Seal Usage and Badge Terms
A brand whose shoe has earned the Podiatrist Tested seal may display the badge free of charge, on the product page, the packaging and retail listings, under the terms on this page. The licence costs nothing because the seal cannot be bought, and it is written so that a reader who sees the badge can always find the test behind it.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS · Last reviewed 14 September 2026
On this page
Who may use the badge
The manufacturer of a shoe with an active entry in the Seal Registry, and any retailer selling that exact model and model year. Nobody else. The badge is not available for shoes that are labelled Podiatrist Reviewed or Spec analysis on this site, for shoes that were tested and did not earn it, or for other products from the same brand.
The terms
- Free. No fee, now or later. Nothing about the licence, or a brand’s decision to use it, changes a score.
- Model and year specific. The badge names the model and the model year it was earned for, and may only appear next to that shoe. It may not be used on a successor version until that version has been tested and has its own entry.
- Must link to the verification address. Any online use of the badge links to that seal’s entry, podiatristtested.com/seal/brand-model-year/. On packaging and in print, the address or its code is printed beneath the badge.
- Unaltered. The badge is used as supplied, in the colours supplied, at a legible size, without cropping, recolouring, animation or added words.
- No medical claims. The badge may not be placed next to, or used to support, any statement that the shoe treats, cures or prevents a condition. It means the shoe met a published footwear standard, and nothing more.
- Revocable. The licence ends automatically when the seal is withdrawn or expires, and it may be ended for misuse. Misuse is recorded on the registry page.
- No affiliation implied. Podiatrist Tested is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the American Podiatric Medical Association or any other professional body. The badge may not be presented as a professional-body certification.
Getting the files
When a seal is awarded, the brand’s contact receives the badge kit: the mark as SVG, PNG at three sizes for product pages and listings, the print version with the verification address, and a one-line embed snippet with the link already in it. If a seal has been awarded to your shoe and you have not received the kit, ask through the contact page and name the model and year.
What you may say about it
You may say the shoe earned the Podiatrist Tested seal, name the model year, quote the overall score, and quote the review, including the parts you would rather we had not written. You may not say the shoe is “approved”, “certified”, “recommended for” a condition, or “endorsed by a podiatrist” on the strength of the badge, because none of those is what the seal states. You may not imply that the seal was granted by a professional association.
If you want your shoe tested
There is no way to apply for the seal, but you can send a shoe for testing. The result is published whatever it is, and the review states at the top that the pair was provided by the brand. Details and what to send are on the For brands page.
Podiatrist Tested is an independent publication of Foot & Ankle Web Services LLC. These terms were published on 3 September 2026 and any change to them will be dated on this page.
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.