"I'm 50 years with bad everything from being a former Army grunt. These ankle sleeves have allowed me to enjoy another board sport. They offer enough support when riding and help me recover afterwards. I'm now a committed customer."
"I broke my ankle years ago and have post traumatic arthritis from it... The compression on the Old Bones is perfect! It holds everything in place without cutting off circulation. It's easy to take off, especially after 40 minutes of a sweaty workout."
"I'm missing cartilage in my ankle and need to ice it after physical activity. This is so much better than an ice pack that would constantly need adjusting and got wet."
Ankle Support for Rolls, Landings and Long Days
Your ankles take every landing, every cut on a court and every uneven step on a job site. Most ankle trouble starts with a roll: the foot tips under you, and for weeks or months afterward the ankle can feel loose, stiff or puffy. Other ankles ache from years of impact, an old break, or hardware that rubs inside a skate boot. Our ankle gear is built for living with all of that: compression you wear in your shoes, and cold or heat when you're done.
How to Choose
While you move, wear the sleeve. The Compression Ankle Sleeve is knitted compression with silicone gel padding that wraps the whole joint. It's thin enough for skate shoes, sneakers, cleats and work boots, so it goes on under your sock and stays put all day or all session. For the sleeve on its own, see our ankle compression sleeves.
Afterward, use the ice sleeve. The Ankle Ice Sleeve is our ankle ice wrap. The whole sleeve is the gel pack, so it wraps the joint in cold, or heat if you warm it, with no straps and no dripping bag. Slide it on for 15 to 20 minutes and keep your hands free. Every ice sleeve we make is on our ice sleeves page.
We don't make a rigid or lace-up ankle brace. When people search for an ankle brace, most want support they can wear inside a shoe, and that's the sleeve. Our ankle braces page walks through it by sport and by problem. If a provider has told you to keep the ankle still, follow that first.
By Sport
Court and field sports roll more ankles than anything else. Volleyball players wear the sleeve for landings at the net (see volleyball ankle braces), basketball players for cuts and rebounds (basketball ankle braces), and soccer players under their socks and cleats (ankle braces for soccer). Skaters, roller skaters and Onewheel riders wear it inside their shoes and boots.
By Condition
Coming back from a roll? Start with ankle braces for sprains. Soreness along the outside of the ankle is covered on ankle braces for peroneal tendonitis, and heel pain that reaches up into the ankle on plantar fasciitis ankle braces. If your ankles swell by the end of a long day on your feet, a sock may suit you better than a sleeve: see compression socks for swollen ankles. For a wider look at supports, see orthopedic ankle braces.
Sizing
The Compression Ankle Sleeve is sized around the heel and ankle, not above the ankle bone. Run a soft tape around the back of your heel and over the front of your ankle where your foot meets your leg. 12 inches or less is M, 12 to 14 inches is L, and 14 inches or more is XL. It fits snug, so if you're unsure, size up. The Ankle Ice Sleeve is one size.
When to See a Provider
Get a fresh injury checked before you reach for a sleeve: if you can't put weight on it, it swelled or bruised fast, the bone itself hurts to press, or the ankle keeps giving way. A sleeve is for the comeback and the everyday, not for holding a badly hurt ankle still.
Working up or down the leg? See our shin sleeves and calf support or our insoles and compression socks, or start at shop by body part.
FAQs
Do you make an ankle brace?
Not a rigid or lace-up one. Our ankle support is the Compression Ankle Sleeve: knitted compression with gel padding, thin enough to wear inside a skate shoe, cleat or work boot. That's what most people searching for an ankle brace are after. If a provider has told you to keep the ankle still, follow that first.
Can I wear the ankle sleeve inside my shoes?
Yes. It's thin enough for sneakers, skate shoes, cleats, roller skate boots and work boots, and it won't bunch up or add bulk.
Can I wear it after a sprained ankle?
Yes, once you're back on your feet. Plenty of people wear the sleeve as they ease back into running, skating or their sport after a roll. For the first days after a fresh sprain, rest and ice come first, and if you can't put weight on it, see a provider before you wear anything.
Is it good for volleyball, basketball and soccer?
Yes. It's thin enough to wear under a sock in court shoes or cleats, and it stays in place through jumps, cuts and landings.
How do I measure for the ankle sleeve?
Around the heel and ankle, not above the ankle bone: run a soft tape around the back of your heel and over the front of your ankle. M is 12 inches or less, L is 12 to 14, XL is 14 or more. It fits snug, so if you're unsure, size up.
How do I use the Ankle Ice Sleeve?
Freeze it for at least 2 hours, slide it over your foot and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. The gel stays flexible when frozen, so it wraps the whole ankle, and the soft cover keeps the cold off bare skin. For heat, warm it in the microwave following the included instructions. It's one size.