As far back as the early 1900s, basketball specific footwear was being made by A.G. Spalding and Converse. These high-top shoes were fairly flimsy compared to the shoes of today like the newer company, Ekito; but did offer more support than other low cut athletic footwear. Basketball specific footwear continually evolves, and yet the ankle injuries still occur. Amateur players have been encouraged to wear ankles braces in recent years to reduce injuries and now there is a scientific study to prove the benefits.
McDavid USA, the Chicago based provider of sports medical products, protective performance apparel and recovery gear, is touting the study that was recently published by a pair of researchers at the University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine – Tim McGuine, PhD, ATC, and Dr. Alison Brooks. The controlled study involved 1460 male and female (ages 13-18) basketball players from 46 high school schools across the country.
“[The researchers] started by soliciting ankle braces from all manufacturers who were willing to participate,” Rey Corpuz, director of Marketing for McDavid said. “A sample group of players were given several brands of ankle braces to try on, and were then asked: ‘If you were to purchase one of these braces, which would you choose?’ According to McGuine, the choice was determined on fit, comfort, effectiveness and whether or not the athletes would actually buy the brace on their own. It came down to two brands, including ours, and in the end, the decision was made to proceed with McDavid exclusively.” The model the was chosen was the lace-up McDavid 195 Ultralight Ankle Brace. Continue reading Lace-up Brace Does Prevent Injuries