Depending on where you bought your first pair of running shoes, your introduction to the sport may have included a quick gait analysis from a shoe-fit expert at your local running store.
For many runners, that brief treadmill check, often focused on foot strike and pronation, is the first and only time anyone has evaluated how they actually move when they run.
But a true running gait analysis is much more than a sales-floor assessment. It’s a structured evaluation of your running mechanics, looking at factors like stride length, cadence, hip and knee alignment, foot placement, and overall movement patterns.
And while some specialty running shops offer a complimentary version, not all do, and many new runners feel hesitant about stepping on a treadmill and having their form observed.
As a result, even experienced runners often go years without a detailed gait analysis, missing out on insights that could help them run more efficiently, reduce injury risk, and choose the right shoes and training approach.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about running gait analysis, from what it actually measures to why it can be a powerful tool for runners of every level. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimize performance, understanding your gait can be a game-changer.
What Is A Running Gait Analysis?
As the name describes, a running gait analysis is an assessment of your running gait. But, what exactly is running “gait”?
Running gait refers to your running stride, or the cycle and motions that your feet and legs make when you run.
There are two primary phases of the running gait cycle: stance and swing.
The stance phase is when your foot is in contact with the ground, while the swing phase is when the leg is up in the air, non-weight bearing.
The stance phase has different stages, such as initial contact, mid-stance, and toe off, while the swing phase has the float stage,1Preece, S. J., Bramah, C., & Mason, D. (2018). The biomechanical characteristics of high-performance endurance running. European Journal of Sport Science, 19(6), 784–792. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1554707 which is unique to running over walking.
A running gait analysis assesses where and how your feet and legs are positioned and absorb forces during these phases and stages of the gait cycle.
Where Can You Get a Running Gait Analysis?
You can get a running gait analysis at most specialty running stores or sports shoe shops, where trained staff assess your form to help match you with the right shoes.
For a more in-depth, technical evaluation, many universities, biomechanics labs, sports medicine clinics, and physical therapy or rehabilitation centers also offer professional gait analyses using advanced equipment and expert oversight.
How Much Does This Assessment Cost?
The good news is that almost every running shoe store that offers a running gait analysis service provides this as a complementary perk, meaning it’s completely free.
It behooves the running store to offer a free run and gait analysis before you purchase shoes in order to enable the store associate to guide you towards the most appropriate running shoes for your needs.
By assessing your form before choosing shoes, they can ensure the shoes will support your feet and optimize your running stride. There’s a better chance you’ll love your running shoes if they fit right, feel comfortable, and keep your body healthy.
It’s also possible to seek out a running gait analysis at a private lab or facility.
The cost for these evaluations will vary from free to a few hundred dollars, depending on what is offered in the gait analysis and the facility’s chosen rates.
Why A Running Gait Analysis Is Worth It for Runners
The primary goal of a gait analysis is to evaluate your running mechanics so you can choose the right type of shoes for your unique movement patterns.
But its value goes far beyond footwear. A detailed gait assessment can also highlight specific mobility limitations, muscle imbalances, or weaknesses, giving you a clear roadmap for strength work and form improvements.
By addressing these factors, a gait analysis can help reduce your risk of injury, improve running efficiency, and make your overall training more effective. While it’s especially useful for runners dealing with pain or recurring injuries, the insights it provides are beneficial for athletes at every level.
What to Expect During The Test
When you arrive, you’ll typically start by filling out a brief questionnaire covering your running experience, injury history, current training load, preferred shoes, and any concerns or discomfort you’ve been experiencing.
This background information helps the specialist know what to look for and guides their recommendations.
While gait analyses can sometimes be conducted outdoors, especially at universities, sports clinics, or performance labs, most assessments are performed on a treadmill. The majority of runners undergo their first gait analysis at a specialty running store, where fit experts can watch how they move in different types of shoes.
You’ll usually begin by trying a neutral pair of running shoes. Once laced up, you’ll be asked to run at a pace that feels natural and comfortable; no need to worry about speed. Fit specialists see runners of all paces every day; what matters most is that you run the way you usually do.
As you run, the evaluator will observe your mechanics from multiple angles, typically the back and sides, and sometimes the front.
They’ll look closely at how your feet land, how your body absorbs impact, what happens at midstance, and how you push off into your next stride.
These observations give insight into your alignment, timing, and joint angles, helping determine which shoes and potential strength or mobility work will best support your running.
More specifically, they will look at:
- Are you landing on your rearfoot, midfoot, or forefoot?
- Is your foot rolling in when you land? Do you have a normal degree of pronation, or is your foot collapsing inward too much (overpronation)?
- Are you supinating (landing on the outside of your foot)?
- How is your foot positioned at toe off?
- How do your knees and hips look? Do your knees collapse inward?
- Are your shins parallel and upright, stacked over the ankles and under the knees?
- Are you overstriding?
- Is your running gait cycle balanced and even?
- Are you spending the same length of time and following a similar path of motion between the right and left legs?
In addition to observing your running gait visually, many running gait analysis facilities now also record video while you run.
The benefit here is that a video can be slowed down and observed in fine detail rather than in real time.
Depending on where you get a running gait analysis and the sophistication of the technology, you may also be asked to wear motion-capture devices, such as small reflective stickers or balls on your joints.
Using positioning systems and built-in algorithms, this type of motion-capture technology allows the expert to get specific joint angles and detailed data during a frame-by-frame review of your running gait after the recording has stopped.
For example, you can get your contact time, joint forces and angles, symmetry, and running cadence.
Any type of video analysis is helpful because assessing running gait in slow motion can elucidate far more information than you can glean trying to keep up in real time.
Plus, recording your running gait allows you to review your stride with the expert, helping you better understand the findings and tips to improve your form.
After running in a neutral pair of shoes for anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, you will step off the treadmill, and the video will be reviewed frame by frame.
Coupled with what was observed by the naked eye, the video replay will inform the expert on how you are landing on your feet, the part of the foot you are landing on, your degree of pronation, how you push off, and if there are any misalignments biomechanically within the ankles, knees, and hips.
Then, this information will be considered in the context of your running goals, current training, and injury history.
Based on this assessment, you may then be asked to run in a different type of shoe, which is thought to be a better fit.
For example, if you overpronate when you run, you may be asked to try running in stability or motion-control shoes, depending on the degree of overpronation. Or the expert may suggest you try running insoles.
The same type of observation and video recording will be conducted on the new pair of shoes, noting any improvements or changes.
Once the general category of running shoes that best fits your needs is identified, you might try on several styles of this type to fine-tune which shoes feel most comfortable and yield the most biomechanically sound gait.
The whole process of a typical running gait analysis from start to finish usually takes about 15-20 minutes, but only usually requires a few bouts of a minute or less of running.
How Often Should You Get a Running Gait Analysis?
Although it can be argued that your first running gait analysis is the most important because it establishes a baseline for the type of shoes you need and any form corrections you should try to work on, it’s actually a good idea to get a run and gait analysis each year.
Your biomechanics can change, particularly if you gain or lose weight, add a new sport or type of exercise to your routine, significantly change your training, or experience an injury.
Getting your gait and stride assessed once a year can help you choose the right shoes without making assumptions that might otherwise lead to injury.
Speaking of purchasing running shoes, have you tried out a shoe rotation? Check out the benefits of a shoe rotation in our very own guide:
