Knowing how to choose the right running shoe can seem like a daunting task. Rest assured that our well-trained staff will take the guesswork out of the process and provide you with choices that will work well for your unique foot type. We achieve this through a comprehensive gain analysis. Sound confusing? Time consuming? Well relax; it takes only a few moments. Essentially, gait analysis involves observing a foot in motion. First we look at what the foot does when you walk without shoes. We assess the foot’s motion from the initial heel strike through toe off. Some of the first things we look for are how you bear your weight, if you have rigid arches or if your arches collapse. This information helps to determine if your foot is overpronating.
Pronation is the foot’s natural way to absorb shock. Over pronation is when an arch collapses and/or the ankles roll inwards. Many factors aside from foot motion affect the degree of over pronation and we take all these factors into consideration when assessing your gait.
Once we determine the type of support needed in a shoe and evaluate the shape of the foot, shoe recommendations are made. At this point the staff assess your gait with the shoe on the foot while you run or walk. This allows us to fine tune the gait assessment. Each customer will be presented with an assortment of shoes from different companies. This is the fun part. All the shoe you try on are going to be right for your foot type and will be appropriate for whatever their intend to use may be. All you have to do is decide which one feels the best on your foot. All said and done this process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to, well, as long as you like. We want you to feel comfortable and confident in your choice.
