If you’ve ever wondered whether your form is helping or hindering your running, Nike has just made it a lot easier to find out.
The brand’s research facility, called Nike Sport Research Lab - or NSRL - has just rolled out a tool in the real world, and London and Los Angeles are one of the first cities to get it.
Sounding like something you need to fill out before an operation, it’s called NSRL Form, and it's gone live today at Nike's UK flagship store in Oxford Circus and its LA branch in Mission Rd.
Despite the formal-sounding name, the mobile lab is basically a head-to-toe check-in on how you move, consisting of a few minutes run on a treadmill powered by the Lab’s biomechanics know-how and marker-less motion capture.
But what is it exactly?
In short, a NSRL lab sesh will involve a bunch of cameras that record your run while machine learning builds your movement profile across six core metrics: Slide, Roll, Cross, Bounce, Lean and Reach. The idea is to translate a mountain of motion data into clear, personal pointers.
Nike NSRL's Principal Sport Scientist and the creator of NSRL Form, Blaise Williams, explains:
“We’re empowering athletes through information to make decisions based on how they move… NSRL Form isn’t just a runner’s tool, it’s designed to study your whole body and give you the power to know yourself better as an athlete."
You’ll leave the session with form suggestions, Nike Training Club exercises to build the right strength and mobility, and guidance on what to look for in a running shoe (plus suggestions of Nike shoe models that match your profile, of course).
What to expect
At the store, the capture itself is pretty quick and involves about two minutes of running at a comfortable pace while the system collects over 150 data points across your body. After that, a field expert will walk you through your results in a short 1:1 consultation - although Nike recommends planning for up to 30 minutes in total per visit including any waiting time.
During your sesh, you'll get practical next steps, running form tweaks to try, NTC drills that target your specific needs, and footwear pointers tailored to how you run. The focus, Nike says, is on making the science useful, not just handing you a printout and sending you on your way.
Why it matters
Don't get me wrong, this sort of thing is nothing new. Specialist sports and running shops like Runner's Need have been doing something similar for ages. However, these traditional gait analyses tend to focus on your feet, often filmed on a phone by a shop assistant.
Whereas Nike's NSRL Form zooms out to look at the whole body, which could be a game-changer for runners who struggle with niggles or just want to run more efficiently.
Nike claims this isn’t just about selling shoes, either - its aim is to give people knowledge about their movement, whether they’re chasing a marathon PB or simply looking to run without pain. And because the process is designed to be quick, it’s something most people can actually fit into their day.
Where, when and how?
For now, NSRL Form is only available in a handful of Nike stores worldwide. London is lucky enough to be on that list, along with Los Angeles in the US. These are the only two locations I can seem to find live bookings for at the moment.
For London, appointments will take place at the Oxford Circus branch (253–259 Regent Street) from today (9th September). The LA lab is at Nike's branch at 401 S Mission Road, although there doesn't seem to be any slots available for that branch right now.
Surprisingly, lab sessions are completely free, although you'll have to book an appointment before showing up via your Nike Membership (by signing in and checking available dates/times on the store page).
Just be sure to arrive already warmed up, in non-reflective running kit and your usual shoes, and they’ll do the rest. If I were you, I'd get booking ASAP as I'm sure slots will go fast!
