Aircast Airsport Ankle Brace

I tore my ATFL in 2011 and have subsequently sprained my ankle (at least the ligaments that are still intact) twice more, though not as severely. I saw a specialist who advised considering surgery for an ATFL repair but I wasn't keen on this as no guarantees it will help and has a considerable recovery time. I also saw Andy Murray wearing the Aircast A60 for a few years and thought maybe I should give it a go. Racquet Depot UK helpfully allowed me to try both this Aircast A60 and the Airsport brace in medium and large, as I was between sizes (size 10 feet but relatively small ankles) and then return the ones I didn't want. For me, the Airsport is a better brace than the A60. The Airsport is bulkier than the A60 but still fits fine in running / squash shoes and probably would be okay in football boots laced lightly. After 1-2 minutes of running around with the Airsport on, you forget it's there. The Airsport is also cushioned and more comfortable than the A60 which has a lot more edges which I found rubbed. I feel the Airsport offers so much more support than the A60 that a little extra bulk is worth it. With the A60, you can feel it doing something but can still rather easily turn your ankle. With the Airsport, I can't turn my ankle at all by consciously trying. I imagine if you were in full flight and went over on your ankle, no brace would be able to stop you spraining it 100% of the time it but I've felt myself starting to go over a few times playing squash and the Airsport has saved the day. Which you choose probably depends on your ankle size and shape, as well as the level of support needed and the sport being played but I would recommend the Aircast Airsport 100%. Massive support, very comfy and not at all restrictive! I feel the A60 has been designed for people who need less support of something at a lower profile.

This is a great investment and money well spent if you need to rehabilitate an injured ankle to get back to your sporting life. Although it feels cumbersome at first, it is worth the effort to get used to it. It performs as claimed and prevents lateral rolling motion of the ankle but allows running, kicking and change of direction checking. Although being really worried about the time my ankle injury was taking to improve, I am now playing with confidence and can see a return to fully fit performance as a realistic goal. I wish I had gotten it sooner.

My brace was bought on the advice of my physio as part of the treatment for a very bad ankle sprain. Although it took about a couple of hours to physically get used to using it, the stabilisation and pain relief was pretty much instant. I had been coping unconsciously with the sprain by rotating my foot outwards while I was walking. This started causing knee and hip issues. Without any conscious thought, my ankle straightened out while using the brace. The knee and hip issues are slowly returning to normal. It has fitted fine into all my shoes - but I don’t use formal leather office shoes so can’t say how that would work. I’ve tried beginning gentle running again with and without the support - it’s been nearly six months since the sprain. There is absolutely no doubt that I am able to run further and have less pain when it’s being worn. My physio uses one herself for sport. Under instruction, I’m trying to wean myself off the brace to strengthen the ligaments but I think the last sprain was actually one too many for my ankle. I’m guessing that I’ll be using it as a permanent running aide. My shoe size is about 44 and I went for the large which seems to be perfect for me. I’ve used it heavily and it is getting a bit beaten up as the Velcro bits snag, so I’m pleased it comes in black! It’s a great piece of kit.

I play ultimate frisbee - and have a chronically weak ankle. This brace does a great job of laterally stabilising my ankle - giving me the confidence to play hard on it. I've worn it to training for a few weeks now, and played two indoor tournaments with it. + Very comfortable - even fits into my narrow football boots easily. + Holds tension very well. + Feels very secure and builds confidence. + Very easy to put on. - There was some loose stitching, and the foam areas have begun to wear after just a few weeks (wear and tear really) - It often needs readjustment (e.g. following warm up) to get it fitting really nicely. All in all - a fantastic product and easily worth the money. Why buy a cheap, poor quality brace that won't do the job?

The brace is comfortable to wear and completely stops any rolling movement in my ankle, which is exactly what I was hoping it would do. It can get a little uncomfortable down the inside of the ankle and onto my instep but I think this is because the injury is to my outer lateral ligaments and the right side of my foot does not need the support as much as the left side does. All in all, a great product.