Cramer Active Ankle T2 (EA)

Bought this about a month after an ankle surgery, when I was about to switch from airboot back to wear a normal shoe on the injured side. I wanted additional support on the ankle to be sure that I wouldn't break it again. But as I was browsing through the amazon reviews, I couldn't make up my mind for this one or the laced-with-strap one#1 Laced Ankle Brace With Stabilizing Strap For Flexible Support. Breathable Neoprene Braces Made By Product Stop. (Small), so I bought both, I'd rather waste a little money than running the risk of getting injured again and going through another surgery. In the end, I don't think it's a waste at all, because both served me well, in different phases of recovery. As other reviewers mentioned that this one requires some "break-in", well, the break-in was way too painful for an ankle with nails and metal plates inside and right out of an airboot. The laced-with-strap one was NOT as flexible as their title sounds, but it offered painless sturdy support right after the airboot. The benefit of this one is for my healthy ankle or when the injured ankle completely healed and pain-free, then it has obvious advantages over the other: 1) easy to put on; I put it inside the shoe I am about to wear the next day the night before, so takes almost no additional time in the morning as I am leaving for work. The other one needs to be put on after the socks, so it will take a bit more time every morning. 2) This is good for long-hour activities. The other one, I felt the pain as the front edge rubbed to the bottom of my foot when I was walking for about 2~3 miles. This one had no problem like this at all, as its bottom is inserted under the sole of the athlete shoes. I didn't feel "break-in phase wearing this on my healthy ankle or months after the injure one completely healed. In summary, T2 is unbearably painful for an injured/recovering ankle to break-in; but once healed, T2 offers good support during long-hour exercise. I am glad I bought both during my recovery.

I was first introduced to Active Ankle T2 when a lot of my volleyball teammates in high school used them. At the time, I wasn't looking for anything in particular and was accustomed to those lace-up ankle braces that a lot of people wear for basketball. Over the years, I finally gave up on those lace-up braces simply because my feet were not getting any blood circulation. If you've used those things, you know what I'm talking about. After a few times up and down the court, my feet would go numb and I wouldnt be able to walk around the court. Eventually, I would just not wear those things and risk it.However, I had a bad ankle sprain during a league game in basketball and felt the need to get some protection (not going to compare low top vs high top basketball shoes here). After thinking about the braces, I remembered my volleyball teammates and gave them a try. Wow. I've been missing out. The brace has 2 sides with padding that go up to your high-ankle area. the 2 sides have large velcro which the 4+/- inch strap wraps around your ankle. you can tighten it pretty securely. i'll admit that I've rolled my ankle during games with these braces on but have not experienced anything severe that stopped me from playing the following week. KEY feature that i love is that these didn't restrict blood flow so there were no issues wearing these and tightening the strap to my comfort. The built in padding on the sides of your ankle is sufficient after getting used to it.Awesome brace and highly recommended. I definitely would buy again (in fact, I lost one of my braces a few weeks ago and replaced it immediately).**********************UPDATE: 2014i still have my braces and they still work wonderfully. one thing i want to mention is that some of the newer basketball shoes have a midsole cushion built as an insert to the shoe (for example, the Kobe 8, Kobe 9, and Lebron 11). i've used this brace recently with the Kobe 8 and tried to insert the brace UNDER the midsole (which is about 1 to 1.5 inch thick). the brace still worked fine and the brace was inserted below the midsole for added comfort.still recommend!

I bought this brace based on reviews for helping stabilize an ankle that repeated rolls (and I end up with a sprained ankle). I have worn it every day for the past two weeks and I'm in a love/hate relationship with it. The bad...First of all, there is this white "plate" on the bottom that has exposed sticky stuff (tape?). I think it is supposed to stick to your shoe but it mainly just picks up lint, etc. off the floor, dirt from your shoe, etc. Next, this will NOT fit in just any shoe. I have tons of walking/running shoes and have only found two pair that I can lace up when the brace is on and I have to loosen the laces as much as possible. Lastly, into my 2nd week, it started squeaking/making a noise with each step...aggravating walking into church! The good....very stabilizing. So far I have not felt as though my foot will roll. Also, it allows you to move your foot up and down easily. I don't regret the purchase, I was just hoping it would fit in my shoe more easily.

This is my second time buying this ankle brace, I highly recommend especially for athletes returning to a sport after an ankle injury. There is a foam lining that is very comfortable as long as you wear crew socks under. I like how you don’t need to buy one for a specific side and it can fit on either shoe, there are also size adjustments you can make for a more comfortable fit. I also like that the bottom piece slides under your shoe insole so you don’t have to keep taking it out or put it on before putting on the shoe. The only thing I don’t like about these braces are that they tend to stretch out the sides of your shoe if they are left in for long periods of time or if the shoe is tight around the ankle. They also look a bit bulky for those with bigger calves but they get the job done and that’s what really matters.