There are a few reasons why muay thai fighters wear ankle support sleeves.
But the main reason is that ankle guards can prevent the number of and severity of ankle sprains. Ankle guards can also represent a fighters style and fashion and some fight promotions actually require fighters to wear ankle guards.
In this post we also suggest the best muay thai ankle support sleeves that are used by the Pros in fighting.
But first let’s take a look at the reason behind ankle support for muay thai fighters.
Why do Muay Thai Fighters Wear Ankle Sleeves?
The reason some of the top pros require muay thai ankle support sleeves when fighting is because they are likely recovering from injuries or have some prone conditions that they want to protect themselves from.
Muay thai ankle sleeves are not required to fight muay thai even through you may see a lot of fighters wear them when they compete.
In certain muay thai fight promotions, it seems like the fighters are actually required to wear ankle support of either blue or red representing the corner they are fighting from.
For example Max Muay Thai fighters all wear either blue or red ankle support when they fight.
Check out the video highlights from Max Muay Thai below and notice how all the fighters wear either blue or red ankle sleeves.
So for professional and even high level amateur fighters, muay thai ankle support is used to receover from or prevent injuries when training or competing.
But they are also part of standard gear worn by fighters in certain promotions like Max Muay Thai where all the fighters wear ankle sleeves.
But what purpose do muay thai ankle sleeve serve for non-fighters who train muay thai for reasons other than competing?
Why Use Ankle Sleeves for Training?
Apart from pro fighters who wear ankle sleeves when fighting, what are the other reasons for ankle support in muay thai?
1. Comfort
For many people who train muay thai and even MMA or kickboxing, ankle supports offer better comfort.
Ankle sleeves can offer some padding for your feet and ankles if you fail to hit a target cleanly with your shins.
Many people who train also wear muay thai ankle sleeves to prevent some chafing when kicking pads or the bag.
Sometimes the skin on the top of your foot can get a little raw from kicking the bag or pads a lot and ankle sleeves can help to avoid this.
2. Foot Stability
Some people like ankle sleeves them because they keep your foot rigid and supported. A lot of people who train muay thai, MMA or kickboxing with flat-feet rely on ankle sleeves to support and protect their feet and ankles.
However, if a someone depends too much on ankle support, it can make it difficult to develop the required strength and joint stability that comes naturally with training without ankle sleeves.
But also if you already have foot issues or are a beginner, ankle sleeves can help provide extra support until you build up the required time through a lot of skipping rope, running and general training on the bag and pads.
3. Recovery
Many people wear ankle sleeves when trining because they may be recovering from minor injuries.
Muay thai ankle sleeves can be very helpful to protect and support your feet and ankles if you have suffered an injury, strain or minor tear.
This is another reason why someone would want to wear ankle sleeves for muay thai, MMA or kickboxing even if they do not compete.
The Best Ankle Sleeves for Muay Thai, MMA and Kickboxing
When it comes to muay thai, the most famous Thai brands are usually the best options for ankle guards.
These would include the big names such as Fairtex, Twins or Yokkao and you really can’t go wrong if you get ankle sleeves from any of the big well known Thai brands.
But the other big name fight gear non-Thai brands provide just as good quality options for ankle guards.
These include ankle sleeves from Hayabusa, Venum and Sanabul to name a few.
Be aware that ankle guards come in different sizes and you will need to select the appropriate size for your feet.
Most ankle guards come in either M or L sizes.
The price range for ankle support for fighters is between $10-$30 USD for a quality pair that will be durable and can withstand hard training a few days per week in either MMA, muay thai or kickboxing.
