Running Gait Analysis: How to Find the Right Running Shoes for You 

The SportsShoes Online Running Gait Analysis is here to help you choose your next pair of running shoes — and get it right! In this article we'll look at why and how you can do that.

What is Your Running Gait? 

To put it simply, your running gait is the way your body moves when you run. It includes everything from how your foot lands and rolls as it hits the ground, to the alignment of your hips, knees, hips and upper body move together each stride.

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How Are You Choosing Your Next Pair?

How are you going to choose your next pair of running shoes? Will your decision be based on how they look? What worked for your friend? Or what an online review says? All of these seem like pretty good reasons to form a decision.

But how do you know when a shoe is really right for your running style? What works for one person might be completely wrong for you. Not because the shoes are bad, but because every body moves differently.

You could be eyeing up an ultra-cushioned shoe that promises plush comfort, but your stride might require extra support. On the other hand, you could be drawn to a sleek, lightweight shoe in your favourite colour, without realising your body needs something designed to absorb impact differently.

That’s why understanding the nuances in your movement patterns is so important. Our gait analysis assesses six key points across your body to determine whether you are an overpronator, supinator (underpronator), or neutral runner. We don’t need to go into detail about the characteristics of each one right now, as that’s exactly what our gait analysis will tell you, as well as providing a list of shoe recommendations curated just for you.

Take the SportsShoes Free Online Running Gait Analysis.

Bringing You Lab-Grade Gait Analysis, To Your Living Room

We’ve partnered with Ochy, a biomechanics platform trusted by elite sporting brands and organisations, including ASICS, adidas, and England Athletics.

Together, we’re bringing professional-grade gait analysis directly to everyday runners — no treadmill, booking, or in-store appointment required. Using just a short video filmed on your phone, you can explore your running biometrics from the comfort of your own home.

We first introduced Ochy's technology in our House of SportsShoes London pop-up. Over six weeks, we saw more than 600 runners visit our Running Lab for a personalised gait analysis session to learn more about their form.

Over our 40 years in running retail, we’ve seen more and more runners looking to make informed decisions about their footwear and training. Making gait analysis easily accessible online felt like the natural next step in supporting our running community.

Is Gait Analysis Having a Moment?

It certainly looks that way. In our 2026 Running Report, our research revealed that a quarter of runners (25%) have now had their gait analysed — up from fewer than 7% of runners reported in 2025.

That's a remarkable jump in just 12 months, which suggests that more runners are taking an interest in understanding how they move, not just how far or how fast.

Get a Full Picture of How You Run

If you’ve ever had a traditional in-store gait analysis, you’ll know they usually focus almost entirely on the movement of your feet and ankles, looking at how they are positioned and roll when making contact with the ground. But running is a full-body movement — a tweak in your knee or a tight lower back can often start much higher up the chain.

The SportsShoes Gait Analysis uses Ochy’s AI technology to assess six key movement points across your entire stride, giving you a complete, whole-body picture of how you run.

Here's what our Gait Analysis tracks:

‎ ‎ ‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Running posture: How your upper body is positioned throughout your stride.

‎ ‎ ‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Cadence: Your step rate and running rhythm.

‎ ‎ ‎‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Pelvic stability: How steadily your hips remain aligned as you run.

‎ ‎ ‎‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Lower limb alignment: How your hips, knees and ankles work together.

‎ ‎ ‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Running symmetry: Differences in movement between your left and right sides.

‎ ‎ ‎‎●‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Footstrike and pronation: How your foot lands, rolls and absorbs impact.

Looking at these areas together helps identify movement patterns you might not notice yourself. For example, you might feel as though you're running evenly, but an assessment could highlight differences between your left and right sides that are worth exploring.

Ready to Start Your Gait Analysis?

There’s no need to make an appointment and head to a specialist running store. You don’t even need access to a treadmill if that’s not available to you.

The entire process takes less than 5 minutes:

‎1‎ ‎. Film a 10-Second Video: Set your phone up (or get someone to hold it) and record yourself running naturally from behind or the side, on a flat surface or treadmill.

‎2‎ . Upload Your Video: You can find our Gait Analysis tool under the ‘tools’ section inside your SportsShoes ULTRA member dashboard.

‎3 . Get Your Breakdown: In under a minute, Ochy's AI technology generates your personal biomechanics report.

Looking at Your Gait Analysis Data

Just because Ochy provides one of the most detailed biomechanical analyses available doesn't mean you’ll need to reach for a lab coat to understand your results. The platform provides easy-to-digest scores that are clearly illustrated in your report.

Your practical next steps:

‎Targeted Exercises: You’ll receive corrective strength and mobility drills tailored specifically to support your weak areas.

Personalised Shoe Recommendations: These are matched to your biomechanics, taking into account your training goals and target distances.

Get Personal with Our Running Experts - Book a Virtual Consultation  

If you're looking at your results and wondering what the scores mean, you can book a consultation with two of our running experts, Will and Tom. These guys were part of the team who helped runners with their gait analysis at the House of SportsShoes, and they’ve played a big part in refining our service as we’ve brought it online. They’ll be able to talk you through your results, help you interpret the findings, and discuss suitable shoe options.

So if you’d like to ask a few more questions and gain a little extra confidence in making your next running shoe purchase, this is your chance!

The SportsShoes Online Gait Analysis tool is completely free for all SportsShoes ULTRA members — and ULTRA is completely free to join!