Why 3D Gait Analysis is Best

Finding the right running shoe can be overwhelming. Walk into any running store and you’ll see walls stacked with shoes promising performance, comfort, and even injury prevention. But here’s the challenge: how do you know which pair is right for you?

For years, runners have relied on methods like the wet test, arch typing, or 2D gait analysis to make shoe decisions. While these approaches can provide a starting point, research shows they’re limited, oversimplified, and often misleading. The truth is simple: the best running shoe depends on how your body moves in it.

That’s where 3D gait analysis comes in — and why technologies like RUNRIGHT-3D are changing the way runners select shoes.

Why Running Shoe Selection is So Difficult

Most runners want a shoe that feels good, helps prevent injury, and supports their training goals. But here’s the catch:

• Foot shape doesn’t predict running mechanics.
• Arch height doesn’t reliably indicate pronation or injury risk.
• Comfort matters, but what feels soft at first might increase load on your Achilles or knees over time.

This is why so many runners end up in the wrong shoe, relying on trial and error or outdated fitting methods.

What is 3D Gait Analysis?

• Sagittal (front-to-back)
• Coronal (side-to-side)
• Transverse (rotational)

Traditional 2D gait analysis only captures a slice of this movement. In contrast, 3D gait analysis uses advanced motion capture technology (similar to what’s used in sports science labs) to build a complete digital model of your running stride.

With systems like RUNRIGHT-3D, we can measure:

• Joint angles, timing, and rotation
• Braking forces and energy return
• Vertical oscillation and spring stiffness
• Your unique biomechanical response to different shoes

All of this data is captured in milliseconds and compared to validated benchmarks from elite athletes — giving you an objective, personalised score for each shoe you test.

Why Traditional Shoe Fitting Methods Fall Short

The Wet Test & Foot Typing

Popularised in the 1970s and still used today, this method categorises runners into flat, normal, or high arches. Shoe brands then matched arch types to motion control, support, or cushioning shoes. Research now shows little correlation between static arch height and dynamic running mechanics — making this method outdated.

The Pronation Paradigm

From the 1980s through the 2000s, runners were classified as neutral, overpronators, or supinator’s. Shoe selection followed suit. But large-scale studies in the 2010s proved that pronation alone isn’t a predictor of injury.

2D Video Analysis: A step up from eyeballing, but it still reduces complex, 3D motion into a flat picture. Even multiple cameras only capture part of the story.

Pressure Plates & Insoles

These measure how pressure is distributed underfoot, which is useful for understanding load but doesn’t reveal the bigger picture: how your whole body responds to running in a shoe.

Comfort Testing (The “Comfort Filter”)

The idea here is that the most comfortable shoe is the one that best aligns with your body’s natural movement pathway. It’s a useful starting point, but not foolproof. A shoe can feel plush in-store but increase load on key tendons once you’re running at speed.

Pose Estimation

Pose Estimation is a technology that enables machines to identify the position and orientation of individuals or objects by analysing images or videos. By detecting key body landmarks like joints and limbs, it provides insights into movements. However, it has limitations; optimal conditions such as good lighting, multiple camera angles, and high frame rates are necessary, which may not be practical in retail environments.

How RUNRIGHT-3D Changes the Game

RUNRIGHT-3D goes beyond guesswork, capturing thousands of data points as you run at your normal pace. Here’s why it’s considered the gold standard in gait analysis for running shoes:

Objective insights: Your biomechanics are tracked across all three planes of movement.

Personalised scoring: Results are filtered by age, gender, and running speed, then benchmarked against elite athletes.

Real-world relevance: You can test multiple shoes to see how each one affects your movement and forces.

Data you can act on: Change the shoe, and you’ll see the change in your score.

The result? A clear, evidence-based recommendation for the shoe that works with your body — not against it.