Abstract: This invention relates to an ankle support device which may be worn separately or incorporated into footwear, and which provides a method for bracing the ankle against lateral sprains. The ankle support device has a bracing pad which seats on the lateral side of the foot on the anterior portion of the heel bone and braces against the underside of the lateral malleolus. The bracing pad is secured to the foot by means of a stirrup strap which attaches at the upper end to an ankle cuff and at the lower end to a heel cup. The pad is anatomically configured to support the lateral side of the heel bone and the inferior side of the lateral malleolus, thereby resisting inversion, preventing injury, and providing support during the healing process.