, I am putting this brace on as my foot is still swollen from my injury, so my pain can be self caused. But, the brace ends up molding quite well and becoming unnoticeable at times while walking and being active.The plastic is great quality, the material they use for everything else is very well made, the straps are perfectly sturdy for even a big guy like myself. The bottom strap has actually two straps, one on each side, which is genius. Because it allows you to get a even distribution of tension focused on the middle of your foot. However, and this is where I took a star off, the top strap just goes left to right. Why?! This would be the perfect brace if the straps on top (near ankle/shin) were just like the foot straps. Since the top strap only goes from left to right, it makes the brace *slightly* tighter on the left side of your foot, which is noticeable. This not only brings worries of unbalanced support for your right side of your right ankle (in my case), but I am kind of worried about my knee.I am going to test this out much more as I get healed up and ready to play/be active again after my injury. So I will update with more impressions later on in the month.**WARNING** Wear high socks with these, as they say on the warning label/box when you get them. If you don't, the bottom part of the protection will rub against your Achilles tendon. No big deal, but it's a must or it will be extremely uncomfortable.Thanks

Updated July 2023:Still going strong after two years (two club seasons and two school seasons)! A teammate was injured last year (torn ligament in ankle - out 6 weeks), which reinforced our purchase. I asked my daughter if she ever landed odd and felt the braces saved her from an ankle injury. Her response? “Oh yeah, several times.”Original review:Bought for my 13-year-old daughter, who is an outside hitter in junior high and club volleyball. These braces are highly recommended by her volleyball club, and are high quality.Sizing: my daughter normally wears size 8.5 shoes, although her mizuno volleyball shoes are 9.5. Her ankle measured 13.5” according to the Ultra Ankle instructions, so we ordered the S/M braces. Fit is perfect!Fit: It’s important to wear these with a lower shoe (no high tops) and loosen the laces to accommodate the brace. They will not feel supportive in socks, you must wear them with your shoes. After several months of wear, I expected they might cause rubbing/wear on the inside of her shoes. They don’t.Comfort: Daughter says they felt “weird” for the first couple hours of use (2 practices), now she doesn’t feel them. She prefers to wear shorter crew socks with them, as opposed to lower cut socks, so the socks are under the entire brace.Protection: They’re very light, so light she wondered if they’d be flimsy. They’re not. She compared the “shell” of the brace to her dirt bike boots, but obviously thinner and lighter. She can move, jump, shuffle, lunge, and dive all over the court. The only move the brace prevents is rotating your ankle to the side (rolling your ankle), which is the entire point.BOTTOM LINE: Would purchase again and recommend to others.

This ankle brace is a great option for peace of mind, while maintaining mobility with the hinged design!Playing basketball has been the biggest issue for my ankles, mostly mild to moderate sprains over the years like a lot of people. I had a severe left ankle sprain and fibular avulsion in 2021, that I didn't get medical treatment on, and since then, my left ankle has been somewhat unstable and has less range of motion. Reluctantly, I tried lace-up ASO ankle braces, and found they slightly reduced my agility, but continued to use periodically. after suffering a sprain while wearing the braces, I resolved that I would only ever wear them when currently rehabbing an injury, as they affected my play and didn't adequately protect from injury.I eventually went to foot/ankle specialist in physical therapy, and he recommended that I needed a stiffer product to protect my ankles, and recommended the Ultra CTS brace. I purchased two and found them inconveniently bulky, not good looking, and somewhat reduced my agility as well, BUT, they were effective at stopping injuries when I had stepped on another player's foot. I determined that I do need that level of support to continue playing basketball, but that this may be overkill for my other love, flag football. That's when I doubled down and got a pair of Ultra Zoom braces, and these are similar in construction, but with softer material, preserving a more mobility. I had once incidence where coming down from a jump ball attempt, got my feet angled up with a defender and mildly sprained my bad left ankle in the Zoom braces, but I stayed in the game, and missed no time afterward, so while certainly less still, it still can be effective. I have never sprained in the Ultra CTS while playing either basketball or flag football. I've played one flag football game in the Ultra CTS braces just to try it, and really did not notice a difference from the Zoom, just for the record.Overall, I'd recommend both braces, and I'm glad I bought both. I understand the price may dissuade a lot of people from having a pair of each, so if debating between the two, here's what I'd say. Both help protect the ankles, and the hinge design does make it easier to run compared to a lace up.I like the CTS for basketball because of the high risk of stepping on feet, and given my situation, I need some actual stiffness, not just proprioceptive feedback in ankle braces to avoids injuries, given my already compromised joints. I don't like that the top part of that brace easily starts to unclip from the bottom. This has happened several times in games, and it starts clicking and gets uncomfortable, and probably is less supportive in that case. It requires taking off your shoe and braces to reinsert. But I've had zero injuries in over a year playing in them.I like the Zoom for flag football because it allows less inhibited movement, while still adding a little bit of structural integrity. However, the straps did start to come unglued within about 6 months of owning them. I still use the braces, but at the price point, I think they could be built more sturdily. I also think that given 230+lb frame and athletic play style, I am vulnerable to basketball landing injuries more than most, so for people who don't have x-rays showing an abnormal joint, this is the better one to use for basketball- I just needed something stronger than most of us will to stay in the game. I have played basketball in the Zoom braces a few times, and it is more comfortable and easier to play in them than the CTS, and offers plenty of protection while "on the floor". Coming down from above the rim? Again, at my weight, I wouldn't totally trust it.If you're reading this, you're probably considering a better option because you don't like or haven't had success with lace up ankle braces. I'd say for larger/more powerful bodies with a significant history of ankle injuries, Ultra CTS is the best option for you. For smaller athletes, or those who have only had more mild sprains, Ultra Zoom is rigid enough for you, looks better, and is easier to play in. Before trying Ultra Ankle, I purchased the Zamst A2-DX braces worn by Stephen Curry, and I do think that's probably a good option for a smaller body who's game is predicated on shiftiness, it's not nearly rigid enough for someone like me.Ultra Zoom is probably the best option for most people. If it's not stiff enough for you, go CTS. Zamst A2-DX is more expensive, and less supportive, but is more comfortable than Ultra Zoom, & perhaps a better fit for soccer (I don't play soccer). Hope this helps.