About Shoethority
We’re a team of doctors, product experts and testers. Our goal is to make your shoe shopping easy and stress free. I’m the editor, my name’s George and here’s why I started this website.
A few years ago, I was in physiotherapy after a series of injuries. I was learning to walk, sit and speak again. I was often in pain and my feet, knees and other joints limited my movement.
I also had trouble breathing because of back tightness. Most shoes I wore made everything worse. This was a major pain point.
At one point, I paid an osteopath (musculoskeletal doctor) to go shoe shopping with me. We tried stores and shoe models I’d never tried before. I bought some new shoes and orthotic insoles.
In the weeks that followed, my body felt and moved better. I could tell some of this was thanks to my new footwear. My feet felt springier; my muscles were looser. I could breathe and speak more easily.
That’s when I started talking to the people treating me: osteopaths, manual therapists, psychosomatics experts, etc. I took notes and started trying more shoe models on.
Over time, I understood other people could benefit from what I was learning. I hired doctors, writers and testers to help me cover more shoes and make this website.
Around the same time, I started getting into shoe care. I realized it was better to maintain a good pair of shoes than keep buying cheap ones.
That’s how this website got started and why we keep it running. I hope you find the information here useful. We always do our best to share everything we know honesty and value.
Our Writing Process
Step 1 – Writing the Buyer’s Guide
If an article addresses a medical condition, e.g. plantar fasciitis or flat feet, we talk to a doctor first. We ask them to write a buyer’s guide that lists specific features to look for. We also ask them if they have any go-to shoe models they recommend for the condition.
If an article doesn’t address a medical condition – e.g. “best mesh shoes for running” – a product expert writes the guide instead.
As of this writing, all our articles are written by practicing experts. If you’re reading about shoes for teachers, a teacher wrote that article. If you’re reading about running shoes, a runner wrote that article. And so on and so forth.
Step 2 – Shortlisting Products
We talk to doctors, domain experts and/or consumers. We read hundreds of reviews on platforms like Amazon. This way, we can shortlist products to test and get an even better ideas of features to look for.
Step 3 – Testing Products
Once we have a shortlist of products, we start testing products in-store. We test shoes for walking, jumping, running and lateral movement. In specific cases, we test them for other things – e.g. ankle stability and back pain relief.
Here’s me jumping in Jordan 1 mids for our “best basketball shoe” review…
And me trying to roll an ankle in a pair of boots.
Nowadays, I rarely test myself – but that’s our testing process. It’s rare we recommend a product without owning it or trying it in-store.
Step 4 – Writing the Content
Once we’ve written the buyer’s guide, researched products and tested them, it’s time to write and publish.
Once a write-up is finished, we refer back to our doctors’ and experts’ notes to make sure we haven’t any unqualified information by accident.
Our Team
George P.H.
George is the founder of Shoethority. A series of sports injuries showed him the difference a quality pair of shoes can make. He now shares his knowledge with Shoethority readers as a writer, tester and editor.
George’s favorite sports are wakesurfing, powerlifting and walking. He has some knowledge of the human body thanks to 6 years of rehab, yoga and Alexander Technique.
Tim Ashdown
Tim is an avid hiker, self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie and lover of all things outdoors. He spends long hours researching the best equipment for every adventure.
“Whether it’s hiking through Europe, white water rafting in the Amazon basin or lazing on a beach in Southeast Asia, having the right gear can make or break a trip. Time spent researching is time well spent!”
Although Tim’s a big proponent of barefoot shoes, he won’t be pigeon-holed. His current shoe collection includes Supra skate shoes, Merrell walking boots, Vivobarefoot hiking shoes and of course, the obligatory classic Vans.
Dr. Katherine Enes
Dr. Enes is a doctor (M.D.) specializing in physical therapy, osteopathy and sports medicine. As a working doctor, she helps patients rehab and improves athletes’ biomechanics.
Dr. Enes is also a sports enthusiast. She’s tried capoeira, Crossfit, Swedish walking and more. Her main sports are general fitness and walking.
As a writer for Shoethority, Dr. Enes covers biomechanics, injury recovery, injury prevention and more.
Dr. Ayesha Rehman
Dr. Ayesha Rehman is a practicing doctor of physical therapy. She is a published medical author and an academic supervisor.
Dr. Rehman is passionate about medicine and helping readers by providing quality information. She’s been writing for the Web for 5+ years now.
Dr. Tabinda Shah
Dr. Tabinda Shah is a doctor of physical therapy. She has a sound knowledge of orthopedics, biomechanics, gait and foot health.
Today, Dr. Shah mostly focuses on research and web writing. Her published work covers topics like musculoskeletal rehabilitation, biomechanics and kinesiology, and general fitness.
Dr. Mohammed Lubbad
Dr. Lubbad is an Orthopaedic Surgery second-year resident. He’s a medical doctor, researcher and experienced content creator.
In addition to his work in Orthopaedics, Dr. Lubbad is an involved researcher. His work combines his personal insights and facts learned from academic sources.
Ronan Cannon
Ronan is originally from Ireland, but has spent years teaching in China. As a health and fitness enthusiast, he combines our testers’ data and technical research to review products.
Maria Bricheno
Maria Bricheno is an independent writer. She enjoys road and trail running, walking, and Pilates. She loves the great outdoors and hiking.
As a writer, she focuses on the leisure, travel and sports niches. She collaborated with our test team, doctors and editors to deliver many of the articles you’ll find on our site.
DR. KARIM MAGHRABY
Dr. Maghraby is a medical doctor and physician scientist. He’s an avid runner and a user of sports compression gear.