Purchase
Every shoe is bought at full retail from a public retailer. We do not accept samples, and we do not tell brands what we are testing.
The 400km field cycle
Each pair is run for a minimum of 400 kilometres across a fixed mix of surfaces before final measurement, with intermediate readings at 100, 200 and 300km so we can plot degradation rather than just endpoints.
The fourteen metrics
Weight, stack height (heel and forefoot), drop, midsole durometer at four points, energy return on a calibrated force plate, peak vertical impact, torsional rigidity, puncture resistance, wet-grip coefficient, dry-grip coefficient, lug depth loss, upper tensile failure point, and internal humidity after a controlled effort.
Teardown
Finally the shoe is cut in half. This is where plate delamination, foam voids and adhesive failures become visible, and it is the single most informative thing we do.
Scoring
Scores are weighted toward durability and measured performance, not comfort impressions. A shoe that feels wonderful for 100km and dies at 250 will not score well here.
