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.  

Sneakers are best to wear with ankle braces, but more specifically sneakers with a traditional tongue and laces. You want to be able to loosen the laces enough to insert the brace in the shoe. Sometimes this means loosening the laces all the way to the bottom of the tongue. 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.

Ultra Ankle braces will fit either ankle when they are new, however once you start wearing them and they start forming to your ankle they become ankle specific and should continue to be worn on the same ankle. 

It is very important that mark the braces L or R (left or right) and always wear them on the same ankle. Where the top strap attaches to the brace there is a white colored tab where you can mark the brace L or R.

If you’re an athlete, we recommend you write your name and/or number as well to identify them if they are lost amongst your teammates. 

If your brace is over a year old, one way to test if it needs replaced is to evaluate the hinge area to see if it has become loose.

To test the hinge, place one hand on the top of the brace and the other hand on the bottom of the brace and push and pull the brace back and forth. If you can see a lot of extra movement in the hinge area, then replacing the brace is recommended to regain stability.

The shell of the Ultra Zoom will never crack, break or tear but after 2-3 years of wear and tear the hinge may become too loose to provide adequate support. To test the hinge, place one hand on the top of the brace and the other hand on the bottom of the brace and push and pull the brace back and forth. If you can see a lot of extra movement in the hinge area, then replacing the brace is recommended to regain stability.

If your brace is over a year old, one way to test if it needs replaced is to evaluate the hinge area to see if it has become loose.

To test the hinge, place one hand on the top of the brace and the other hand on the bottom of the brace and push and pull the brace back and forth. If you can see a lot of extra movement in the hinge area, then replacing the brace is recommended to regain stability.

You can hand wash the brace, pads and straps with a damp cloth and let air dry.  You can detach the foam pad from the brace in order to clean the shell and pad thoroughly.  Do not use a washing machine or dryer to clean the brace.  Replacement straps and pads for our braces are available for purchase if needed. 

This is an easy fix.  Yes, sometimes the brace will squeak because of the advanced resin used in the Performathane® shell.  Any type of spray lubricant such as silicone or similar sprayed directly in the rivet/hinge area where the upper and lower components meet will stop the squeaking.  You can purchase silicone spray lubricant at any hardware store.  We typically use WD-40 Silicone Spray, but any silicone spray will do.