One of the more common injuries a motocross rider may experience is a shoulder injury. That’s why back in the late 1990s, the EVS design team set to work developing a brace for shoulder injury prevention, recovery, and support. Although EVS is known for its moto products, the company also designs for the medical industry. One of those medical products was a brace designed for those suffering from a dislocated shoulder, rotator cuff issues, or torn tendons.

EVS designed and manufactured its first shoulder brace in-house at its Santa Monica location, where its in-house sewing line quickly created a prototype. The initial design worked exceptionally well, and the EVS design team immediately knew they needed to create a version for moto. As a result, EVS shifted some of its focus to creating a shoulder brace specifically for moto that would help prevent the many shoulder injuries that occur when riding.

The idea was to create a purpose-built shoulder brace for motocross athletes, specifically those suffering from tendon tears, bursitis, arthritis, dislocation, AC joint separation, or rotator cuff injuries. The brace would also aid during the injury recovery process by adding extra stability, compression, and support when performing activities that can aggravate or reinjure a shoulder.

The first EVS Shoulder brace was designed in 1997 and launched in 1998 with the SB02 model, which is a basic compression-like shoulder brace for one arm but is an ambidextrous system that can be used on either side. Not long after came the SB03 model, which introduced the EVS X-strap System, allowing users to focus different tension levels on specific areas for injury prevention and recovery. EVS produced both the SB02 and SB03 models in-house for the first ten years, moving to a different facility at one point while continuing to manufacture the braces in-house.

The line received its first update in 2002 with new moto-style graphics and functionality details. Then the line went through another update in 2010, adding injected TPR details like pull tabs that allow users to cinch the product tighter for a more customized fit. With the popularity of TPR during the period, adding the TPR design elements also kept EVS in sync with industry trends.

The Shoulder Brace that started it all, the EVS SB02

Another refinement was switching from standard neoprene to Airprene®, which breathes better and allows better air circulation and cooling. A less apparent change is when the brace patterns were updated with less stitching in specific areas to prevent hot spots and chafing. The result is a more comfortable brace for extended periods. And as mentioned already, the SB03 model introduced EVS’ innovative X-Strap System, which keeps the brace firmly fitted to the shoulder.

At around the ten-year mark, demand had increased so much that the product design team decided the time was right to expand the shoulder brace line, adding the SB04 model with extra shoulder pad impact protection. At that same time, the team started the design process for the SB05 model, which was to feature a new bilateral compression system designed to support both shoulders at once.

After 20+ years of production, the EVS shoulder brace line continues to be a tried-and-true market-leading product that, even with updated design details, is not that far from the innovative, original design created back in 1998. It’s a product with a huge following in the moto scene that, over time, has grown its crossover appeal, especially for those participating in stick and ball sports like hockey and baseball, while also appealing to cyclists, stunt riders and drivers, construction trades, and just about any other physical activity where one is recovering from—or seeking to prevent—a shoulder injury.

The EVS X-Brace System is designed for customized shoulder brace tension.

By designing a shoulder brace that works well for the extreme sport of motocross, the result is a product that works exceptionally well for nearly any sport or physical activity. With four models to choose from, there is an EVS model for every level of shoulder bracing or support needed, from one-sided compression to double-sided support.

EVS shoulder braces offer moto style, moto performance, and elevated injury prevention and recovery that appeals to the everyday masses. There have been copycats through the years, but there’s only one EVS Shoulder Brace!

VIEW ALL EVS SHOULDER BRACES >

Written by Dale Spangler

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