Forums >Running 101>Best running shoes for a big guy
Well I am a "former" athletic guy that is looking to drop the "former" and get back to at least a fraction of that athleticism. I was really into weights and got most of my cardio through sports (basketball, soccer, football), but I got hurt a few years back and pretty much stopped working out, even after I healed up. So no weights and very little cardio (was never really a big time runner) have turned me into a bigger guy (6'3 250) than I'd like to be. I put a lot of impact on my heals when I land and my current shoes seem to be jarring my entire body every step I take. I need something with some good cushion and support. Any suggestions?
harvard did a study on the impact our feet make when running and found that most people hit the ground with a force over ten times their body weight so a 100 pound person is hitting the ground with nearly half a ton. i dont think there is a sole designed to support that kind of pressure.
it sounds like you could benefit from learning how to run more smoothly, even at 250 this can be done. you say that the impact your heel makes is jarring your body, try to run so when your foot hits the ground, you can balance on it without the other foot. this will place your center of gravity even with your body weight instead of out in front of you.
Mizuno Wave Nirvana
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Brooks Beast. At least it's what I wore when I was first starting, bigger than I am now.
The first four pairs I had were Nike Zoom Structure Triax.
The process is the goal.
Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.
bigkenny
Saucony Pro Grid CS
I started at 264 with some Asic Trail runner shoes and my hips were killing me. I soon switched to the Nike Air Pegasus+ 25 shoe and the hip pain dissappeared. I have used the Pegasus ever since. They are great nuetral cushion shoes and very reasonably priced at 85.00 a pair.
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
2014 Goals:
Stay healthy
Enjoy life
I had 3 pairs of Nike Air Max 180's in a row and loved them all; switched to an Asics Gel Kayano 15 last year and loved it too (found it on clearance when the 16s came out). I am using Nike Air Max Tailwind right now and like it too, but not quite as much. For the record, I am also a "former" athlete who is now 6'4", 260 lbs.
here is that particular study i was reffering to. i was way off on the impact force, i guess its closer to 2-3 times a persons body weight. anyways, its still useful if you want to understand why you are landing that way.
Old, Slow, Happy
I started at 6' 3" and 295 lbs. I ran in a variety of the shoes mentioned. I think you might want to try running barefoot on a good composite track. This can give an idea of how your footfall should feel. I've been through a bunch of issues including runners knee and achillies tendonosis. My current shoe is the Brooks Green Silence with a pair of custom orthotics. I have very flat feet and find I need the orthotics (I tried not using them). The Green Silence are very soft so I get good cushioning. However, they are not made to be in any way supportive. I also think shoes are a very personal choice. Many things that work for other people, don't work for you. I spent a number of years experimenting to get to where I am. Once you understand your natural footfall, go to a running shop and try shoes until you find ones that really feel close to what you felt on the track. Listen to the salespersons advice, but make your own decision.
Depends on whether you need motion control, stability, or neutral. There is kind of an assumption out there that big guys always need motion control, but it wasn't the case for me. I actually ran in the Beast for some time and found it uneccessary.
Right now I've recently switched from Brooks (I'd used the Adrenalines since series 5), over to Saucony Guide. The recent Brooks insoles have just been falling apart on me after 100 miles or so. I'm sick of the shoe being fine, but having to scrounge up an insole from somewhere else in order to be able to run in them. Turns out nobody sells stock insoles with no added support/cushioning, at least not in size 16.
CyclingAHEAD until 2012
Running Rev'd
My husband is about your size, and when he was fitted at our local running store, they put him in the Saucony ProGrid Omni 9. He's really liked the cushioning that it's offered him.
Called to Endure - Blog
"Everyone gets the sunset. Only the dedicated earn the sunrise."
Same experience as Burnt Toast. For a neutral shoe with impact cushioning, I love the Air Pegasus.
The most important thing about running shoes is that you find them comfortable to run in.
Wow i really appreciate all the replies. I guess the key is trial and error until I find the one that fits for me. I will attempt at trying to change my footfall as well but at this point I'm doing good to get through a 3-miler without having to worry about landing on my fore foot or mid foot vice my heel. But its worth a shot if it lessens the impact.