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At SportsRec, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Journal of Athletic Training: Predictive Factors for Lateral Ankle Sprains: A Literature Review
- Journal of Athletic Training: Predictive Factors for Lateral Ankle Sprains: A Literature Review
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: The Effect of Lace-up Ankle Braces on Injury Rates in High School Basketball Players
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: The Effect of Lace-up Ankle Braces on Injury Rates in High School Basketball Players
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Do High Top Basketball Shoes Prevent Sprained Ankles

High-top basketball shoes have a lot going for them -- style, comfort and endorsements from future Hall of Famers. What high-tops cannot do is prevent ankle sprains. In fact, ankle sprains are the most common injury in basketball at both the NCAA and NBA levels.
It's Not the Shoe's Fault

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An article published in the October-December 2002 issue of "Journal of Athletic Training" examined risk factors for ankle sprain and reported that at least 2 studies have shown no correlation between shoe type and ankle sprains. One study compared military trainees wearing lightweight infantry boots or high-tops. The other compared ankle injuries among basketball players assigned randomly to groups wearing low-top shoes, high-top shoes or high-tops with inflatable air chambers.
High-top basketball shoes do absorb shock and enhance performance by providing good lateral support and traction. What they cannot do is stop the motion of the foot and ankle inside the shoe -- especially the lateral roll that causes many common ankle injuries.
One Sprain Leads to Another

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Basketball players may be wise to consider the use of semi-rigid or lace-up style braces to provide additional ankle support. The "Journal of Athletic Training" authors concluded that wearing a brace decreases the risk of reinjury among athletes with a previous ankle sprain. Another study published in the "American Journal of Sports Medicine" in September 2011 evaluated the use of lace-up braces in male and female basketball players during one high school season. The researchers found that players who wore the lace-up braces had significantly fewer ankle injuries during the season. This protective effect was seen in male and female players, regardless of whether the athlete had a previous ankle sprain.
References
- Journal of Athletic Training: Predictive Factors for Lateral Ankle Sprains: A Literature Review
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: The Effect of Lace-up Ankle Braces on Injury Rates in High School Basketball Players
- Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Therapy: The Role of Ankle Bracing for Prevention of Ankle Sprains
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo. Achilles Tendinitis. Reviewed June 2010.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo. Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle. Reviewed March 2015.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo. Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle). Reviewed March 2013.
- Arthritis Foundation. Arthritis and Diseases that Affect the Ankle.
- Robati S, Porter K, Shahid M, Crompton T, Sandiford N. Ankle osteomyelitis: an unusual presentation. JRSM Short Rep. 2013;4(6):35. doi:10.1177/2042533313476682.
- Merck Manual Consumer Version. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. Revised March 2018.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus. Common peroneal nerve dysfunction. Reviewed August 7, 2017.
- Mascard E, Gaspar N, Brugières L, Glorion C, Pannier S, Gomez-brouchet A. Malignant tumours of the foot and ankle. EFORT Open Rev. 2017;2(5):261-271. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.2.160078
- Tiemstra JD. Update on acute ankle sprains. Am Fam Physician. 2012;85(12):1170-6.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo. Sprained Ankle. Reviewed February 2016.
- Arthritis Foundation. Lab Tests for Diagnosing Ankle Problems.
- Merck Manual. Professional Version. Cellulitis. Reviewed September 2019.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo. Compartment Syndrome. Reviewed October 2009.
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. (n.d.). Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle.
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. (n.d.). Sprained Ankle.
- Koehler SM, Eiff P. (2018). Overview of Ankle Fractures in Adults. Asplund CA, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, MA: UpToDate Inc.
- Mascard E, Gaspar N, Brugieres L, Glorion C, Pannier S, Gomez-Brouchet A. Malignant tumours of the foot and ankle. EFORT Open Rev. 2017 May;2(5):261-71.
- Robati S, Porter K, Shabid M, Crompton T, Sandiford N. Ankle osteomyelitis: An unusual presentation. JRSM Short Rep. 2013 Jun;4(6):35.
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Writer Bio
Marilyn Beery is a Washington, D.C.-based writer/producer who is returning to print after an extensive career reporting, producing and writing for Discovery Communications, FOX, ABC, CBS and others. She is the recipient of the CINE Golden Eagle for Public Affairs (co-writer), the FREDDIE Award (International Health and Medical Media), and the CableFAX Award for Best Health/Fitness Series. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications from the University of Virginia, where she also played guard for the Lady Cavs.