McDavid Level 3 Ankle Brace with Straps, Gray, X-Small, 1 Count

I bought this product after twisting my ankle one week before Tough Mudder SOcal. During my event, this brace worked flawlessly, and comes highly recommended.I do a lot of hiking on uneven terrain, and came close to twisting my other ankle. So I decided to buy the other highly reviewed ankle brace, ASO Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis.The good points:They both work on the same principle, and are both effective at their purpose. A tight fitting, but still flexible foot brace, with two cross straps, and one around the lower shin/upper ankle strap.They both get a 5 star rating from me, there are minor differences between the two, with which I will list here:The McDavid is tighter on the top of the foot, and is harder to remove. Tends to be slightly uncomfortable if overtightened. You have to untie multiple laces to be able to remove it. It feels more snug than the ASO. I would say this one offers slightly better support around the ankles, at cost of more discomfort. Good if you have more of a severe sprain.The ASO gives you more mobility, still with great support on the ankle. Easier to remove.I wear 9.5 shoes, so I have medium for both.Overall, they are both good, but the McDavid feels slightly tighter on the foot. I still give both 5 stars, since they both perform as designed.

Ordered this based off the reviews I read and I agree with most of the comments. This brace provides great support. I rolled my ankle about three weeks ago playing basketball outdoors and ordered the brace to help with the recovery and still play. I have played three times a week for past two weeks and have not thought twice about my ankle. As a matter of fact, I am ordering a second one for the other ankle as a preventative measure. On the down side (very minor) the Velcro can be a nuisance. I did notice this morning that the laces are becoming frayed from coming into contact with the Velcro while in my gym bag, etc. As far as the fit, I wear a 10-10.5 and I ordered the medium. It is a snug fit but I did not have to change my socks or shoes to accommodate the brace. After playing a few games to break it in, I didn't even realize it was on. I wear long socks so have not experienced the cuts on my ankles but would recommend trimming the tabs to reduce this effect. Overall, this is a quality brace that provides excellent support for minor injuries and I think it is a good value for the price.

I'm waiting for a Charcot brace for my collapsed ankle. The ankle can't be fixed, It's very painful & dangerous to walk just back & forth in my room. The doctor suggested an ankle boot with stays, in the meantime. I bought one at the drugstore & I couldn't tie it because of my RA. I fought this one & I'm so happy I did!. The Velcro at the top adds the support you don't get with just the ties. Also, if it's a bad day and my hands hurt, I tuck the ties in the boot & just Velcro & use the figure 6 straps. It's not bulky so I can wear my regular walking shoes or slippers. I normally wear a size 8 1/2 WW shoe & I bought a size small. Perfect fit!! It does the job & I've been wearing it since Halloween and it doesn't show wear or wrinkles. A very good purchase.

The good: it provides excellent support. I ran two 5k's in it - one a trail run - and felt secure I would not roll my ankle again. I actually stepped off a curb and felt like I would have rolled my ankle if not for the brace. So that's all good.Now the bad:1. The stupid Velcro straps!! For crying out loud, there are three straps that have Velcro on them, and it's the "hook" part of the Velcro that is on the loose pieces while you are trying to put them on. Those bad boys will stick to your sock, the sock on your other foot, your clothes, your cat, and oh - the super long laces (see item 4). When you pick those straps up to put them in place, you'll find your lost car keys, ruin your stockings, and have cleaned the floor. It's totally ridiculous. One time the Lost City of Atlantis was attached.2. Did I mention the Velcro? Don't place it perfectly and it will cut you and show you who's boss. See picture - I've got that on both sides after running a 5k. Not bad enough you have a swollen ankle? Now you're bleeding.3. It's not subtle. Why add so much red to a black brace? You can see in the picture the little red on the front. There's also a red racing stripe down the back, the bottom eyelets are red, and the ends of the laces are tipped in red. Yes, everyone, look at my ankle!! Maybe you'll ask me what happened?!4. The laces. In an emergency, it can do double duty as a dog leash and be used to pull vehicles out of ditches. Not sure you've heard about the Velcro, but when you think to yourself, "I'll put my foot up on this chair and gently lay the straps down to the side so they won't stick to anything" you'll soon discover the fool that you are - those long laces are going to seek out that Velcro like I seek out ice cream. It won't take but a few days before your laces are frizzed like my hair in the rain. Where you gonna tuck those red-tipped laces after your bow is tied? You're not.5. In spite of those long laces, you still pretty much have to take the whole thing apart to get your foot in and out. It's a project, you need to set aside some time. Like I almost cried when I realized my foot wouldn't fit in my shoe and I needed to change my socks; in the end, it was a brown sock in a black shoe day, this girl doesn't have that kind of time in the morning. Many days I'm getting changed a couple times in a day (like when I go to the gym); it's a little crushing thinking about the procedure that's coming getting in and out of it.6. For some reason, my swollen ankle doesn't actually hurt. I'm pretty sure if you are in pain, you are going to be in more pain getting in and out of it. It's not easy to maneuver your foot in and out.As always, my opinions are subtle, unlike say, this brace.

Although the ankle brace does provide great protection, it impacts your speed. I recently started playing basketball again after fracturing my ankle in December, and the brace really did give a lot of support. Nonetheless, I moved a lot slower because of how heavy duty the brace is. Once I took it off, the result was immediate, and I could move more normally. If you want really good protection but lack of speed isn't a factor, then I would recommend this brace. If you need the brace but you regularly use your speed in many activities that you would use the brace for, then I would suggest looking for something less heavy duty.