How does our Score work?

Across the web, every running publication grades shoes on its own scale, and brand sponsorships or affiliate incentives can inflate ratings. Sneak 'n' Shoes aggregates genuine lab and field reviews worldwide and applies a transparent 6-step protocol to compute a single unbiased score out of 100.

The 6 Steps Behind Our Score

1. We filter out generic fluff to keep only real field & lab tests: automated summaries and unverified listings are systematically excluded.
2. We give higher weight to independent labs and specialist media: priority is given to mechanical lab measurements and independent running editorial teams.
3. We calibrate each publication's historical scoring leniency: lenient and strict grading curves are equalized across hundreds of shared models.
4. We dampen isolated hype: excessive upward outliers are tempered toward the expert consensus while preserving durability warnings.
5. A single review is never enough to top the leaderboard: Bayesian shrinkage anchors low-sample models toward their category mean until confirmed.
6. We harmonize scales across Road, Trail, and Track: cross-terrain calibration ensures a 90/100 rewards the exact same level of excellence on trail as on asphalt.