Side by Side Comparison of: Shock Doctor vs ASO

I sprained my ankle a few months back. I can say this brace, because of the way it is designed with the laces and the 2 straps that go around the ankle and the 1 strap that goes on the top of the brace, is by far one of the best ankle braces out there. It provides me with the support I need, and the protection I need to stop from getting my ankle injury aggravated more. I really recommend it and I'm looking forward to buy another of the same for my other foot to prevent it from injury. I say this is a must have item and will save you a lot of money on the long run on doctors and procedures.

I bought it for my husband who broke his ankle, had a plate inserted, and a screw was inserted between the two bones to reattach the tendon. He is finally out of the big boot after 10 weeks, and has moved on to a compression sock and this ankle support during the day. His PT said that this is the best that she has ever seen. We had purchased several ankle wraps locally, and on Amazon, and none were as sturdy as this one. The wrap starts out with lacing up the front (like a normal shoe), then each strap wraps across the front, then below the heal and up. There is a third strap from back to front to hold everything steady. We had purchased a strap which started out with laces, but there were merely laces gripped together and latched on to velcro on the other side. My husband's foot was so swollen that the laces couldn't reach the velcro. So this version with the lacing up front is more accomodating to changes in size of ankle due to swelling. It took a few times for him to get used to putting it on, but it is so worth it. He has started playing golf, and the wrap is essential for uneven surfaces.

Since nobody else will write a review about the sizing. Ill post a picture. Measure around your ankle one inch about the joint and the sizes will fit accordingly. I tore 3 ligaments and this brace helps my pain go down by restricting the motions that hurt. Very light yet heavy duty!

The lacing system is awesome - it allows for a custom fit (loose or tight) between each micro area between the eyelets.

The eyelets are similar to the Nike Speed lace system... so, i assumed that pulling the laces from the top would tighten the entire brace. Not at all. Pull from the top, only the top area tightens. Not sure if this is due to the laces grabbing or the eyelets (or both). Regardless, I keep mine semi-loose in the foot area, very snug in the ankle, semi-loose near the calf. Love this since it gives me the support I need without cutting off the circulation in my foot or calf.

This ability to customize is a real plus for me but may not be for others that need convenience and expedience.

I wear size 9.5 Mens and the medium fits perfectly (worn w/ sock underneath)

I ordered this, ASO Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis and McDavid 195. I'm returning the McDavid. Still waiting for the ASO.

I've pasted my review of the McDavid below.
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I encountered the same problems as others have cited... the forefoot is VERY tight due to the elastic being short (though stretchy). Seems to be designed to provide a very snug fit there since the rest of brace fits accurately. The narrow opening (due to the short elastic) did restrict my ability to slip my foot into the brace, especially since I have a severe sprain and have limited mobility. I am returning this brace.

I give this item a full 5 stars because it eliminates all of the problems that I have with my prior brace. First thing I will give is some context, I work in a warehouse, and I am required to be on my feet for 10 hours a shift. My podiatrist has informed me that I have tarsal-tendinitis in combination with plantar fasciitis. I was told that unless I intend to limp home every evening, I would be wearing an ankle brace to work for the rest of my career as a warehouse associate. My doctor gave me my first brace; which was good but I found myself on Amazon to find a replacement only 4 months after I received it. It had as much of a lifetime as a pair of shoes and cost just as much. Price and lifetime weren't my only issue; I needed to wear this brace under my sock, and this made chafing a major issue!
I have been a fan of Shock Doctor with prior braces and decided that I would take a trial run with this one. The Shock Doctor brace fulfilled all my physical needs as a "special needs" brace! It not only provided all necessary support that I need for my chronic foot condition but it also eliminated chafing, due to the fact that it is intended to be worn OVER a sock!!! My previous brace was primarily secured with velcro, this wasn't a problem until a month or so in when I found that the primary velcro sutures wore out quicker because they were taxed by the friction that the velcro foot wraps caused. The lace system of the Shock Doctor eliminates this issue and also adds a moderately more secure support structure. It is still to early for me to comment of the lifespan of this brace; but considering that this brace is less than half the price of the previous brace, It could wear in half of the time and I would still be happier price wise. I caution you that this brace is intended for over the sock use; so if you intend to wear it under, or without a sock, it wears larger then intended. In summary, this brace not only supports my ankle but also my foot, and it is half the price of the doctor prescribed option; do you really need to hear anymore? Exactly! and that is why I can only give five stars!

