Editorial Policy & AI Use
Last updated: February 2026
Everything we publish is meant to help a flat-footed runner make a better buying decision. This page sets out how articles are produced, reviewed, and corrected — including where AI is used and where a human decides.
How does FlatFeetRunning research a guide?
- We start from a specific runner problem (arch collapse, overpronation, wide forefoot, knee pain) rather than from a product list.
- Sources include manufacturer specifications, retailer listings, published lab and wear-test reporting, podiatry and sports-medicine literature, and aggregated runner feedback.
- Claims about stability technology, drop, stack height, weight, and width options are checked against the manufacturer's own spec sheet.
- Where evidence is thin or contested, we say so instead of inventing certainty.
How is AI used and who reviews it?
- We use AI tools to help with research synthesis, outlining, and first drafts.
- No article publishes automatically. Every draft is reviewed and approved by a human editor before it goes live.
- Review checks factual accuracy, product specs, originality, and that the article adds something a reader cannot get from the top existing results.
- Drafts that are thin, duplicative, or unverifiable are rejected rather than rewritten into filler.
This reflects Google Search's guidance: how content is produced matters less than whether it is helpful, original, and people-first — and automation used purely to manipulate rankings is spam.
How are ratings calculated?
Scores weigh arch and medial support, midsole stability, fit and width availability, durability, and value. A score is never adjusted for commercial reasons, and products we would not recommend are simply left out or explicitly flagged.
How are updates and corrections handled?
- Roundups are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when a model is replaced, discontinued, or significantly changed.
- Substantive corrections are made in place and noted where they materially change a recommendation.
- Spotted an error? Email arendwier@gmail.com and we will verify and fix it.
How does FlatFeetRunning stay independent?
Advertising and affiliate relationships never influence rankings, scores, or which products we cover — see the Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure. Medical scope and limitations are described in our Terms of Use.
Editorial standards, answered
How does FlatFeetRunning research a guide?
We start from a specific runner problem such as arch collapse, overpronation, wide forefoot, or knee pain rather than from a product list. Sources include manufacturer specifications, retailer listings, published lab and wear-test reporting, podiatry and sports-medicine literature, and aggregated runner feedback. Where evidence is thin or contested, we say so.
How is AI used and who reviews it?
AI tools help with research synthesis, outlining, and first drafts. No article publishes automatically: every draft is reviewed and approved by a human editor who checks factual accuracy, product specs, originality, and whether the article adds something the top existing results do not.
How are ratings calculated?
Scores weigh arch and medial support, midsole stability, fit and width availability, durability, and value. A score is never adjusted for commercial reasons, and products we would not recommend are left out or explicitly flagged.
How are updates and corrections handled?
Roundups are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when a model is replaced, discontinued, or significantly changed. Substantive corrections are made in place and noted where they materially change a recommendation. Email arendwier@gmail.com if you spot an error.
How does FlatFeetRunning stay independent?
Advertising and affiliate relationships never influence rankings, scores, or which products we cover. The Affiliate and Advertising Disclosure sets out how the site earns money, and the Terms of Use describe medical scope and limitations.
What happens to a draft that fails review?
Drafts that are thin, duplicative, or unverifiable are rejected rather than rewritten into filler, so nothing publishes purely to fill the schedule.
See the standards applied in practice in our flat-feet shoe guide, the wide flat feet guide, and the latest articles.