delete Privacy Policy. Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. Over the past couple of decades, a lot of research has been performed to evaluate the stresses put on the ankle that skateboarding causes. margin-top: 5px; min-width: 0; Cleveland Clinic 1995-2023. Ankle sprains become more common after more injuries, so if you have an ankle injury then wear high top shoes to prevent it and get injured again that could make sense, but the study was well developed so this should not have been an issue. Why are physically impossible and logically impossible concepts considered separate in terms of probability? display: none; #container-header { color: #525252; position: relative; It may seem like the socks are not that relevant at first, but there are good reasons to wear the proper type of skateboarding socks. When the shoe began to become more popular in the 1990s, there was a lot of thought that it was better for your ankles, but this was more of a marketing strategy than real scientific fact. list-style: none; } I have been rolling my ankles more often lately and may look into a high-top shoe next time around. What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? High-tops provide the most protection of any type of skate shoe, offering complete coverage and support for your ankles. width: 12%;float: right; What other things you need to protect yourself when skateboarding? While each persons body and its recovery are different, Dr. Miniaci-Coxhead says you should be able to start carefully doing recovery stretches and exercises within a few days of the injury. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. I can say this. I suppose this study could suffer form the file drawer problem, with other studies not being published, but I find it unlikely because of how much the shoe companies have at stake here. } clear: both; Not a lot more but maybe a 20% increase. They are comfortable and often players prefer the lower top as it gives slightly more freedom to the ankle and foot. A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that players who wore high-top shoes were significantly less likely to suffer an ankle sprain than those who wore low-top shoes. To prevent ankle sprains, strengthen the lateral muscles by performing exercises. The key part of ankle sprains is rolling your ankle, and the best way to prevent ankle rolling is with better stability and traction. .qck-aler-icon { There are a lot of choices in terms of high-top shoes on the market. The rest did mids. .qck-button-main { For more information, please see our +Add all to Cart $(document).ready(function(){ Further, the softer soles of minimalist shoes offer the feet more tactile feedback so they can respond to uneven surfaces more quickly. The prevalence of ankle sprain was 9.15%. text-align: center; } But there is also an almost overwhelming number of choices and variations. -webkit-box-align: start; There is little doubt about the fun, excitement, and thrill of skateboarding. select.qck-product-color, .qck-product-size { Is a PhD visitor considered as a visiting scholar? Diet and Exercise, Not Sure If A New House Is Right For You? height: 30px; width: 70%; width: 435px; This means providing enough contact with the board to exercise full control. mariana enriquez biography do high tops prevent ankle sprains skateboarding. The theory behind high top shoes is that because the shoe is laced above the ankle bones, they offer more support to joints and ligaments in the area, thus preventing injury. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". -webkit-box-pack: center; .qck-delete-button { margin-bottom: 3px; padding: 9px 5px; padding: 0 !important; Hold the pose for up to 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg. .qck-add-cart-button span { .qck-body-main input { Daniel C. Farber, MD. position: relative; Because the lacing and extra material of these shoes act as a brace, the ankle suffers from a decrease in flexibility and strength. Other doctors agree with this statement including Martin Kuban: If the ankle joint, tendons, ligaments, and muscles are not actively worked in their intended full range of motion, then mobility is greatly decreased. So, not even on the court, but just wearing shoes everyday, high tops could be working against their intended purpose of protecting your ankles. Lateral sprains, which are also called inversion sprains, are the most common. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Do High-Top Basketball Shoes Prevent Ankle Sprain? margin-top: 20px; The students were split equally into three groups and assigned sneakers to wear during games, which were checked in and out before the games. While it may seem that high-tops help, Dr. Miniaci-Coxhead says that the best way to prevent an ankle sprain is less about what you put on your ankle and more about . Ultimately, the best prevention for ankle sprains has nothing to do with shoes or braces, it has to do with ankle strength. The majority of studies find no relationship between high top basketball shoes and lower occurrences of ankle sprains. In conclusion, high-top basketball shoes may help to prevent ankle sprains in some athletes . The fast-paced, agile movement is exactly the environment which leads to such injury. margin: 0; border-top: 3px solid #50b83c; border-top: 3px solid #ed6347; The braces are far more affective than high top sneakers. Ankle braces serve as the external supports to limit certain motions, such as plantar flexion/inversion (movement at the ankle joint that points the foot downward away from the leg and turns the foot inward), and provide awareness of where your ankle joint is in space. Plus, once you sprain your ankle, especially a high ankle sprain, the more vulnerable you are to ankle sprains in the future. