@jimhd - These are all good questions. I wish I had more recent experience to pull from. The braces I used all of those years ago were custom molded braces made of leather. They did a great job of immobilizing my ankle joints, but I would definitely not say there were comfortable. But, that was 20+ years ago already (time sure does fly when you put things in perspective).

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have had a new script to go to a local custom orthotics maker for almost a year now and have not done so. I wish I would have now so I could at least know what is available out there. I know the technology has come a long, long way. To answer your question, there are braces that completely immobilize your ankles - this is what my braces did all of those years ago. They basically mimicked an ankle fusion. I wonder if you could ask your provider to write you a script or give you a referral for a custom brace? There are manufacturers all over.

As far as shoes go, I am not sure of specific shoes that protect an arthritic ankle. But, I have become very picky with what types of shoes I wear over the years. I search for stability-rated shoes. I have landed on Asics as the main brand of shoe that I buy. They seem to have good support and have really helped me be on my feet longer when I need to be. If you are pairing them with a brace though - you need to account for the extra "width" of your foot and may need to upgrade to Wides in any shoe you get. In my experience if you have an ankle brace on and then try to squeeze into your normal shoe, it becomes so tight that you have foot pain from the tightness that negates any benefit of your ankle support.

I hope this helps shed some light. I think exploring an ankle brace script with your provider is worth discussing. I am quite confident the technology has improved drastically since I got mine in the early 2000s. This is a good reminder for me to get on my own brace again.