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{{DISPLAYTITLE:How I Test Running Shoes}}
[[File:How I Test.jpg|right|thumb|500px|Clockwise from top left: Measuring compression and cushioning. Part of my shoe collection. A dissected shoe. A 50 mile run in the [[Altra One2| Altra One<sup>2</sup>]]. Measuring shoe hardness. Running in Odd Shoes (injury risk!). My bag of shoes I take to my runs so I can swap between them during the runs. ]]
Testing shoes is a combination of art and science. I apply as much of [[The Science of Running Shoes]] as is possible, backed up with tens of thousands of miles of running experience. Because different runners look for different compromises in their shoes, may provide recommendations for different categories. Some runners like a minimalist shoe, others the massively cushioned [[MinimaxMaximalist]] style, while others prefer a shoe that improves their performance. I test shoes in a variety of ways:
* '''Running'''. The obvious way to test a shoe is simply to run in it, but while this can be effective, I've found few insights this way (other than the "bleedin' obvious").
* '''Long Runs'''. Running for longer distances in a shoe can reveal its strengths and weaknesses in a way that shorter runs overlook. I've found some useful insight from runs between 16 and 100 miles long, where small problems can become magnified.
** '''Flexibility'''. It's reasonably easy to measure the force it takes to bend a shoe, but the way a shoe bends may not match how your foot moves, so there is some subjectivity in this measurement.
** '''Cushioning'''. Measuring the cushioning is surprisingly complex, as it includes both static and dynamic behaviors. I've found the standard approaches to measuring cushioning do not seem to reflect the perceived cushioning, so I've spent time developing my own equipment and techniques.
** '''Cold Cushioning'''. I've started to look at the cushioning that a shoe provides when it's been in a freezer (~10f0f/-10c).
* '''Dissection'''. I find it useful to [[Shoe Dissection| dissect some of the shoes]] to reveal their inner construction. I don't do this all the shoes due to the cost. (I buy all my shoes through normal retail outlets, so these reviews are expensive to produce.)