Great product. I had surgery on my right ankle almost early teens so I have many issues if jogging too much or placed in a wrong position while sleeping. ASO ankle stabilizer does a wonderful job keeping my ankle in line and provides efficient support. I mostly wear it at night so my ankle doesn't twist or bend at an awkward angle but I would this any time I have any discomfort.

Once the ankle stabilizer is secured in place, it works very well. It is comfortable to wear inside of most shoes and provides secure ankle stabilization. I walked alot on vacation recently and it really helped my recently healed broken ankle feel secure.

After my cast was removed, from a surgical repair for a triple ankle fracture, with dislocation, I used the ASO ankle stabilizer instead of the walking boot. This stabilizer is the same one offered at my Orthopedic surgeon's offer, at a fraction of their price.This brace is comfortable, easy to adjust and it washes well, I would recommend the ASO stabilizer for ankle injury recovery.

This brace is great. I broke my ankle around 6 years ago in a high school lacrosse game, and have had issues with the ankle ever since. I wore various casts for around a year and went to PT for a little while but never did the exercises at home (didn't realize I'd start slowing down a little bit in my twenties lol). My ankle still aches sometimes and it gives out easily and rolls a lot. My doctor said that ankle injuries almost never heal 100%, and you can lose the elasticity of the tendons in your ankle, leaving them perma-wobbly. SO, I need some support when I run. I have tried more minimalistic braces, but they usually don't give the right amount of support. This brace works so well for two reasons: 1. the laces (yes, annoying and less attractive, but it makes all the difference. This also ensures that the brace will be tight enough even if you order one a little too big). 2. The side straps (totally immobilize your ankle to keep it straight and at a 45 degree angle, which is essential for healing). This brace is exactly the same as the one that my doctor gave me after I got out of the casts, so it's practically medical grade. I got the white one because it looks better with my running shoes. I was worried about it getting gross but the box says you can machine wash the brace. I wear a 6.5 women's shoe (U.S.), and I ordered a small. Fits perfectly. The sizing chart on the box is slightly different from the one posted here so I'll include a picture of that. Perfect overall for serious stability. Probably too constricting for someone looking for light or moderate support.

I know it's not exactly the intended purpose, but it works. Having flat feet means my ankle joints are rolled inward a lot (pronated). This isn't a problem for everyone that has it, but it makes my ankles have chronic pain of various levels. Usually not too bad, but after a day of walking or standing all day, it's debilitating. I discovered that forcibly holding my feet in a normal shape (holding the arch up) results in less pain over time, but that's really hard to do all day every day. So I thought these might help. Boy, do they ever! The very first day I worked in the yard all day long without a bit of pain at the time or the next day (which is usually the worst part). Walking on rough ground used to be awful, a small rock or hole unexpectedly changing my ankle angle side to side would almost bring me to the ground, and it seemed these events accumulated throughout the day into severe pain. With these braces on, that is virtually eliminated. I could probably jog on a gravel road. The ankles cannot get moved enough to hurt. And on top of all that, they're actually comfortable. I don't even want to take them off at the end of the day. Obviously they aren't intended for long term all day use, but I don't see how it could be worse than what I was experiencing. I'll probably end up only wearing them when my ankles are hurting or when I do activities that would otherwise cause them to hurt. I don't know if anyone else has the same problem I do, but I hope my insight helps. I can't recommend them enough.

