The Derby Runner Gait Analysis

Your running footwear is the single most important part of your athletic kit. Think of it like the tyres on your car—if they're not the correct size or specification, performance suffers, and damage can occur. Would you buy tyres without knowing the right size? Or drive on ones that are 10 years old and worn down? The same principle applies to your running shoes.

When it comes to high-impact activities like running, power walking, or aerobics, wearing the correct footwear is critical. Repetitive foot strikes can place significant stress on muscles and joints, and wearing the wrong shoes can lead to common injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures.

These issues often stem from poor biomechanics, particularly in the lower limbs. That’s where Gait Analysis becomes invaluable. Gait analysis evaluates how your foot and lower leg move while in motion, highlighting how your body’s muscular, skeletal, and neural systems interact. It plays a key role in understanding joint movement, energy transfer, and force distribution—factors that directly impact running efficiency and injury prevention.

At The Derby Runner, we use slow-motion video gait analysis on a treadmill to assess each customer’s foot strike, pronation, and overall biomechanics. By reviewing the footage frame-by-frame, our trained staff can accurately determine your foot type and recommend the most suitable shoe based on support level, size, width, and activity.

Understanding ankle pronation—the natural inward roll of the foot during movement—is also crucial. While pronation helps absorb shock and distribute weight, excessive or insufficient pronation can increase injury risk. Different foot types require varying levels of support to control pronation effectively, and that’s why personalized gait analysis is so important.

With a wide range of shoes designed for different foot types, our team ensures every customer receives tailored advice. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned runner, gait analysis is the first step toward finding the right footwear—and protecting your long-term performance and health.

WHAT TO BRING TO OUR RUNNING GAIT ANALYSIS

You don’t need to bring anything special to your gait analysis appointment, but for the best results, we recommend wearing comfortable running clothes, a pair of socks you typically run in, and bringing along your current running shoes. This helps us better understand your running history and wear patterns.

At The Derby Runner, our running gait analysis service is completely FREE when you purchase any pair of running shoes during the same visit. If you'd prefer to have the gait analysis done as a stand-alone service, we charge £25, which includes a £25 voucher that you can redeem on running shoes at any time in the future.

Whether you're new to running or a seasoned athlete, our goal is to provide a professional, personalized gait assessment that supports your performance and injury prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Gait Analysis

Q: Do I need to book in for a Gait Analysis?

A: A booking is not required to have a Gait Analysis, you can simply show up at the shop and request to have one

Q: How long does the Running Gait Analysis take?

A: The Gait Analysis itself i.e., running on the treadmill takes at most 5 minutes, the further explanation and discussion about your Running Gait can take anywhere between 5 - 20 minutes depending on the number of points and questions you have. After this, the process of trying on shoes and finding the correct one takes as long as it needs to before you are confident you have found the right shoes for you. Overall for the full process, it can take anywhere between 20 minutes to 1.5 hours.

Q: I've been running without any injuries for years, do I need a Gait Analysis?

A: Although the majority of people want or require a Gait Analysis to fix an issue, which can usually be helped through this process and by purchasing the correct pair of shoes; it can also be useful to look into your Gait even if there are no issues at all, you may be thinking of increasing your running distance for a specific race, or you may not be progressing with your running in the way you wanted or expected to be. The Gait Analysis may be the key to helping identify how good your running Biomechanics are and what can help you get to the new distance and or take your running performance to the next level.

Q: How often do I need a Running Gait Analysis?

A: Running Gait is not something that changes greatly over time unless there are big changes to your running distance or speed. If you have never run before you get a Gait Analysis for your first trainer fitting, then progress over the next year to increase your distance and reduce your times over 5km, for example, it can be useful to be rechecked the following time you need to replace your running shoes. If you are a runner that keeps running fairly consistent regarding distance and times; unless you experience some pain or are looking to progress in your running, it is unlikely that your running Gait will have changed throughout the time since your last Gait Analysis, so you can be confident that coming in and replacing shoes for something in a similar category will work for you.