The Shoe Science Experience
There is quite a technical aspect to sports footwear selection if injury prevention and a fantastic ride are your primary goals, but our aim is to make the process as jargon-free and user-friendly as possible. Injury prevention is about matching a shoe’s functional feature to your foot biomechanics. The Ultimate Wear Experience™ is achieved with the fit and comfort features you desire, or other features like a hardened outsole for durability, if shoe longevity is what matters the most to you.
The heart of our science is our team, our track & video analysis and your ’My Profile’ (see below). We train our technicians in the art of fitting shoes, and how to operate our science of track and video gait analysis to the highest standard.
We start by discussing your goals and your expectation of your shoes, including price. We won't try and push you in any direction - you set the parameters.
Our highly trained staff can discuss injuries with you. Having the correct footwear is a major factor in reducing or eliminating so many foot, ankle, knee and hip problems, but if your problem goes deeper and we can't help, we'll refer you to someone who can.
Then the fitting process begins. Expand the titles below for the full story.
We have pioneered the use of tracks and video analysis over all other options, as a track gives us the closest simulation of the roads and footpaths you will actually be travelling over, to see and understand exactly how your body operates.
It is important that the rear foot and forefoot are looked at separately and together. Each segment of the foot has a specific role to achieve shock absorption, foot and leg alignment and power. Poor function can result in a loss of power or speed, fatigue and injury.
We use the track and video to look at
- Rearfoot - viewed from the rear as you move away from the camera
- Forefoot - viewed from the front as you move towards the camera
After testing you barefoot to ascertain what your foot does naturally, we then re-test you in the various shoe options to find the pair that guides you into the best functional position at heel strike, arch loading and toe off.
Your profile (called ‘My Profile’) is accessible at all our stores for your ultimate shopping convenience. This is your personal record of your shoes, your injury history and your biomechanical function. So when you're ready for your next pair of shoes, so are we.
Finally, while not strictly about science, our Ambassador Club rewards programme is another important aspect of your SHOE SCIENCE experience.
Our aim is that you leave our store wowed by the service you received, and then by the wear experience of your new shoes.