Athletic shoe with attached ankle brace

Claim 1

An ankle brace for an athletic shoe adapted to afford maximum reduction in inversion and eversion of the ankle joint and reinforcement of the collateral ligaments of the ankle, comprising a pair of wide substantially equal length elastic flexible straps, corresponding ends of the straps being cut on an angle to the longitudinal axis of the straps and the cut ends of the straps being attached to the opposite sides of an athletic shoe near the heel and adjacent to the connection between the shoe sole and upper at posterior angles relative to the plane occupied by the shoe sole, the cut ends of the straps being substantially parallel to the shoe sole, whereby the straps when extended upwardly from the sole assume steeply inclined posterior angles, and cooperative hook and loop pile fastener components on the opposite end portions of each strap, one component being on the exterior of each strap with relation to the athletic shoe near and above the angle cut end of the strap and adjacent to the malleolus, and the other fastener component being on the opposite side of each strap adjacent to the free end portion of the strap, whereby each strap in succession can be stretched and drawn upwardly and rearwardly at a steep posterior angle above the shoe sole and wrapped transversely around the rear of the ankle and lower leg and then drawn forwardly and wrapped transversely in the opposite direction across the top of the instep and lower leg and then secured in a bracing position through engagement of the two fastener components of each strap one upon the other.