The best shoes to wear with an ankle brace are ones with a wide toe box, a removable insole, and a supportive sole that doesn’t fight the brace for control of your ankle. Most people need to go up at least a half size or switch to a wide width to accommodate the extra bulk. The right pairing keeps the brace doing its job without cramping your foot or creating painful pressure points.
What Makes a Shoe Brace-Compatible
Not every shoe works with a brace, and the difference comes down to a few specific features. A removable insole is the single most useful thing to look for. Pulling out the factory insole frees up volume inside the shoe so the brace can sit flat against your foot without pushing your toes into the front. Many running shoes and walking shoes have removable insoles, but dressier styles and cheaper sneakers often glue theirs in.
A wide toe box matters almost as much. Ankle braces add material along the sides and bottom of your foot, and a narrow shoe will squeeze everything together, causing blisters or numbness. Shoes with a roomy forefoot let your toes spread naturally even with the brace in place.
Look for a firm heel counter, the rigid cup at the back of the shoe that wraps around your heel. A stiff heel counter works with the brace to stabilize your ankle, while a floppy one lets your heel slide around and undermines the whole point of bracing. You can test this in the store by pressing the back of the shoe with your thumb. If it collapses easily, skip it.
Sizing Up for the Brace
Plan to go up a half size to a full size from your normal shoe, depending on how bulky your brace is. A slim lace-up ankle brace might only need a half size bump, while a rigid stirrup brace or a full ankle-foot orthosis could require a full size increase or a jump from standard to wide width. The best approach is to bring the brace with you when you shop and try shoes on with it already strapped in place. Fit the braced foot first, since that’s the foot that needs the room.
If going up a full size makes the unbraced foot feel sloppy, you have a few options. Thicker insoles or heel pads in the other shoe can take up slack. Some people buy two pairs in different sizes, which is cheaper than dealing with a re-injury from poorly fitting footwear.
Athletic Shoes That Work Well
Running shoes and walking shoes with stability or motion control features are the easiest category to pair with an ankle brace. These shoes are already designed to limit excessive foot and ankle movement, so they complement what the brace is doing rather than working against it. They also tend to have cushioned footbeds that absorb shock, which matters when your ankle is healing or unstable.
For everyday running or walking, shoes like the Brooks Beast GTS 23 or the Hoka Gaviota 5 offer built-in motion control and enough interior volume for most braces. The Ryka Devotion XT Mid Top is a walking shoe with a wide toe box and a padded ankle collar that works well for gym sessions and daily errands. For trail use, a mid-height hiking shoe like the Arc’teryx Aerios FL 2 Mid GTX provides ankle coverage without the stiffness of a full hiking boot.
High-top basketball shoes and mid-top trainers can offer extra ankle support on their own, but they sometimes interfere with certain brace designs. If your brace extends up past the ankle bone, a high-top collar may press against it awkwardly or create a pressure point. Try the combination before committing. Low-top shoes with good stability features are often the safer bet for bulkier braces.
Dress Shoes and Casual Options
Finding dress shoes that fit over a brace is harder, but not impossible. Look for oxford-style lace-ups in wide widths, since laces let you adjust the fit across the top of your foot. Slip-ons and loafers rarely work because they’re cut too shallow and too tight to accommodate the extra material. If you need something for the office, brands that specialize in extra-depth or orthopedic-friendly shoes (like New Balance dress styles or companies that cater to custom orthotics) tend to have the interior space you need.
For casual wear, canvas sneakers with a wide fit can work with thinner braces. Boots with a side zipper sometimes fit well because the zipper gives you a wider opening to get your braced foot in. Avoid any shoe with a rigid, non-adjustable opening, as forcing your braced foot through it will be a daily frustration.
Lacing for a Better Fit
How you lace your shoes can make a real difference in comfort with a brace. Skip lacing, where you thread the lace straight across instead of crossing over at the pressure point, reduces compression over the highest part of your foot. This is especially useful if the brace adds bulk on top of your arch or instep, since a standard criss-cross pattern will press down hard on that spot.
To skip lace, thread normally until you reach the area where the brace creates the most height. At that eyelet, run the lace straight up to the next eyelet on the same side instead of crossing over, then resume normal lacing above. This creates a small window of relief right where you need it. It takes about thirty seconds to set up and can turn an uncomfortable shoe into one you forget you’re wearing.
Shoes to Avoid
Flat shoes with no structure, like most sandals, ballet flats, and minimalist sneakers, are poor choices with an ankle brace. They don’t have enough interior volume, and their lack of support means the brace is doing all the work on its own. Heels of any height shift your weight forward and change the angle of your ankle in ways that can stress an already compromised joint. Flip-flops are the worst option: no heel counter, no closure system, and no way to keep a brace secure.
Shoes with a very narrow last (the mold the shoe is built around) will also cause problems. Fashion sneakers from brands focused on aesthetics over function tend to run narrow and shallow. If you can’t comfortably wiggle your toes with the brace on, the shoe is too tight, even if the length feels right.