To judge which running shoe tests you can trust, check what is measured, how the units are bought and how the lab is funded. The labs below state different answers to each of these, and the pages read here describe instrument tests and runner wear tests mostly as separate methods. Reading one lab from each kind gives a fuller picture than relying on one.
Inadviser has run no test in this category and names no best product. This page lists existing tests and what each says about itself. Each fact was read on the lab's own page; the link and the date read are beside it. Last page read: .
Existing tests compared
Labs are listed in alphabetical order. The order says nothing about quality. 7 parts below say "Not stated" because the lab's page did not say it. No score, ranking or product list is copied from any lab.
Existing running shoes tests: what each measures, how it tests, how fresh it is, how it is funded and what it does not cover
Reviews are runner opinions after wearing the shoe; the page calls the final thoughts subjective.source, read
Instruments. Mentions no lab or instrument measurements; testing is miles run in the shoe.source, read
Sample. States each review needs at least 20 miles in a pair. Number of testers is not stated; the page says the core team has worked together for 6+ years.source, read
Who buys the units.Not statedLooked at: source, read
Reviews describe how a shoe performs across run types by Doctors of Physical Therapy; no lab measurements are described.source, read
Instruments. Each shoe type gets set runs before review. Trainers get daily runs, workouts, recovery runs and a long run, often 20 to 50 miles in total; racing flats get intervals and a tempo run.source, read
States it is looking to partner with companies to promote footwear models, and that partnership will not affect the honesty of its reviews.source, read
The about page lists a team including licensed physical therapists and does not state how the site is funded.source, read
No lab equipment is described on the method page.source, read
Source of review shoes and number of testers are not stated; the page text was read only in part.source, read
Rates comfort and fit, cushioning, breathability and traction for men's running shoes.source, read
Measures stack height, heel-to-toe drop, dimensions and toebox volume at a test facility.source, read
Instruments. Testers run threshold workouts, long, recovery and treadmill runs, hill sprints and strides on varied surfaces; shoes are cut in half to measure stack height against World Athletics standards.source, read
Sample. Sends a second pair of each shoe to a test facility. Number of testers is not stated; the page names two authors.source, read
Who buys the units. States that it buys all the products it reviews and refuses manufacturers' free evaluation units.source, read
Wear testers report on fit, comfort and ride. The Shoe Lab measures cushioning, forefoot flexibility, weight, stack height and drop.source, read
Instruments. An impact tester drops an 8.5 kg disk on heel and forefoot from 5 cm; a machine bends the forefoot 45 degrees 60 times in 20 seconds. The lab is directed by Martyn R. Shorten, Ph.D.source, read
Sample. Sends shoes to more than 400 runners in four cities, each wearing them for about one month; the page cites about 50 pairs of each of 30 models per guide.source, read
Who buys the units. States that manufacturers provide the shoes. Does not say whether they are bought or given free.source, read
The page read is dated June 8, 2016, so the numbers are from that date; a current method page was not read.source, read
The page carries a Sponsored label above its title; it does not say what the label applies to. No affiliate disclosure appears on it.source, read
Measures energy return and shock absorption with a drop test on a cut midsole, plus stack height, heel drop, midsole softness, traction, stiffness and torsional rigidity.source, read
Also measures breathability, insulation, shoe and toebox dimensions, weight, and durability by abrasion; team members wear-test shoes in category-appropriate settings.source, read
Instruments. Uses lab machines and hand tools: a drop-test rig, a durometer, a friction machine, a bending machine, an environmental chamber, calipers and a microscope. Each drop test runs 30 repetitions per location.source, read
Sample. Tests one pair per shoe: one shoe kept whole, the other cut apart for midsole and upper tests. Number of wear testers is not stated on the page.source, read
Who buys the units. States that it buys the shoes, in one men's size, and waits for that size if needed. Does not say whether brands ever supply shoes.source, read
Keeps a dated methodology version list; the newest entry is version 2.5 for breathability, June 2026. Version 2.2 notes about 200 running shoes were re-measured after a softness method change.source, read
Does not describe a schedule for re-testing existing reviews.source, read
States that it earns an affiliate commission when readers buy through its links, earns from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate, and runs ads.source, read
Lists prototype testing services and data licensing for outside parties in its site footer; the page does not describe their terms.source, read
Names a founder and CEO. Does not state who owns the company.source, read
Tests the original model only; collaborations and variations are not tested.source, read
Cold conditions are simulated with a freezer test that covers softness only. Stack height is measured only on cut shoes.source, read
Durability is a bench abrasion test, not a long-run wear programme.source, read
Which test to use for which decision
If you want to know what a shoe's foam and structure measure on instrumentsUse RunRepeat and Runner's World (Shoe Lab, Australia edition). RunRepeat describes drop, durometer, friction and bending machines on a cut pair, and the Runner's World lab page describes an impact tester and a flex machine, dated 2016.
If you want to know that the reviewer bought the shoesUse RunRepeat and GearLab. RunRepeat states it buys the shoes and GearLab states it buys all products and refuses free evaluation units, while Believe in the Run and Doctors of Running do not state a source.
If you want to know how a shoe feels over many miles of runningUse Believe in the Run and Doctors of Running and GearLab. Believe in the Run states at least 20 miles per pair, Doctors of Running describes set run types often totalling 20 to 50 miles, and GearLab describes varied runs and treadmill work.
If you want to check who pays the lab before you read a reviewUse RunRepeat and GearLab and Believe in the Run. Each of these three states on its own pages that it earns a commission when readers buy through its links, and Believe in the Run also sells advertising and events.
What this page does not do
It does not rank the labs or the products they test.
It states a lab's funding as the lab words it. It does not say any lab is paid or biased.
It has no affiliate links. Send a correction, with the page that shows it, through the corrections address.