Agree, but also understand not everyone knows what they are talking about. I've had some pretty great conversations and nerded out about equipment. And I've also been with a person who had no clue what I was talking about and I'm far from an expert. It can even be in the same store. I've been in Fleet Feet and gotten great service and I've been there and gotten "Academy level" service. Best I've ever gotten was Varsity Sports on the North Shore. Sat with the manager for probably 45 minutes just talking about natural running and types of shoes. Learned a lot that day. Shaped my beliefs on pronation shoes. Yes they help, but better running form will eliminate issues with pronation, therefore remove the need for the stabilization.

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2. One size does not fit all

Finally a legit start to a shoe thread instead of people listing the best shoes. It really is completely personal. It's best to talk about shoes in terms of their features (lightweight upper, wide/narrow toe box, flex sole, high/low cushion, etc.). Like you say, some might love cushion and others feel like they are running in sand.

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Heel drop is not a big deal for me. I've never worn a shoe and had an issue with the heel drop.

I think this is very important. I like lower drop, but I get hurt more easily if I don't watch my mileage ramp up very closely.

Some of my favorite sources

-Ginger Runner (Youtube). This guy does really good reviews on shoes. He doesn't have them all, but he's got quite a few. He does a really good review and really describes the shoe well without always putting his personal opinion in the review. Because again, what works for him, might not be what you are looking for. He's going to do a good job describing the shoe more than telling you if it worked for him.

- natural running center . Not saying barefoot running or natural running is gospel, but I think understanding it helped me be a more efficient runner. I'm slow as can be (especially right now as I'm getting back in shape), but I got a lot better when I started focusing on this stuff. Had some rough times at first realizing I couldn't go all in on it. But I rarely ever have knee soreness or joint soreness now that I heel strike less. And that ultimately changed up how I looked at running shoes.