Best running shoe - bad ankle

Ya...I agree.  Shoes are very individual.  I have got a new pair of shoes for my birthday about every year for the past 15 years.  I really look forward to it and the past two years I have got recommendations from fellow triathletes and friends as to what their most successful or favorite shoes were.  Then I have gone to the shoe store and tried on every pair on my list and ran in them either on the treadmill in the store or outdoors to see what the difference was.  Some brands/styles felt quite different from what I was used to.  Some of the differences were nice and some I didn't like.  I have tried four new shoes in the past 2-1/2 years.  I have found that for me I prefer a heavier training shoe with lots of support even though that is not what the salesmen recommend when they do my gait analysis.  They always tell me that I can wear a lighter weight shoe without the added support.  I do that for race shoes but for training, I find that if the sole is not stiff that I start to feel the pounding before I get through the long run.  I also have problems with Plantar Fasciitis on long runs in softer soled shoes.  The surface you run on (i.e. gravel vs. pavement) can make a big difference in how your angle holds up on a run. When it comes to the shoe I think the one that will do the best for you on runs is the one that fits the best.  Try on ever shoes in the store.  Where one shoe on the right foot and one on the left foot for a side by side comparisons.  I think comfort in the fit will do more for your ankles that anything else will.

+1 for visiting a real local running store.  I was referred to mine by a podiatrist years ago.  I wrecked my ankles in the Corps and ever since it has been REALLY easy for me to sprain one, even just walking.  But the owner of Elite Feet is a certified physical therapist who saw too many people in the wrong shoes, so she took a chance and opened her own store.  She's been there for probably 20 years now.  I have yet to sprain an ankle in any shoe I have purchased from Becky.

With that said, I am going to climb up on a soapbox very briefly.  If you value that kind of service you need to support that kind of vendor.  Sure, you might find a lower price on Amazon or Zappo's, but no matter how many good reviews they get they cannot give you the same service.  The same holds true for your local bike shop too.  Support your local shops, or soon you won't have a local shop!

 The only injury I have had in running in the past 25 years has been a sprained ankle.  I wrecked my ankles on trampolines as a kid. 

The last time I sprained it was about a year.  I was in the passenger seat of the car driving 15 minutes into town.  I had my ankles cross and pushed the feet against the floorboard.  Oops....when  I went to get out of the car only to discover that I couldn't stand up and walking was out of the question.  It bruised and swole up really good of the following days.  Yep...I have chronically sprained ankles too.  They roll very easily.