Ankle strength
Also if you want to regain strength in an ankle I highly suggest going for hikes on uneven surfaces in tennis shoes with ZERO ankle support. Dont push it too far to the point where there is high risk of messing up your ankles again. Just to the point where you can feel the burn in your ankle and shins. This works wonders for me!
One of my best friends sprained his ankle a couple of times and was very sensitive to shock after that to the point of getting really shy during muni rides.
He tried hiking shoes but they were too stiff for his liking and he wasn’t able to feel the unicycle properly.
Time-lapse to a month ago. I offered him some
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TGUN7A/ref=pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1
hoping they will be comfy enough for him to wear them and get his mojo back.
Turned out he liked them very much, he felt a good support without any hinder and we went for a muni session and a street session and in both cases, he wasn’t shy anymore 
Now, his ankle braces are part of his basic set (with his gloves) in each and every ride. We even joked that now he has robocop’s ankles 
Ankle braces are great but you have to be careful with them because if you wear them all the time and don’t do a sufficient amount of exercise they will become very weak. Or so I’ve heard.
+1. Ankle braces are perfect to prevent one from hurting more one’s ankles on tricky situation. But otherwise, a good old training is the best way to get back to most of the strength.
Thanks for the advice. I ordered an Aircast A60. I’ll do stretches and wear the brace for a while and see how it feels.
I’ll have to be more patent before I start practicing crank flips again since that flicking of the toe is exactly what hurts 
Glad I found this thread. I’ve experienced pain and limited range of motion in my left ankle for some years now. Not sure what exactly caused the problem, but I tweaked it yesterday whilst crashing on a trail. So after reading through here, I ordered the SixSixOne Race Pro Ankle Brace from Amazon. With shipping it cost about $17. I’ll try to provide a review once I ride with them a couple times.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WSAAXU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ankle Braces, Mecial Reviews
Hello There…
After I bought my 661 race ankle braces, i started looking around of the effectiveness of the ankle braces; first and obvious i searched here in the community where i found many people suggesting “not use off braces at all” which left me worried since i bought mine… then i went to the web and found this, which might help to all of those in doubt of using them or not…
http://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/departments/sports/brace-yourself/
My personal conclusion: Do the alphabet and some other ankle excersises- wear the braces and then go rolling!!!
I will send my views on the 661 later after some uses…
Thanks.
I own two of them. There are two curved plastic inserts in each support on the place where ankle bones should be BUT my bones are higher and edge of insert rubbing it. I removed these inserts and now they are not painful to wear.
Sizing are fine - have no idea why it was so wrong.
Regular running/jogging is one of the best ways to strength ankles and to promote ankle flexibility.
Having been a road runner for years (seven miles every other day) I rolled my ankles several times whilst out running and came to no harm. Not even an aching tendon.
After my friend got a real bad sprain while we were riding (muni) a couple months ago, I bought a pair of the ASOs (with the plastic splint option), and now wear them for every off-road ride. The splints did rub against my ankle bones somewhat, causing some discomfort, but I found that if I doubled my sock down around my ankle (creating two sock layers) they were pretty comfortable. Hard to really gauge their effectiveness, but I haven’t hurt either of my ankles, so I won’t argue with success!
Pictures of Ankle Braces
Hello There…
is been a week or so since i bought my braces from 661, and used them to ride probable 5-6 times…
I find them confortable, not as warm as i was expecting (good thing), but also not as durable… since the stitching on the ankle protection is already coming apart in both braces… meaning also that they covered my from painfull crank-ankle confrontations…
My overall review is that they are a good option but they might not be durable and you will end up buying a new par sooner than expected.
here is the pic.
I really like lace up braces w/ removable inserts. I usually find the inserts too stiff for their flat shape (would be perfect if shaped properly).
I want that extra stiffness though, so I cut out several layers of flexible plastic from Tap Plastics & stick them in. I make them large enough to cover the lace holes of the brace, then cut holes in the plastic for the laces. Always requires a bit of trial and error, so I trace the spots for the holes first, then cut the holes small & widen as necessary. I use a knife & have to be careful to not cut myself or cut WAY to big a hole. The plastic falls apart long before the brace & making a replacement is way easier if I don’t let it get too worn so I can use it as a template for a new one.
I like McDavid & Sweed-O brands. They last ~ 2 yrs before they’re falling apart. [I wear them all day every day I’m not sitting around the house. (Paralysis in lower legs)]
I just got the “Active Ankle T2” ankle braces: https://www.activeankle.com/products/athletic/rigid-ankle-brace/t2-detail
Up until now I’ve been using the McDavid 195 braces. These are not bad, but in order to get good support, they have to be pretty tight and therefore I find them a bit uncomfortable. http://www.mcdavidusa.com/Product/195R/MCDAVID_Level_3_The_195™_Ankle_Brace_w_straps.aspx
These are two quite different types of braces, and not directly comparable. Price are about the same, but the AA T2 have higher protection level and are more bulky with hinges.
When I put the AA T2’s on, my first thought was that this can’t be any good because they felt really super comfortable. I then read in the brochure that this is a common concern, and that the Active Ankle braces is better and more comfortable than other types of braces.
I went for a ride, and because of the bulkiness of the AA T2 braces, my KH leg armors where rubbing hard against the cranks. I then took out the plastic inlays on the inside of the leg armors and everything felt great.
I still prefer shoes with low soles (Five Ten Karver - unsafe for muni?)
Has anybody here experiences with Active Ankle T2 or similar ankle braces? Are the braces as good as the manufacturer claims?
I haven’t unicycled with them, but I used to play Ultimate Frisbee on a competitive travelling team. You won’t find many sports harder on the ankles than that. I used to roll my ankles badly at least once a season… until I got the Active Ankles. Those things are the BOMB. They are comfortable and move well with you in the plane of normal ankle motion. But, when you start to roll your ankle, they give incredible support.
No question, 100%, if I were going to wear ankle braces for use with a unicycle, it’d be the Active Ankles. I suspect you’ll love 'em.
Thanks for the reply. That’s excactly what I was hoping to hear.