Where our
numbers come from.
We don't have our own lab yet. Every measurement we use comes from published third-party sources. Here's exactly what we pull, from where, and how we validate it. If you spot an error, email us — we update data within 48 hours.
Our commitments on data
No paid data
We do not accept data from brands in exchange for better scores or earlier access. Every brand is treated identically.
Source flagging
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) in the database are estimated rather than directly measured. We aim for fewer than 15% estimated fields per shoe.
Weekly price updates
Retailer prices are scraped weekly. If a price is more than 14 days stale, we grey it out rather than display it as current.
Correction window
If you email us a measurement error with a source, we will update within 48 hours and note the correction in the shoe's data log.
Data sources
Primary sources are directly measured. Secondary sources are used for structured extraction only.
Running Warehouse Lab
PrimaryRunning Warehouse physically measures every shoe on the same rig. Width measurements use a last-width tool at the widest point of the toebox. Hardness is measured with a Shore C durometer on the heel midsole. This is currently the most consistent public dataset of shoe measurements.
Brand specification sheets
PrimaryWe pull official spec sheets from each brand's press room. These are often less precise than physical measurements (brands tend to round) and are used primarily to cross-check Running Warehouse data. Where brand specs and RW measurements differ by more than 2mm, we flag the discrepancy and use the measured value.
Doctors of Running
SecondaryDOR runs each shoe for 300–500km and publishes detailed durability findings. We extract durability ratings from their structured reviews and convert to a 0–100 durability score. Methodology transparent and reproducible.
Believe in the Run
SecondaryUsed for comfort and fit consensus where multiple testers agree. We do not use star ratings — we extract specific claims ('true to size', 'runs narrow in the midfoot') and map them to structured fields.
Wear Tested
SecondaryWear Tested publishes energy return percentages from their own lab rig. We cross-reference these against brand claims. Energy return is listed as a lab stat and does not directly feed into the match score.
Road Trail Run
SecondaryUsed specifically for trail shoe classification and grip performance. Trail grip type (soft/mixed/hard terrain) feeds directly into the category fit signal.
Field-by-field source map
Asterisk (*) = estimated from available data, not directly measured.
What we deliberately exclude
User star ratings
Aggregate star ratings from Amazon, Zappos, or brand sites. These are susceptible to manipulation and reflect popularity rather than fit.
Influencer reviews
Any review where there is a commercial relationship between the reviewer and the brand, regardless of disclosure.
Brand-provided lab data
If a brand sends us their own internal test results, we use them only to cross-reference publicly available measurements — never as a standalone source.
AI-generated descriptions
All shoe descriptions on SoleHunt are either sourced from brand copy (credited) or written by our team. We do not use AI to fabricate spec data.