InkCraftAnkle Tattoo Ideas for Women, Clear of the Strap
21 women's ankle tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
Sandals, ballet flats and cropped trousers all leave a woman's ankle bare, and a strap or a hem often crosses it at the same height day after day. An ankle tattoo on a woman works best when it is placed between those lines rather than under them.
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental cherry blossom tattoo on a woman's ankle
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese koi tattoo on a woman's ankle
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework flower tattoo on a woman's ankle
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental hummingbird tattoo on a woman's ankle
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal lily tattoo on a woman's ankle
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental flowers tattoo on a woman's ankle
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line cross tattoo on a woman's ankle
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative flower tattoo on a woman's ankle
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork hummingbird tattoo on a woman's ankle
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's ankle
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric cross tattoo on a woman's ankle
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental cat tattoo on a woman's ankle
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork snake tattoo on a woman's ankle
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese tattoo on a woman's ankle
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric raven tattoo on a woman's ankle
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's ankle
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor phoenix tattoo on a woman's ankle
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative shark tattoo on a woman's ankle
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative elephant tattoo on a woman's ankle
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative shark tattoo on a woman's ankle
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental flower tattoo on a woman's ankle
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 21 tattoos on women's ankles, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 16
- Colour
- 5
- Most common style
- ornamental
Straps, anklets and cropped hems
Many of the shoes women wear put something across the ankle: the strap of a sandal, the buckle of an ankle-strap heel, the ties of an espadrille. A tattoo placed exactly where a strap sits spends half its life cut in two, and a thin band on that line can vanish under it altogether. The back of the ankle, running up toward the Achilles, is the one side almost nothing crosses.
Cropped and ankle-length trousers end just above the joint, and a small piece on the outer ankle sits in the gap between hem and shoe. An anklet rests on the same line a band tattoo would take, so if you wear one, either make the band its partner or keep the design higher up the leg.
A narrow joint, smooth skin
A woman's ankle is often narrow, with bones that stand out clearly, which leaves less flat skin around them than people expect. A single motif really has two homes, the patch above the outer bone and the curve behind it toward the heel, and a band has only a small circle to close around. Keep designs simple enough to read at that scale.
Shaved legs keep the ankle smooth, so fine line stays legible here longer than it would under hair, though socks and shoe backs still rub it. The ankle also changes very little over the decades; it is one of the few places on a woman's leg where a design drawn at twenty will fit the same at sixty. The ankle page covers the sitting and the healing.
Common questions
- Where should an ankle tattoo go if I wear strappy sandals?
- Above the strap line, or on the back of the ankle toward the Achilles, where sandals rarely cross. With your most-worn pair on, mark where each strap lands and show the artist; the design can then sit in the gaps and be seen whole whenever you wear them.
- Inner or outer ankle, if I mostly wear skirts?
- In skirts both sides show, so choose by who you want to see it. The outer ankle faces anyone beside or behind you and has the flatter skin above the bone. The inner ankle is seen mostly by you, and by others when you cross your feet while sitting. Bands use both sides at once.
- Can an ankle tattoo grow into a foot piece later?
- Yes, and it is the most natural direction for it to grow. A design on the outer or front ankle can run forward along the top of the foot toward the toes; one at the back can climb the Achilles. Tell the artist which way you might extend it so the first piece leaves room.
- Which small designs fit a woman's ankle?
- Open, simple ones, since a narrow joint has little flat skin. Ornamental and linework designs suit it best, and a band of pattern can stand in for an ankle bracelet. Illustrative subjects such as a flower, a hummingbird or a sprig of cherry blossom fit the patch above the outer bone when drawn with a clear outline. Dense detail closes up at this size.
See it on your own skin first
InkCraft places a design on a photo of you — scaled, wrapped and shaded to the spot you pick, so you can judge the size against your own body before it is permanent.