Patent ID: 7651472

Claim:
An apparatus for stabilizing movement of an ankle, said apparatus comprising: a flexible body member for receiving a foot, said body member defining a first side section, a second side section connected to at least one edge of said first side section, a rear section defined by rear portions of said first and second side sections, a bottom section defined by lower portions of said first and second side sections, and at least one opening for receiving a heel, said body member having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a stiffening unit secured to selected portions of said body member, said stiffening unit having at least one pivot point positioned between an upper end and a lower end of said stiffening unit; and a body member connector for securing free front edges of said first and second side sections to one another to thereby secure said body member to an ankle, said connector comprising: a plurality of eyelets extending along free front edges of said first and second side sections of said body member; a plurality of eyelets extending along free front edges of said stiffening unit, said stiffening unit eyelets corresponding to said first and second side section eyelets; and and at least one lace threaded through said respective eyelets; wherein said stiffening unit minimizes lateral and vertical movement of upper portions of said body member with respect to said bottom section, without obstructing forward and rearward movement of upper portions of said body member with respect to said bottom section.