I sprained my ankle so badly and when I was ready to put pressure on it again I bought this wrap. I went off the recommendations here. I will add my 5 stars to this. Unlike other bandages this one has 3 ways to secure your ankle and make it feel super stabilized. Even the orthopedist I saw said that it most closely resembled the ones the offer at his office. It's not a super low profile but it will fit in your sneaker. Probably not a flat or boot. Id use an ace wrap for that.

great support. take a few minutes to put on and take off, but so far its the best one I've used.

The laces and stringer for the laces on this thing are awesome. I don't care for the straps as they never get tight, though the top strap does okay. All in all, it does hold my ankle together pretty well during soccer games.

Fits great and gives good support. Would recommend this product to anyone with ankle issues.

These work well and are reasonably comfortable. The laces should be longer to avoid having to take them part way out to put the brace on and take it off. The upper part rubs blisters on the backs of my ankles unless I cover them with ankle wrap/tape. I wore them on an 8-mile hike in the Smokies, and they did the job.

Used this during the recovery of my broken ankle. You can definitely tighten this brace up and give your ankle a great deal of support. Would have given five stars, but my ortho doc sold me a very similar brace (I wanted one for working out in and one that would stay cleaner and less likely to stink, so bought this one) that has Velcro tabs on the ends of groups of the laces so that you don't have to lace and unlace like I do with this one (I have to unlace it pretty extensively to be able to get my foot in and out of it).

I recently sprained my ankle during Brazilian jiu-jitsu training. My friend had secured a toehold, twisting my foot inward and my toes downward until a loud pop noise was heard. I could walk fine afterward but I knew that I probably had torn a tendon. An hour later and the inflammation and pain finally kicked in reaffirming what I had thought. I took a week off from training to heal but even after that time a downward flexion of my ankle would still cause extreme pain as the tendons had not fully healed yet.I researched the best option to help constrain my foot and to prevent it from flexing outward, a brace with laces and a vertical stirrup support was highly reccomended by friends who had similar injuries. Given those variables this brace was one of the cheapest and best reviewed options on Amazon so I went ahead and ordered the brace.So far I am very pleased with the ankle support. As expected the lacing allows for a tight constraint of the ankle joint while the stirrup supports help to keep the toes from moving into a painful downward position. I do have to slide the stirrup supports slightly forward to help constrict the front portion of my foot as when it's too far back (along the heel) it offers little constraint of the foot. But with the stirrups shifted forward the toes are generally protected from being bumped downward or at off ankles.During training the support did well. I still had to refrain from leg locks as my foot could still be manipulated beyond the range of the injured tendon. Though the support does what it's supposed to do, it's still just fabric and it can be stretched with enough force. Which is fine, as I don't think they created this thing for fighting. With responsible and measured training I could easily keep my injured foot out of harms way. My ground rules were simple, I could not engage in ankle locks are commit to any sort of movement where I would have to drive off of the ball of my injured foot. The second condition was more challenging and took some adaptive learning to understand how I could and could not move without injuring myself. Thankfully this ankle stabilizer was able to give me the appropriate feedback to feel when my foot was about to move out of range. At no point was I able to move my foot out of position without first feeling the pressure and tension of the brace trying to prevent my movement.The only problem I had with the brace was how slippery the bottom of the brace was. The stirrup straps are made of a slick synthetic material that makes them slip around. In my shoe the brace would move slightly from side to side and on the mat, I could not plant the flat of my foot without it wanting to slide out. Basically, I had to train and fight without planting or driving off of my injured foot because I just didn't have confidence that I could plant it effectively onto the mat. It's a slight gripe that most people won't have to deal with.

Nicely made ankle brace. I bought this for my daughter who plays softball. I work in a physical therapy office and the PT recommended this brand for her stability. I measured her ankle and it fits nicely in comparison to the size needed. I would definitely recommend this brace, it ties and has a velcro strap to help keep it in place. It can be worn under pants.

