Editorial policy

Independence

Brands can't buy a place in our rankings, a better score, or a change to a review. We don't accept payment, free products or loaned gear for coverage. We earn a commission when you buy through some links (see the affiliate disclosure), and that commission is the same whichever product you choose, so it has no reason to change which one we rank first.

We rank for the buyer. If a product is a better fit for the problem the page is about, it goes higher, whatever it pays and however well known the brand is. When a free fix (lacing, sizing, sock choice) solves the problem, we say so before we recommend anything.

Where our facts come from

Every factual claim on the site has a source, and the sources are listed at the bottom of each page. In order of preference:

1. Research and professional bodies for anything about injury, pain or how feet work (peer-reviewed studies, orthopedic and podiatric associations, major medical centers).
2. The maker's own product pages, spec sheets, width charts and fit guides for product facts.
3. Established retailer fit guides for practical how-to (measuring, lacing, sizing), clearly labeled.

If we can't source a fact, we leave it out or say it isn't published. We don't fill gaps from memory. The scoring rubric and how it's weighted per problem are on how we choose.

What we never publish

• Test results, trail miles or wear impressions we don't have. We compare published data; we don't claim hands-on testing.
• Invented prices, discounts or “deal” claims. When we can't verify a current price, the button says “Check price on Amazon”.
• Star ratings, review counts or customer quotes presented as our own findings.
• Testimonials, or reviews that belong to a different business.
• Credentials nobody here holds.

Health and injury content

Pages about foot pain, heel pain, knee pain and ankle injuries describe footwear features and cite published research. They don't diagnose, promise relief or recommend treatment, and no product on this site is presented as treating a condition. Every page in the foot pain and ankle support sections carries a health note: this is general information, not medical advice, and persistent or severe pain is worth a visit to a podiatrist or physician. We don't cover neuropathy, diabetic foot care or post-surgery footwear at all, because those need clinical guidance we can't give.

How pages are written

We use AI tools to help draft and organize pages. Nothing is published as-is: every product fact is checked against the product registry we build from the maker's own pages, every health or research claim is checked against the source it cites, and every page is edited against the rules on this page before it goes live. The byline on each page belongs to the person responsible for it.

How picks change

Footwear gets updated often, and a model that ranked well can be replaced or discontinued. We review roundups and gift pages every three months, comparisons every six months (or right away when either model changes), and guides every year or when a cited source changes. A page's “Updated” date only moves when its content actually changes, and each real change adds a one-line note to the page's “What changed” log.

Corrections

If you think something on a page is wrong, email mike@blackironathletics.com or use the contact form with the topic “Correction”. Tell us the page and the fact. We check it against the source, fix it if it's wrong, and record the fix in that page's “What changed” log with the date.