This may only occur during the first few times you wear the brace when the edge of the strap is new and stiff.  To eliminate this pinching roll the top of your sock down so there are two layers of socks between the bottom edge of the strap and your leg. After wearing a few times the edge of the strap will become flexible and eliminating the pinching.  

Blisters occur from friction. Friction is an indication that the brace is not aligning properly with the ankle or the brace is new and just needs to be broken in. To reduce the friction between the brace and the ankle during the break-in period, try wearing two pairs of long athletic socks under the brace. If after the recommended break-in period the brace is still causing a blister, check to make sure you purchased the correct size brace and that you did not use shoe size to determine brace size.

Ultra Ankle braces require a break-in period for the shell of the brace to form-fit to your ankle.  Typically, this takes 2-3 practices for athletes or wearing for 4-6 hours for non-athletes.  Once the brace has an opportunity to adjust to the shape of your ankle it will be very comfortable to wear and fit in the shoe much easier.  Here are additional fitting tips to ensure a comfortable fit.

  • Wearing 2 braces? If you are wearing braces on both ankles, make sure you mark them L or R (left or right) on the white colored tab where the top strap attaches to the brace.  Always wear the same brace on the same ankle so they will form faster and feed better.
  • For the first few practices some athletes wear two pairs of socks for additional cushioning between the ankle and the brace.  
  • Did you purchase the correct size brace? Measure your ankle circumference per the size chart on the product page.  Do not use shoe size to determine brace size.

After the break-in period if the brace is still uncomfortable the best thing to do is send one of our certified athletic trainers a message and they would be happy to help. 

If you need to fit your Ultra Zoom ankle brace in your soccer cleats, follow these instructions:

If your soccer shoe had a traditional tongue and laces:

  • Loosen the laces enough so that you can insert your foot in the shoe.
    • At first it might seem like the brace is too big for the shoe, but once the brace is broken-in it becomes much lower profile and form-fitting and will fit in the shoe much easier.

Some of the newer soccer shoes are designed with what is called a single upper, meaning it fits like a sleeve over the foot and ankle.  This type of soccer shoe is much more difficult to wear with an ankle brace because you cannot expand the opening enough to insert your foot with the brace applied.  If this is the case, then you can use an alternative fitting method.

  • First remove the lower mid-foot strap from the brace (it will not be used). 
  • Lift the shoe’s insole and place the bottom of the brace beneath it.
  • Insert your foot in the shoe and secure the laces and the top strap of the brace.

Yes, in most cases our ankle braces will fit in high-top basketball shoes. However, the Ultra High-5 and Ultra CTS are a little easier to fit than the Ultra Zoom. 

Ultra Zoom

  • If your basketball shoe had a traditional tongue and laces, then loosen the laces enough so that you can insert your foot in the shoe.
    • At first it might seem like the brace is too big for the shoe, but once the brace is broken-in it becomes much lower profile and form-fitting and will fit in the shoe much easier.
  • Some of the newer basketball shoes are designed with what is called a single upper, meaning it fits like a sleeve over the foot and ankle. This type of basketball shoe is much more difficult to wear with an ankle brace because you cannot expand the opening enough to insert your foot with the brace applied.
    • If this is the case, then remove the lower mid-foot strap from the brace (it will not be used). Lift the shoe’s insole and place the bottom of the brace beneath it. Now insert your foot in the shoe and secure the laces and the top strap of the brace.

If the orthotic is soft we recommend wearing the Ultra CTS as described in the fitting instructions.

  • Apply the brace to the ankle first, then insert in the shoe. The bottom of the Ultra CTS will form to the top of the orthotic.

If the orthotic is rigid (usually prescribed by a physician) then you can place the bottom of the Ultra CTS beneath the orthotic. Depending on the shoe, you may decide not to use the lower mid-foot strap with this fitting method. 

Yes, many people wear orthotics with their Ultra High-5. Simply place the bottom of the brace beneath the orthotic. For additional information, watch our Ultra High-5 Fitting Video.

If the orthotic is soft we recommend wearing the Ultra Zoom as described in the fitting instructions.

  • Apply the brace to the ankle first, then insert in the shoe. The bottom of the Ultra Zoom will form to the top of the orthotic.
  • If the orthotic is rigid (usually prescribed by a physician) then you can place the bottom of the Ultra Zoom beneath the orthotic.  Depending on the shoe, you may decide not to use the lower mid-foot strap with this fitting method. 

If the brace won’t fit in your shoe, it’s usually because of one of the following reasons:

  • Do you have the correct size ankle brace for your ankle? We recommend not using your shoe size to determine brace size and instead measuring your ankle circumference per the size chart on the product page.
  • If you measured your ankle circumference and you have the correct size ankle brace, then the issue may be the type of shoe you are using. Sneakers are best to wear with ankle braces, but more specifically sneakers with a traditional tongue and laces.
  • The first couple of times you wear the brace, you may have to loosen the laces all of the way down to the bottom of the tongue and then relace them over the brace. 

At first it might seem like the brace is too big for the shoe but once the brace is broken in it becomes much lower profile and form-fitting.

Some of the newer athletic shoes are designed with what is called a single upper – meaning it fits like a sleeve over the foot and ankle. Because of the nature of the design, the shoe is very difficult to insert an ankle brace in. Also, these shoes offer less stability because of the flexible fabric used to make the shoe.