Shoes Leading to Sprained Ankles

[kansashusky]

I know low tops are popular shoes with athletes. As a high school basketball coach, many of my players wear Kobe's or KD's which are low top shoes. I have talked with our trainer because we have had a scary number of rolled ankles this year. She said that this is caused because there is a lack of support for players ankles. Both Boat and Purvis wear Kobe shoes (low tops) and both have sprained ankles. I wonder if we will see a change in shoe so they receive more support and help hinder this bad sprains.

 

[Hoophound]

With all the sleeves and stuff kids wears now you'd think they'd just wear some ankle support with the lower shoes.

 

[FluxTZ]

If they like the low tops why not just throw on some ankle braces also? Or just have their ankles wrapped before the game.

 

[Cheeky]

I played with low tops, high tops, and mid tops. I'm not convinced that an external shoe applied with velcro and shoe laces is going to give any meaningful resistance to a rolled ankle sprain. Would love to see some science on it, though.

 

[Hoophound]

I played in mids but I've never sprained an ankle in my life. Some people are prone to, some aren't. I had a buddy who sprained an ankle every year. They'd swell up like black grapefruits. I couldn't even fathom how it was possible that it could look so gruesome when the worst I could do was feel a little gimpy for a week.

 

[Chief00]

I had a friend who couldn't jump and he never sprained his ankle. If you can jump occasionally you land partially on someone's foot and turn your ankle. I had a few.

 

[superjohn]

I did notice our players shoes were constantly untied this game

 

[mauconnfan]

I know low tops are popular shoes with athletes. As a high school basketball coach, many of my players wear Kobe's or KD's which are low top shoes. I have talked with our trainer because we have had a scary number of rolled ankles this year. She said that this is caused because there is a lack of support for players ankles. Both Boat and Purvis wear Kobe shoes (low tops) and both have sprained ankles. I wonder if we will see a change in shoe so they receive more support and help hinder this bad sprains.

Boats were most definitely high tops - watch him tie them up after the first altercation!

 

[Mike Honcho]

I played in mids but I've never sprained an ankle in my life. Some people are prone to, some aren't. I had a buddy who sprained an ankle every year. They'd swell up like black grapefruits. I couldn't even fathom how it was possible that it could look so gruesome when the worst I could do was feel a little gimpy for a week.

Black grapefruits?

 

[Hoophound]

Yes sir, big black, bulbous fruit on the ball of his ankle. It did have some green and yellow highlights. Most of the sprains I've seen haven't been in gyms, but on the edges of driveway as and park basketball courts. The edges are brutal.

The injury I've seen three times in a gym is a broken thumb. One was really horrifying.

 

[polycom]

You do realize that even though players wear low top shoes...they have their ankle taped and an braced under their socks... so its more people being prone to spraining their ankle than the shoe causing it...

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I played with low tops, high tops, and mid tops. I'm not convinced that an external shoe applied with velcro and shoe laces is going to give any meaningful resistance to a rolled ankle sprain. Would love to see some science on it, though.

I'm too lazy to look it up but I believe the research exists and it basically confirms your theory.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Boat in the Js XIII is all i know.. D ham had em today.. Boats gotta go back ankle sprains or not

 

[pj]

Too much ankle support from shoes might increase injury risk; it acts like a cast and forces unnatural movement and concentrates stresses at particular locations. Moreover, casts and other rigid supports lead to weakening of muscles. Players should train in low-risk situations with minimal support to strengthen the ankles and other joints.

 

[Fishy]

I agree with that - we were designed with a pretty nifty suspension system and more shoe is probably worse than less shoe.

Has anyone here ever rolled an ankle barefoot?

When you roll an ankle in sneakers, you're really sliding off the deck of the shoe before you roll the whole works.

 

[TheRealKBuks]

I know low tops are popular shoes with athletes. As a high school basketball coach, many of my players wear Kobe's or KD's which are low top shoes. I have talked with our trainer because we have had a scary number of rolled ankles this year. She said that this is caused because there is a lack of support for players ankles. Both Boat and Purvis wear Kobe shoes (low tops) and both have sprained ankles. I wonder if we will see a change in shoe so they receive more support and help hinder this bad sprains.

I'm no expert but in my experience playing basketball high vs low tops don't affect ankle sprains much. In fact I use to sprain my ankle regularly playing while wearing the Adidas Derrick Rose high tops, once I got rid of those I haven't sprained my ankle since. Obviously this is anecdotal, I'm sure there are people more I the know than myself who could shed light on the issue

 

[FartMan69]

I still don't understand how these guys are playing in retro Jordan's. The technology is 20 years old and Nike makes them for style instead of performance on the cheap now. But blaming a sneaker on a rolled ankle is rediculous.

 

[pj]

It's weak ankles that are the main risk for sprains. Players need to practice changing directions and applying force in all directions while barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes. Ideally, they would do a lot of work on uneven surfaces, such as natural forests.

 

[Mike Honcho]

I asked this question a year ago: http://the-boneyard.com/threads/low-top-sneakers.48798/

 

[kansashusky]

Boat definitely wore low tops. I am just curious because it seems like there has been an increase in rolled ankles. Boats was definitely not taped before the game.

 

[Burnsbros23]

Boat had been playing in the Jordan 13s yesterday he was in Kobe's which are low tops.

Boat seems to roll his ankle a lot but never really sprain it.

 

[sammydabiz]

Lo-tops or hi-tops has nothing to do with it. It's weather or not the individual wants to get his ankles taped before the game. Doing so will go far in preventing a roll over, however, ankle tape jobs are a bit restrictive and a portion of your explosiveness will be sacrificed. The shoes height is arbitrary for the most part.

 

[Danzz]

High tops don't give much more support. Red Auerbach said there were fewer ankle sprains with the unsupported Chucks the players used to wear. He thought the more supported shoes caused more problems. Taping gives more support than any shoe can provide and in the case of HS players it shouldn't be optional. Taping works.

 

[CL82]

I agree with that - we were designed with a pretty nifty suspension system and more shoe is probably worse than less shoe.

Has anyone here ever rolled an ankle barefoot?

When you roll an ankle in sneakers, you're really sliding off the deck of the shoe before you roll the whole works.

Interesting observation. That would explain Fishy's youth AAU team: