3 min readWhat is the Runner’s World Shoe Finder?
The Runner’s World Shoe Finder is a free tool that enables users to input their weight, experience, mileage, running habits, foot strike, and other factors in order to guide them to a customized selection of running shoes. Users can then read reviews from our wear-testers to determine the right shoe for their needs from this sampling.
Shoe Finder consists of three tools:
- Shoe Advisor, which matches a user to an appropriate selection of shoes based on their biomechanics and needs.
- Shoe Search, which provides reviews of shoes fitting the combination of criteria entered by the user.
- Shoes Like Mine, which helps users find other brands and models of running shoes similar to their favorite pair.
How Does Runner’s World test the shoes in the Shoe Finder?
All our shoes are tested at the RW Shoe Lab, an independent testing facility in Portland, Oregon, where we mechanically test each shoe we review. Our data shoe how each running shoe stacks up against the average running shoe for cushioning (how soft or firm the shoe’s sole is in the heel and forefoot), and flexibility (how much effort it takes to flex the shoe at toe-off), on a scale of 0 to 100, with average falling around 50. Our results are measured with a men’s size 9.
We receive about 50 pairs each for every shoe in our Shoe Finder from manufacturers all over the world, which we distribute to wear-testers in four cities. Our group of more than 400 wear-testers run in the shoes for a month, evaluating features like fit, comfort, and ride, before giving us feedback. All this is taken into account in our reviews of each shoe.
How can I test the shoes recommended by the Shoe Finder?
The best way to find the right shoes for you is to take the information from our Shoe Finder to a local running store near you, where you can try on the recommended shoes and often take them for a test run. To find a running store near you, try our Store Finder.
What do the the percentile rankings mean?
Shoe Weight: We weigh both the men’s (size 9) and women’s (size 7) models and rank these on a scale from heavy to light, with heavy shoes falling closer to the 100 end of the scale and average weight shoes falling in the middle at 50.
Shoe Profile (Height): Profile is a measurement of a shoe’s stack height, accounting for everything under your foot–including its outsole rubber, midsole foam, and sockliner. To determine heel and forefoot thicknesses, we cut away the shoe’s upper material, then take readings with a digital contact sensor. A shoe with a lower stack height will have a profile closer to the 1 end of the scale.
Heel and Forefoot Cushioning: We use a machine called an impact tester to measure how soft or firm each shoe is underfoot. It repeatedly drops a disk weighing 18.7 pounds—the average weight of the lower leg—onto the heel as well as the forefoot of a men’s size 9 shoe from a height of two inches. the Lab records the force of impact and how much the midsole compresses. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average falls in the middle at 50, and softer shoes will fall closer to 100.
Stiffness: This is a measurement of flexibility, or how much the shoe resists bending during toe-off, as measured by securing a shoe’s forefoot to a machine that bends it 45 degrees 60 times in 20 seconds. The force required to do this indicates how pliable the shoe is. On a scale of 1 to 100, a stiffer shoe will fall closer to the 100 end of the scale, and a more flexible shoe will fall closer to 1.
Stability Features: Most shoes, even minimal models, have some features that provide stability during your gait cycle. Examples of these stability features include a soft crash pad in the heel, a medial post on the inner edge of the midsole, and an outsole that makes complete ground contact. Our stability score indicates the presence of such features. The higher the score, the more stability features a shoe contains.
