Can a gait analysis help you get the right running shoe?

Probably not.

Gait analysis can be very useful in helping improve the running technique. Coaches often use it to look for the foot strike pattern, foot placement, hip and pelvis movement and many other things to see if the running technique can be improved. Clinicians often use a gait analysis to look for problems in the gait that may be linked to injury. They will look for many things like the foot strike pattern, foot placement and movement, control from the hip, look for things like an abductory twist and a whole range of other things. This will help them make recommendations for any changes or intervention that may be needed for an injury.

Many specialty running shoe stores use treadmills to allegedly help them prescribe the right running shoe. There is certainly a lot of debate if this is just a sales gimmick or really does influence the running shoe prescribing process.

There is no evidence that it does help with the process. Those that use them will argue that it does help. There is no doubt that trying different shoes while running on a treadmill can help you decide if a running shoe is comfortable or not and comfort is really important to get right with running shoes.

Bestseller No. 1
Observational Gait Analysis
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Los Amigos Research & Education Center (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 72 Pages - 06/01/2001 (Publication Date) - Los Amigos Research & (Publisher)
Bestseller No. 2
Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Perry, Jacquelin (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 06/01/2024 (Publication Date) - CRC Press (Publisher)
SaleBestseller No. 3
Whittle's Gait Analysis
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 192 Pages - 07/24/2012 (Publication Date) - Churchill Livingstone (Publisher)
SaleBestseller No. 4
Whittle's Gait Analysis
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 222 Pages - 01/17/2023 (Publication Date) - Elsevier (Publisher)
Bestseller No. 5
Running Mechanics and Gait Analysis
  • Description|Table of Contents|Author|Excerpts|Sample Content
  • Ferber, Reed (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 152 Pages - 04/16/2014 (Publication Date) - Human Kinetics (Publisher)
SaleBestseller No. 6
Injury-Free Running, Second Edition: Your Illustrated Guide to Biomechanics, Gait Analysis, and Injury Prevention
  • Michaud, Tom (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 224 Pages - 06/15/2021 (Publication Date) - North Atlantic Books (Publisher)
SaleBestseller No. 7
Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function
  • Hardcover Book
  • Perry, Jacquelin (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 551 Pages - 02/01/2010 (Publication Date) - Slack Incorporated (Publisher)
Bestseller No. 8
An Introduction to Gait Analysis
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Whittle BSc MSc MB BS PhD, Michael W. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 268 Pages - 02/19/2007 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)
SaleBestseller No. 9
Clinical Gait Analysis: Theory and Practice
  • Hardcover Book
  • Christopher Kirtley (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 264 Pages - 01/23/2006 (Publication Date) - Churchill Livingstone (Publisher)
Bestseller No. 10
Observational Gait Analysis
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Inc., Rancho Research Institute (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 01/19/2021 (Publication Date)

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