Affiliate Relationships
SolePicks participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn commissions when readers click on certain links and make qualifying purchases on third-party retailer websites. These commissions help fund our ongoing research, content creation, and site operations.
Programs we may participate in include but are not limited to:
- Amazon Associates
- REI Affiliate Program
- Running Warehouse Affiliate Program
- Brand-specific affiliate programs (Hoka, Brooks, Saucony, etc.)
- Other affiliate networks and direct retailer partnerships
If approved, SolePicks intends to participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
How Affiliate Links Work
When you click a "Check Best Price" or similar button on a shoe detail page, you may be directed to a retailer's website through an affiliate link. If you make a purchase during that session, the retailer pays us a small commission — usually a percentage of the sale price.
This costs you nothing extra. The price you pay through an affiliate link is the same as if you visited the retailer directly. Affiliate commissions come out of the retailer's marketing budget, not from your pocket.
Our Editorial Independence
Our affiliate relationships do not influence our consensus rankings. Specifically:
- Consensus scores are computed algorithmically from third-party review data — we cannot manually adjust them to favor shoes that pay higher commissions
- We rank all shoes equally regardless of whether the brand has an affiliate program or how lucrative their commission rates are
- We do not accept payment in exchange for higher rankings, featured placement, or favorable summaries
- If a shoe is the best in its category but no affiliate program exists, we still rank it at the top
Why We Use Affiliate Links
Affiliate revenue allows SolePicks to remain free for readers, fund ongoing research and data collection, and maintain editorial independence — we don't need to take sponsored content or paid placements to keep the lights on.
If you find our reviews and rankings helpful and choose to purchase a shoe, using one of our affiliate links is a meaningful way to support the site at no cost to you. Thank you.
FTC Compliance
This disclosure is provided in accordance with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." We disclose our material connections to affiliate programs to ensure full transparency with our readers.
Questions
If you have questions about how we handle affiliate relationships or our editorial standards, please reach out via our About page.