Your Questions Answered...

• What is Gait Analysis?

  A gait analysis provides you with essential information about the way you run, and most importantly enables you to measure your rate of pronation. This in turn helps you to select the right type of running shoe, for your gait, with the ultimate aim of ensuring your footstrike is as bio-mechancically efficient as possible, reducing the risk of injury and optimising performance.

  This involves running on a treadmill for a few minutes while videoing your running gait. This footage is then slowed down, your gait assessed and analysed in detail by our specialist who will then feedback their findings.

• What is Pronation?

  Pronation is the natural inwards rolling movement of the foot during the footstrike which occurs as weight is transferred from the heel through to the forefoot. This neutral gait is the most natural, and bio-mechanically efficient type of footstrike.

  Overpronation occurs where the foot rolls inwards excessively, placing excessive wear on the medial side of the foot, destabilising it and causing it to absorb shock less efficiently. This impacts negatively on the runner's bio mechanical alignment and efficiency, in particular impacting on the hips, knees and ankles and increasing the risk of injury.

  Under pronation or supination is less common and is the insufficient inward rolling of the foot on landing, both destabilising the foot and preventing it from absorbing shock efficiently. This tends to affect runners with high arches and tight Achilles tendons, who are at increased risk of injury...

• What are the benefits?

  Gait analysis will give you key insight into your running mechanics, and help to pinpoint gait inefficiences. Armed with this knowledge you can make the best training and product choices to enhance your running performance.

• No time? Try the wet footprint test

  The wet footprint test is also a fast and easy way to help determine what kind of runner you are click here for our guide.

• Our Gait Analysis specialist

  Martin Dowdall has been running all types of distances for over 20 years. Having completed many marathons and ultras, he is perfectly placed to give excellent advice for all runners. He has over 15 years in the running retail industry, from store level to online and his extensive product knowledge and experience has helped hundreds of runners to find the right running shoe for their needs.

• Need more expert advice?

  Need more advice? For more tips, articles and inspiration from our experts click here.

• Terms and Conditions

  Your use of SportsShoes.com Online Gait Analysis is solely at your own risk. All advice is intended as a guide and no advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from SportsShoes.com shall create any representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or suitability of that advice. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk.

  In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage,or any loss or damage whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use of this service.