The Podiatrist Tested Seal
There is already a seal on a lot of shoe boxes. Brands pay for that one.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS · Last reviewed 13 September 2026
On this page
This one cannot be bought — not now, not at any price, not by any brand. It is awarded by measurement against a published standard, and the standard is on this page so you can check our work.
A shoe earns the seal only if all four are true
- It was wear tested by Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS — measured on the bench and worn for recorded miles. Bench-tested and spec-analysis shoes are not eligible
- It scores 8.5 or higher overall
- It scores at least 8 for comfort
- No individual criterion scores below 5
Shoes we have not tested cannot earn it, regardless of reputation or price. Shoes that fail any single criterion do not get it, even if everything else is excellent.
The full scoring method is published at How We Test. If a shoe you expected to see the seal on does not have it, the scorecard on its review page shows exactly which criterion it missed.
What the seal is not
It is not a ranking
Two sealed shoes are not tied, and the seal does not say which is better for you. It says both cleared the same published bar. The nine-criterion scorecard on each review is where the difference actually shows.
It is not an endorsement of the brand
The seal is awarded to one model, in one model year — “Brooks Ghost 17, 2026”, not “Brooks”. Nothing about a sealed shoe says anything about the rest of that brand’s range.
It is not permanent
When a brand redesigns a sealed shoe, the award does not carry over to the new version. The register marks the old award superseded and the new version has to be tested on its own. A shoe that changed its midsole is a different shoe.
It is not a medical claim
The standard measures footwear, not people. No seal treats, cures or prevents a foot condition, and nothing here is a substitute for being examined.
Why we publish the shoes that failed
A certification that only ever publishes its winners is an advertisement. The useful information is the other half: which widely recommended shoe was measured, worn, and came up short — and on which criterion. The seal register lists both, along with the running pass rate, whatever that rate turns out to be. The standard does not get loosened to produce a friendlier number.
Right now the register is empty. No shoe has completed wear testing under Standard v1.0, so no seal has been awarded. We would rather publish a zero than launch with a ready-made list of winners, which would tell you something about our marketing and nothing about our standard.
Verifying a badge you see in a shop
Every award carries a permanent verification page, and any brand displaying the badge is required to link to it — the terms are set out in the badge usage licence. If you see the mark on a product page with no link, on a model year we have not tested, or altered from the artwork we supply, it is being misused: tell us and it goes on the register as a misuse.
How a shoe gets considered
Most of what we test is bought at retail. Brands can also send product — free, with no guarantee, and with the result published either way; the terms are on the for brands page. What no brand can do is pay for a test, a score, a ranking, or the seal. That is not a current policy but a permanent commitment, set out in full on our independence page, and it is the only reason this mark is worth anything.
The measurement protocol, the nine criteria and their weightings, and what each tier may claim are published at How We Test. If you want the contrast with the seal most shoppers already recognise, we set it out at Podiatrist Tested vs the APMA Seal of Acceptance.
Recently reviewed
Individual shoe pages state their evidence tier, published measurements and who should skip them.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 5
Spec AnalysisLight plated neutral trainer. Saucony publishes both stack heights and they match its 8 mm drop — not yet tested.
HOKA Mach 6
Spec AnalysisLower, firmer neutral HOKA. HOKA publishes a 5 mm drop and neither stack height — not yet tested.
ASICS Novablast 5
Spec AnalysisBouncy high-stack neutral. ASICS publishes an 8 mm drop and neither stack height — not yet tested.
Our funding and evidence policy
We earn affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases. Our policy is to assess published evidence and fit needs rather than rank products by commission rate. Current reviews are specification analyses; see our method for their limits.