The two most common questions I get on a regular basis are, “Hey Martinus, I’m (insert number) pounds overweight, what is the best running shoe for fat runners?” and “Martinus, what shoes do you run in?” I get these two questions at least 15-20 times a week. I usually tell them what shoe I’m currently wearing at that time. Then I tell them that it depends on the person what’s the best running shoe for them is. Shoes are so subjective and what works for me may or may not work for you. For example, I wear a size 15 shoe and I have high arches. A high cushioned neutral running shoe works best for me. This type of shoe may not work for a person who wears a size 14 shoe and has flat feet. Furthermore, for most running shoe companies, size 15 is the largest size they carry. So I’m limited to certain shoes. If the shoe runs small I can’t go a size up. I have to go to a different brand or model.
Do you see what I’m saying? That’s why I said shoes are so personal (at least for me).
finding the best running shoe for you!
In my personal opinion, if you want to find the best running shoe for you, go to the local running shoe store and try out all the shoes in your size. The places I encounter will let you run in the shoes either on the treadmill or outside. If you have the choice, always choose to run in them outside. This will give you the most accurate representation of what it feels like to run in that shoe. Then decide on the shoe from there.
For most people, the answer above is all they need to find the best running shoes for them. For other people that won’t be good enough so let me go a step further. While can’t tell you the best running shoes for overweight runners. I’ll share with you what I’m currently wearing, what I wore in the past, why I stop wearing them and running shoes that I tried and didn’t work for me. This gives you another data point to
Running shoes that I’m currently wearing.
As of January 8, 2019, I’m wearing the Hoka One One Clifton 5. When I started running I heard nothing but good things about Hoka but when I tried them they didn’t work. It was something about their overlay placement that rubs my foot the wrong way. So, I had to pass on Hoka for many years. In their latest update, they changed the placement of and/or removed the overlay altogether. That change made Hoka One One Clifton 5’s a top contender in my book. I love having the extra cushion without the extra weight and I love the pillow-soft ride for long runs.
Running shoes that I wore in the past.
Nike Pegasus & Nike Vomero
When I first started running in 2012 Nike Vomero 6 was my pair first running shoe that I owned. The fit was amazing and the cushioning, OMG was like walking on pillows.
I’m putting the Nike Vomero and Pegasus together because when I was wearing them, they were very similar. Both shoes were Nike’s premier cushion neutral running shoe at that time. But, the Vomero were their “Premium Cushioned” shoe and cost more the Pegasus. I couldn’t feel a difference while running so I started wearing the Pegasus because they were $30-40 cheaper than the Nike Vomero.
Why I stop wearing the Nike Pegasus
One of the things I learned about running shoes is that you’ll find a shoe that is perfect for you and then they’ll change it. Do you remember when that book, “Born to Run” came out and everyone went on the minimalist running wave? I’m so glad that fad died. Well, Nike decided to make the Pegasus “more responsive.” This is code for reducing the heel-to-toe drop and reducing the amount of foam the shoe had. I bought the updated Pegasus, tried them on and HATED them. It’s was like Nike betrayed me!!! I went from running on pillows to running on cinder blocks. So I had to let them go. The Nike Pegasus will have a special place in my heart because I ran my first marathon in them. But if they don’t fit my needs I have to go else where.
Brooks Ghost and Glycerin
After I broke up with the Nike Pegasus, I went on this long and arduous journey to find the next best thing. After trying on about 8 different pairs of shoes I fell in love with the Brooks Ghost and Glycerin. Like the Pegasus and Vomero, the Ghost and Glycerin’s are Brooks Premier cushion running shoes. But there was some stark difference between the two. The Brooks Glycerin had more cushion and more blown rubber on the tread. Which for me was a plus because that meant they would last longer. The Ghost was also good
Why I stop wearing the Brooks Glycerin 14
Like Nike, Brooks wanted to make the Glycerin “more responsive” and lighter. They reduce the amount of foam the shoe and blown rubber the shoe had. Those were the things that I loved about the shoe!!! Look at the picture below on the left is the Brooks Glycerin 14 and on the right is Brooks Glycerin 15.
While it wasn’t enough to change the ride of the shoe. The shoe wasn’t as durable as the previous model. I had 2 pairs on the Brooks Glycerin’s 14 in my closet when I bought a pair of the Brooks Glycerin 15’s. I went through them in half of the time that it took for me to wear out the Glycerin 14’s! Luckily I had those two pairs of Glycerin 14’s stored away until I found a shoe that fit my needs.
Running shoes that I tried but didn’t work for me.
Asics Cumulus & Nimbus
I bought a pair of the Asics Cumulus & Nimbus a few years ago and had to return them. They were comfortable shoes but they were too heavy and clunky for me. Furthermore, the shape of the heel cup irritated my ankles so they had to go back.
Conclusion
I hope by sharing my journey, you’ll see that there’s no end-all for the best running shoes for overweight runners. Running shoes is such a personal topic. You will have people tell you that a certain brand is better than the other brand. But it’s really about what fits your feet the best. Nothing else matters but fit and how comfortable they are to you. I also recommend that when you find a shoe that you like to buy a couple pairs of them. Your favorite shoes will eventually change and you might end up hating the update. By having couple pairs on deck it’ll buy you some time before searching for a new shoe.
Keep crushing them goals,
Martinus
I’m big, overweight/ obese, fat, plump, heavy set, big boned, pudgy and I’m a runner. Let’s be honest, big people who run do not fit the mold. We get treated like outliers…nobody really knows how to deal with us… Many discard us as if we are not here, some assume that we’re supposed to fit their predetermined mold, very few add us to the general population.