I bought this brace as a transition from an orthopedic boot to regular shoes after suffering several partial tears in my achilles. It has worked well. It does give my ankle support. I think specifically for achilles tendon issues it does not give as much support in that specific area as I would have liked, but it was the best one I have found anywhere. I have spoken to a medical supplies, a physical therapist, the pharmacist as well as an orthopedic surgeon. They had nothing better to offer. I have been pleased, but not thrilled. It gives me enough support through the ankle to help with the transition. I would recommend it.

I tore the tendons in my ankle (by turning it) so when I was ready to get back to slowly exercising, I wanted something to help prevent another turn/further harm. This had good reviews so I went with it. Overall, it does what it says. I would echo the review that said don't tie the laces to tight over the foot...otherwise it will be WAY too tight once you start walking. I do the foot pretty loose but the ankle portion relatively snug. The one thing that really irks me about the product, though, is that it stained (dirt/track grit) on the very first outing. I have washed it multiple times, including once with bleach, to no avail. Now it looks grimy even when it's clean. I wish I had gotten it in black.

Wish I didn't need this, but a shattered lower leg resulted in a life long need to use this product on a daily basis. I think it does help. I was originally fitted by the doctors office - and now I purchase replacements on my own. Worth a try for anyone needing this type of ankle support.

I'm about one week out from an ankle sprain, so I purchased this to support my ankle as it heals. However, it may be too soon for this type of brace, as my bruising and swelling is still dissipating, so I can't pull the laces too tight or wrap the velcro too tight or it cuts off the circulation in my foot and leg. Will go back to a compression brace for now and post an updated review later. My feeling is this will be good if one has to walk a lot or return to activities, but perhaps it limits movement too much for proper healing; that is, I like to sit at my desk and do the rehab exercises like turning my foot in a circle, writing the alphabet etc - to prevent scar tissue from forming as my ankle heals, but this brace prevents that kind of movement. So I'll use it when I'm moving about, but undo it when sitting.Also, for reference - I'm a women's shoe size 7 and purchased a Small size - there is bunching of material in the heel area and I can't close it with the ASO logo in the front (but it still closes fine).

This did not provide the support I was hoping for and it was cumbersome to put on/take off. I returned and will look for a different style.

I used to own the ASO ankle brace for awhile but lost it during college and recently sprained my ankle again. Being a prime member, I decided to order the shock doctor ankle support brace. When I first tried it on, I didn't have any complaints as it felt like a solid brace and was decently comfortable. After returning to sports, I realized that the brace was not comfortable at all. When tied down tight, there is a piece of fabric that digs into the back of your ankle and resulted in multiple blisters. Not only that but one misstep and I aggravated my ankle again. With the ASO brace, I never had any problems with either comfort or level of support and was able to go about my normal routine without even knowing I was wearing anything on my foot. While this brace is very similar to the ASO one, I don't have the confidence in it to keep my ankle from spraining again and will be ordering another ASO brace asap.

I didn't find this product to be very affective for my ankle and the straps too were annoying, I found that Franklin ankle products were more support on the ankle than this

first off, they run VERY large. i have a size 11.5 foot and a medium is almost too big. if you think you are a large, get a medium, if you think you are a medium, get a small. the material isn't as sturdy as the image, it's not as rigid ans supportive as i was hoping, not nearly as much as the one my ortho gave me. but it's not bad, just not what i would call maximum professional level support.

This ankle support looks very much like my old Hely and Weber except for the addition of the closure wrap around the top of the brace. (I thought this was a nice addition). I have a couple of problems with the Shock Doctor product. First, the figure 8 straps are made of a thinner nylon which allows for quite a bit a stretching. This decreases the amount of support that is created. Also, the closure wrap around the top of the brace is a bit short and almost won't reach around my calf. (Some women have bigger calves then men). If you have a smaller calf and don't need too much support, this is a good value. If you need more support, check out the Hely and Weber.

P.S. I use this ankle support because I broke my calacneus 4 years ago and now have arthritis in the subtalar joint. I use this product to decrease the amount of pain when I walk.I don't use it to prevent sports injuries.

Update: I ended up returning this brace. I just did not offer enough support. Amazon was very easy to deal with and the return went smoothly.

I have one in the small and the straps are much bigger and the laces criss cross and attach with Velcro easy peasey well this one in the smaller size you have to lace like a shoe and tie them ..hard to get them tight..straps are narrow and does not off the same support as the Size Small does ...same brand..wish there were pictures of the inside before I ordered....sending it back😕

FIt is not great. I measured my foot as indicated and ordered the indicated size. The tie strings don't have a lot of extra room when I tighten this up. Pulled it as tight as I could stand and my ankle is still moving around. After an hour or so my leg was in worse pain than before the brace. Took off the brace and the pain went away within a couple minutes. So did nothing to brace my ankle and when tightened up actually hurt worse than the sprain (and still did not brace the ankle).

I lost my ankle brace that I had for years and so I had to get a new one to help me as I recovered from torn ligaments. I followed the sizing guidelines and it still ended up being a little small. But it was an emergency so I didn't return it. Because it was a little small, I found 2 areas that caused me problems. The Velcro across the top was way to small and when I tightened it, it kinda threw my ankle out of wack a little. It also left blisters on the back of the ankle so be sure to wear a high sock if you are prone to blisters! The laces were sturdy and the straps on the side gave me the stability I needed while I recovered. So all in all, as long as you don't expect a perfect fit, it's a good brace for the price!

Product is okay, but could use some tweeking. For example, inside could be padded and the tongue could be thicker, the cross straps could be longer. All of which I get from similiar product made by Mcdavid.

I chose this brace primarily based upon the rave reviews and found myself disappointed. I purchased this product to aid in my recovery from a Grade II sprain, based on my doctor's recommendation that I begin to place some weight on the foot but use something stronger than an ACE wrap for support. The brace is not easy to take on and off, which is not a major issue (whoever said injuries were convenient, after all?), but it also seems to have the bulk of its support above the ankle. This left the ligaments around my actual ankle bone unsupported (I have a medial, not lateral, sprain) while creating an uncomfortable tightness around my lower calf. The side straps might be more effective if they were elastic, allowing them to snug up against the foot better. As it is, I am actually having to double-brace by using an ACE bandage under the ASO brace to support the ligaments that the brace by itself fails to secure. Overall, it's not a terrible product and perhaps works better for preventative measures than actual recovery. If the brace were made of more elastic material and had the bulk of its support just a couple inches lower, it would be a much better product.

It does a good job of support but very difficult to put on. You need to unlace it and the Velcro keeps grabbing the laces.

Good support but way too many holes to lace.

Doesn't give the support i needed. Yes, there's a lot of adjustment opportunities, but it wouldn't prevent my ankle from rolling, which was all i needed it for.

I thought the brace would fit, being extra large, it was to tight and too thick to be worn in my work boot. The cross wraps were hard to wrap around the brace

very difficult to wear and remove. not for someone like me who would like to use twice or thrice a week.

The size chart is very inaccurate. My feet are size 8.5 and I ordered one size down (XS), well I should have ordered two sizes down, because the brace is very loose. BEWARE NO RETURNS!!! IF YOU ORDER THE WRONG SIZE YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK!

I have severe arthritis in both hands. These ankle stabilizers did not have the string fused together where it made them easy to use. I returned one and ordered one that was the Speed Lacer which I am able to use. I checked it out and it is doing a good job. I was going to exchange the other one that has the strings for another Speed Lacer but I ran out of time to exchange it by one day! Now I am stuck with one that I can't use and can't afford to buy another without exchanging it.

They seem to brace well, but the plastic is so rigid and cheap that I had to buy long socks to cover my ankle/calves, and even then the plastic pokes me uncomfortably and does not lay smoothly on the some of the foot/heel.

