Several of the more common means of inferring local wall shear values in two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer flows are reviewed and the suitability of these means for use in three-dimensional turbulent flows is discussed. A simple, floating element, direct force sensing device, corrected for pressure gradient effects, was used to measure the local wall shear stress in a strongly skewed, low-speed, incompressible three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer flow. These pressures corrected, direct force measurements are compared to wall shear stress values inferred by variations or adaptations of the two-dimensional techniques and/or devices reviewed. (Author).