First, while measuring your feet we talk to you about your activities to get an idea of your training.
It is important that we get a good idea to what you will be using the shoe for. Running, walking, trails, Orange Theory, mud runs, hip hop hula-hooping?
We also ask about your current and previous injuries that may have an influence on your biomechanics or shoe needs.
You tell us and we will get you on the right track.
Next, we bring you a simple neutral running shoe in order to see how you move without any corrective support.
We then watch you walk or run on our treadmill (or outside if you are more comfortable) and using an iPad to record your gait, we analyze the gait cycle that is unique to each runner and show you video of your stride afterwards. We do this to determine the necessary amount of control required for you in a shoe.
After taking video we then go over your mechanics in slow motion and give you a breakdown of what we see and what may or may not need to be corrected.
We then select multiple shoes from the proper category based on the information we have gathered. We select these shoes based on fit, performance, and your biomechanical needs.
There may be several shoes that will fit your needs and that is why we have you test them out on the treadmill or sidewalk. Obviously, we want you to be happy with your choice. This is why we make recommendations but the final selection is based on your comfort.
This process usually takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the number of customers in the store). We like to spend individual time with each customer so unless you have in mind already a specific brand or model of shoe that you're looking for, come prepared to spend some time trying on multiple pairs of shoe - your health and comfort are important to us.