Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in soccer, comprising between 16% to 29% of all soccer-specific injuries. In order to prevent a sprain from happening or to bolster sprain-weakened ankles, it's important to have a high quality brace.
In considering what ankle brace to invest in, two factors are important: support and profile. Profile essentially means how bulky a brace is and how much it may interfere with the ankle-heavy movements of soccer, such as cutting. An ankle brace should ideally be low profile and high support, that is, it allows you to play as if you weren’t wearing a brace but gives you all the protection of one.
As for the other more stylish elements such as straps or lace up, that comes down to player preference.
The most popular model that will give you the best of both worlds is the McDavid 195 Lace-up ankle brace. It's not only received hundreds of customer-raving reviews on sites where sports equipment is sold but it has also been given the podiatrist stamp of approval. The McDavid 195 gives you the maximum level of ankle protection (Level 3) with a light weight and material that allows for lots of mobility.