It would seem enough that you have to deal with the impact of three to four times your body weight with each foot strike when you run, but when you add the issue of ankle pronation, you've got real problems. If you are a runner whose foot and ankle tend to roll inward, or over-pronate, you need to remedy the situation by wearing running shoes and/or orthotic inserts to help.
Mechanical Issues
The biggest issue you need to deal with when over-pronating while running is that your foot, knee and leg are landing in a mechanically incorrect position. As pointed out in an article on over-pronation from the Runners Rescue website, this causes your joints to land at unnatural angles. The results of not correcting this issue include bunions, knee and ankle pain, plantar fasciitus, flat feet and shin splints.
Pronation Foot Types
Pronation occurs after your foot impacts on the heel first, then tends to roll inward. For many runners, pronation is a natural form of shock absorbency. If there is an excessive amount of rolling inward, its referred as over-pronation, and it needs to be controlled. Usually it is a flat foot that has the biggest problems, although many runners with nice arches can over-pronate too.
Remedies
The first remedy you try to help keep you from excessively pronating should be the correct running shoe. If you are a moderate pronater, an article at the website Pronation Running suggests looking for a shoe that's classified as a stability shoe. If you have severe over-pronation, then you need a running shoe classified as a motion control shoe. Both stability and motion control shoes feature denser, more structured compounds or devices under the medial side of the arch to promote arch support. They also promote a mechanically correct, neutral foot, knee and leg position.
More Remedies
If the use of a stability running shoe is still not enough to correct your pronation issues, then you may need to add an over-the-counter or custom-made orthotic to help. Runners Rescue notes research done by the Nike Sport Research Lab that indicates the use of orthotics reduced the amount of rear foot movement and the rate of rate of over-pronation. Before you choose an expensive, custom-made orthotic, try one of the many well-made, over-the-counter orthotic inserts.
Going Barefoot
Although barefoot running is a hot topic these days, the idea has been around for years. At first glance, the idea of a pronater running barefoot my seem ludicrous, but articles such as Sole Power from "Trail Runner" magazine states running too much in running shoes makes your feet lazy. Running barefoot gets you up on your forefoot, thereby reducing much of the effects of over-pronation and also reducing impact from a heavy heel strike. Investigating the use of barefoot running to reduce the ill effects of pronation needs to be carried out with caution and done slowly and gradually.
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