What Is Gait Analysis — and Why It Changes Everything About Shoe Fitting

Why "Just Try Them On" Isn't Enough

Most people choose shoes based on how they look or feel standing still in a store. But the way a shoe performs when you're actually walking — your stride, your foot strike, how your arch loads and unloads with each step — is completely different from how it feels at rest.

That's where gait analysis comes in. As a Certified Pedorthist, it's the single most valuable tool I use to match patients with the right footwear and orthotics. Here's what it is, what we look for, and why it makes such a difference.

What Is Gait Analysis?

Gait analysis is a clinical assessment of how you walk (and sometimes run). It examines the mechanics of your movement — from how your heel strikes the ground to how your toes push off — to identify patterns that may be contributing to pain, injury, or inefficiency.

A thorough gait analysis typically includes:

• Visual observation — Watching you walk from the front, side, and behind to assess posture, alignment, and movement patterns.
• Foot strike assessment — Identifying whether you heel-strike, midfoot-strike, or forefoot-strike, and how that affects load distribution.
• Pronation and supination analysis — Measuring how much your foot rolls inward (pronation) or outward (supination) during the gait cycle.
• Arch assessment — Evaluating your arch height and flexibility under load, which differs significantly from a static foot measurement.
• Leg alignment — Checking for knee tracking issues, hip drop, or leg length discrepancies that affect how force travels through your foot.

What We're Looking For

The goal isn't to find a "perfect" gait — everyone's biomechanics are unique. What we're looking for are patterns that place excessive or uneven stress on specific structures, which over time lead to conditions like:

• Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
• Shin splints
• Knee pain (patellofemoral syndrome)
• IT band syndrome
• Bunions and hammertoes
• Lower back pain linked to foot mechanics

Identifying these patterns early — before they become injuries — is one of the most valuable things a gait analysis can do.

How Gait Analysis Changes Your Shoe Fitting

Once we understand how you move, we can make much more precise recommendations:

Shoe Type

Overpronators typically benefit from motion-control or stability shoes with a firm medial post. Neutral or supinating feet do better in cushioned, flexible shoes. Without gait analysis, this is guesswork.

Orthotic Selection

Gait analysis tells us whether you need a rigid corrective orthotic, a semi-flexible device, or primarily cushioning. It also reveals where the orthotic needs to provide support — medial arch, lateral heel, metatarsal head — which is why generic insoles often fall short for complex presentations.

For patients with significant biomechanical issues, our Custom Molded Orthotics are fabricated based directly on gait findings. For milder cases, the Quadra Step System uses foot-type classification — informed by gait — to match you to the right semi-custom device.

Width and Volume

Gait analysis often reveals that patients need a wider toe box or more volume in the forefoot than standard sizing provides. A shoe that fits well statically may still cause problems dynamically if it restricts natural toe splay during push-off.

Who Benefits Most from Gait Analysis?

Gait analysis is valuable for almost anyone, but it's especially important if you:

• Have chronic foot, knee, hip, or lower back pain
• Are a runner or athlete dealing with recurring injuries
• Stand or walk on hard surfaces for most of your workday
• Have been told you overpronate or have flat feet
• Are considering custom orthotics and want to make sure they're the right solution
• Have tried multiple pairs of shoes or insoles without finding relief

What to Expect at Ortho-Core

Our in-store gait analysis is performed by our Certified Pedorthist and takes approximately 20–30 minutes. We'll observe your walking pattern, assess your foot structure, and discuss your symptoms and activity level. From there, we'll make specific recommendations — whether that's a particular shoe style, an OTC insole from our Insoles & Orthotics collection, or a referral for custom orthotics.

There's no pressure and no upsell. Our goal is to find what actually works for your feet.

The Bottom Line

Your gait is as individual as your fingerprint. The right shoe or orthotic for someone else — even someone with the same shoe size and the same diagnosis — may be completely wrong for you. Gait analysis removes the guesswork and gives you a clear, evidence-based path to footwear that supports how you actually move.

Interested in a gait analysis? Visit us in store or explore our Insoles & Orthotics and Custom Molded Orthotics to learn more about your options.