Based on the chart offered, and my shoe size, woman's 7-W, I ordered a medium.When I tried it on, with a sock, just as shown in the photo, it was far too big. I took it to my physical therapist for her opinion, she agreed, it was too big and much more than I needed at this point in my recovery. I had fallen in early January and had a class two sprain. I was on crutches for four weeks, in PT, and in need of support. I had ordered the Bracco Breathable Neoprene Ankle Support at the same time, it works perfectly!My disappointment came when I tried to return the ASO Ankle Stabilizer and was told that it is non-returnable! I appealed to Amazon, but never heard anything back. What is a person to do, if the product is the wrong size and simply not the right item?I hope you have better luck than I did.

Size chart seems to be off. We measured my daughter and according to their chart and she measured an XS which is what we ordered. She can't even come close to getting her foot in the brace and they will not exchange.

Because there is little to no give in the fabric, if I snug it tight enough to support, it's brutally uncomfortable very quickly... if I don't it ends up tight in the wrong places and unsupportive where I need it no matter how much I fuss with it. It's noisy (velcro, nylon), and MUST be worn with a sock because there are itchy bits on the inside otherwise. I had high hopes for this and it is just not going to do the trick at all. With as fussy as it is and time consuming to put on, I had high hopes for support, but the lack of support in key areas is just not acceptable.I have sensory issues with fabrics, but could tolerate three other kinds of braces for most of a day before feeling like I was going to claw my skin off. This one lasted less than an hour without a sock, and even with a sock is just not comfortable.

Bought this from Amazon for a sprained ankle. Arrived in a twisted wad of laces and Velcro with no instructions, dirty with dog hair stuck to the Velcro and torn. Obviously used and returned. Now I have to return it when I can barely walk. Not happy.

My physician recommended this product to help stabilize my ankle. This ankle brace worked perfect for a couple weeks until it began to pull apart at the seam. Either mine was defective or the product-design/materials are substandard.

It's almost impossible to delace and lace up since it has loop instead of eyelets for the laces. Quality is very poor, move on if you need a brace like with that will pull up your foot and stabilize it.

Too hard to put on. Returned.

it was too big despite ordering according to the products sizing chart.
secondly, even if I the product fitted appropriately I doubt It would give me a therapeutic effect due to the fact that that the material is not stretchy enough to give me snug compression and stability to my ankle. I returned. I will just keep wearing my Mueller ankle brace I bought at wal mart.

If you have narrow feet this is NOT for you. I am a female with a 10 AA size foot, I ordered a medium according to size chart. No support what so ever, I get more support from an ace bandage.

Very uncomfortable and provided zero support!! SUPER disappointed and kept using the other 3 ankle braces and this is sitting in the box and will probably go to the trash.

Poor support, difficult to get on foot. Purchased for a sprained ankle, once I finally got my foot on it I realized there was nothing to the integrity of this brace. An elastic bandage will do far better.

The material is cheaply made. I don't see how others said it provide great support when the material is so thin. It will not even hold your ankle in place. I previously used Mueller ankle brace and the material is nice and thick and provide great support. Unlike this product, the mater is so thin and cheaply made. You better off pay a little more getting Mueller. I would not recommend this at allReceived the product on 4/17 and opened it without using it, I immediately, filed for a return on 4/18, the seller Flexibrace told me i have 24 hrs to return and i have to pay shipping. Plus they will deduct 20% restocking fee. This is absolutely ridiculous. I rather throw it away then return it to them so they can re-sale it.Also Customer service is terrible, they response in a tone of voice like who care. I will never buy from this seller ever again.I will never purchase from this seller again

BUYER BEWARE: purchasing these ankle braces are RISKY. The sizing charts are not accurate. If you receive the wrong size even after following the chart, received a defective product, or plain do not want it anymore, good luck getting a return.Review on the product:On the product itself, the braces are made of vinyl material that can cause some burns if you use them for basketball. Your feet will heat up fairly quickly causing you to want to loosen the braces. but if you loosen the braces, what's the point of having them in the first place? It becomes a nuisance.

Bought this ASO lace-up a while ago to prevent my ankle from rolling. After wearing brace for 20 mins it had loosened up and provided even less support. Stopped wearing it after first week as it doesn't provide enough support to keep my ankle from rolling.