Side by Side Comparison of: Shock Doctor vs Cramer

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!

This ankle brace has helped me be more mobile. It stabilizes my ankle better than any ankle wrap or support I think due to rigid brace on each side to prevent ankle from pivoting or moving during the healing stage. I strained Achilles tendon and it's been a challenge to walk but now I am able to walk even without my crutches but still use crutches until I feel the pain is gone completely. The first day I put this ankle brace on, the swelling decreased almost 100%! And this ankle brace is easy to put on, take off and it's comfortable.

It works well. Not sprained ankles... but for weak ankles.. They help prevent sprains..

My daughter the catcher found them restrictive...For every thing else? ANKLE SAVERS......I've seen these absolutely destroyed and the ankle fine...a must have

Your ankle will NOT give in these, might need a 1/2 size bigger show tho? Some do, some don't

Great product for stabilizing an ankle! My daughter has hyper mobile joints, but this allows her to continue to play competitive volleyball without danger to her ankles.

I have been a basketball player since I was 5 years old (31 now)...during that time I have rolled my ankles dozens of times and even torn ligaments a few times in both ankles.Even with extensive physical therapy my ankles will probably remain weak, lose, worn out...whatever you want to call it, so the only way I can keep playing is with these wonderful ankle braces. Some might say they feel constricted, but once I start playing I don't feel them at all. I simply concentrate on my game.All other ankle braces I have tried so far (i.e. the lace-up ones) did not work for me and tape is not enough.Even with Aktive Ankle I still roll my ankles every once in a while but the braces prevent me from breaking them, which would most likely happen due to my non-existent or worn out ligaments. I have not had any major injuries since wearing these braces.I can only recommend them to anyone who has similar problems with their ankles.I probably wouldn't recommend them as a preventive measure if you haven't had any injuries yet, since they might lessen your natural stability.

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).

As advertised, I do not have to worry about rolling my ankle ever again. It provides great support for my ankles. It is a little uncomfortable to wear and doesn't fit in my shoe perfectly, but it's a small price to pay for protecting your ankles.

Father-in-law loves it. Four stars because he's not totally in his right mind and might not know better.Yes, I'm ducking :0

My daughyer said it just took a couple days to get used to wearing these. She is a club volyball player and these give ankle support; less worry of injury for Mom!

My father had a stroke, so his right ankle is weak. He's been using this product and has helped him with his walking. Very good.

Had to use this after i broke my ankle playing volleyball. After break in you don't even know its there, other than a squeak every time i walk. It does not protect against everything but the combination of roll protection, and impact protection definitely makes me feel safe. i only wish i had been wearing it before my injury. i will make sure to make my player wear these from seasons to come.

My daughter has been wearing these for several years. They're comfortable and do a great job supporting her ankles. However, they were stolen so we had to replace them. The new ones (only 3 months old) both cracked in half "/. On the plus side, the company stood by their product and replaced them. So that was GREAT! We have only had the new ones for a month so I'm holding my breath and crossing my fingers.

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 can see how it can help some, but I found it to be too much bother.

Does not work as well as we had hoped due to fit. My some has very wide feet, but the issue is how it fits in the shoe. Actually hurts his foot.

Bulkier than I expected and kinda awkward in my shoe. Probably going to return it.

This brace is sturdy and appears to be built well. The design seems over complicated in the sense that while it is usable on either left or right foot, you have to move the straps around to switch feet. Moving the straps is overall, not a big deal, it just seems like it could just as easily be designed symmetrically. No complaints on the upper part of the brace, it is comfortable on the leg and doesn't feel any hotter than expected.I bought this brace because the brace I wanted, the Breg Ultra High Five, was $70 and this one was significantly cheaper. All said and done, I think I would have rather spent the extra on the Breg Ultra. The Ultra seems sleeker- I wore it for years playing sand volleyball inside Vibrams and it fit fine. Within a week of wearing this brace, it ripped my Vibrams coming out of the mouth of the shoe... This brace also has a discomfort in the arch of my foot, on the inside right in front of the heel.All in all, if you are only wearing this brace occasionally, it is acceptable, and appears to be just as sturdy as more expensive braces. However, if you are going to spend any significant amount of time in them, my recommendation would be the Breg Ultra.

The height is not adjustable so we had to return it

It doesn't fit her properly to support her ankle during volleyball and wont fit in her shoe. The "ankle" supports end up above her ankle - she is 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds.

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.

i used the braces on both feet for volleyball. i play middle and outside and am constantly landing wrong/landing on other people under the net. worked good for the first little while then started to become loose and i was constantly readjusting the velcro making my coach agitated. just today the middle from the other team went under then net and i landed on her foot and my ankle completely rolled and i could feel things pop even with brace on. the whole bracr twisted out of position giving my ankle no support. just ordered the ultra ankle braces due to coaches recommendation. i have also had team mates with the active ankle have them break on them and cutting their feet. there have also been girls who love them and swear they keep their leg in one piece! overall they just weren't that comfortable and the heal pad kept slipping into the middle of my foot making my feet sore. this might not happen if you have shoes with removable insoles, i have the nike hyper spikes and they do not. also took forever to put them on for a while and still takes quite a while to get them positioned right. constantly sliding the heal pad back while i play. made my legs look bulky but did not compromise movement.

Not comfortable. Plastic digs into your ankle. Didn't seem to offer much support either, even when strapped tight.

Poorly built.

Returned. Not comfy.

Because of their rigidity, they snap/break unexpectedly. We've gone through too many to count. Next time I'm buying the lace up versions.

... But then you try it on and realize just how cheap and flimsy it is. It also doesn't seem to fit right, no matter how you adjust the straps. The hard plastic foot part is also uncomfortable.There are better products out there!

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.

We liked these initially, but the build quality is low and they broke after 4 months of light use...

Hurt to wear, return after 2 days of trying. But, I wanted to take it off, after 10 seconds. The brace dug into to the outside of my foot.

Strap broke after second use.Very cheap product. Would not recommend.

Returing, hurts to walk on it.

I have post-traumatic arthritis and other issues with my ankle, and this brace didn't do any good. In fact it made my ankle hurt worse. Now that I tried it, I can't return it as the seller's policy is "unused item" only. So I'm stuck with it, a total waste of money.

the plastic foot plate broke after about 2 months of use.The second set of these splints lasted 3 months and again one broke at a foot plate. For the price I expected better quality.