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Sports Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for participants in team and individual sport activities. All of the shoes we design at Lems promote this theory and is the reason we create and advocate for minimalist and zero-drop shoes. Still, some of my basketball teammates claim that they suffer less ankle injuries when playing with Jordan 36. While there is no brace out there that can guarantee that you wont roll your ankle, they do provide stronger support than high top shoes. Their lack of popularity may be due to their appearance, but they provide extra protection for the ankles as they take some of the pressure off the twists and turns that skateboarders experience when maneuvering their skateboards. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Warming up can help to loosen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments and help to prevent tears. Various studies have found very little difference in how often an ankle sprain occurs no matter the height of the basketball shoe. line-height: 1; This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. However, skateboarding can also be dangerous. The part of the shoe surrounding the ankle on a high top basketball shoe is not really strong enough to properly support the ankle. padding: 0 15px; The same goes for ankle braces. flex: 1 1 auto; flex: 0 0 auto; This generally means wearing cotton socks that breathe and hug the feet to protect against blisters and the buildup of callouses. The above video will summarize how to pick the correct ankle brace. Now, as to why some players prefer to play in low top shoes, this article from ESPN explains that Kobe Bryant was originally inspired by soccer players who exert similar strain on their ankles in low top shoes. Its the type of annoying, nagging injury that can linger for weeks. Do low-top sneakers increase the chance of spraining your ankle when playing basketball? Many participants try to prevent ankle sprains either an initial sprain or a reoccurrence by wearing high-top athletic shoes or braces, or by having the ankles taped . As someone who sprained their ankle thrice on a week and two more times that month and had to spend a year in ankle braces, with a permanently displaced ligament that puts me at high risk for repeated sprains and ultimately, ligament tear, my advice is to take it slow . Other foot injuries that affect skating and are common among skaters include: Malleolar bursitis, in which the bone that protrudes from the middle of the ankle swells and causes pain. If youve already injured your ankle, its important to maintain recovery exercises as pain allows. You can work to prevent ankle sprains by wearing quality skates that fit properly and by avoiding ice with ruts, cracks or other impediments that could inhibit normal skate motion. Because of the minimal or zero-drop, the feet are closer to the ground, meaning the center of gravity is closer to what you feel walking barefoot. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? display: block; There are a lot on the market and making a selection can be overwhelming. More ankle support thanks to the higher collar (based on some studies), Larger choice of selection thanks to the bigger market share, Better movement control with no restrictions. text-transform: uppercase; The rate at which injuries were sustained per player per minute were nearly identical, and the p-value showed no difference in the three types of shoe. .qck-body-main { Checkout In the end, she says, wearing high-tops or a brace could help support your ankles, but muscle strength is likely more important than any shoe, brace or taping in preventing injuries. The Best Way To Prevent Ankle Sprains. [Answer By A Pro Player], How Many Basketball Shoes Do You Need [An Expert Answer], 5 Best Basketball Shoes For Shin Splints In 2023 [Must-Read], Best Basketball Shoes For Big Guys In 2023 [5 Durable Picks], 5 Best Basketball Shoes For Volleyball In 2023 [Expert Reviews], Is A Basketball Game A Good First Date? What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? } For those with weak ankles, the braces provide a level of support that helps prevent future injuries. Here's another study that supports the idea that high-tops may prevent injury: Please provide objective backing for your answer. width:100%; .qck-alert.qck-false { Despite this biomechanical evidence, clinical trials are inconclusive as to the clinical benefit of high top shoes in the prevention of ankle sprains. As the high top shoes do not offer support, deciding to wear low top shoes instead does not bring any additional risk of ankle injury as both shoes do not offer ankle support if your ankle was to roll due to poor stability. While your foot certainly feels more secure inside a high top shoe, does the added support actually do anything to prevent ankle sprains? line-height: 0.1em; color: #b0b0b0; .width-6-per {