7 Best Running Shoes For Heavy Men in 2024

How we test running shoes for heavy men

To keep everything as bias-free as possible, we buy all the shoes we examine with our own money. And to be objective, we run and use an independent shoe lab. 

On top of these, we also: 

• Run in each shoe for 30-50 miles. We get the big guys among us testers to run the show to provide an authentic review from their POV.
• Cut the shoes open to assess what's inside. We evaluate every little detail that we encounter.
• Measure each part and test the shoe's durability, stiffness, softness, breathability, and other features relevant to heavy runners. We present both our personal experiences while field-testing the shoe and our lab data in our in-depth reviews.

How and why weight matters

Many runners don’t even think about their weight until it matters. What makes things a bit more complicated is the fact that, unlike in basketball, we don’t have heavy sportsmen promoting shoes or making shoes. In basketball, when a heavy player gets a shoe with their sponsor, you know it works for them. You see it works for them. 

In running, we focus on features to explain why something does or does not work. The first time this was talked about more was when carbon-plated running shoes entered the scene. Simply, runners who were too light could not activate the carbon fiber plate, and runners who were too heavy could not benefit from the plated shoes as much as the fit runners due to their heavy heel strike or overall weight. 

Running in carbon-plated running shoes

If you’re looking for running shoes with a carbon-fiber plate, best to first read how to go about it! For other, “regular” running shoes for big men, stick with us here. 

The weight of the runners matters because more weight asks for more impact protection. The forces are then stronger at the landing so we should look for cushioning that can take it and keep your legs safe. Not just that, we should also look for durable outsoles. Constant beating takes a toll on the outsoles as well, especially when runners underpronate or overpronate, which means the wear and tear is uneven. 

4 things to look for in running shoes for heavy runners 

Heavy runners should prioritize 4 things to ensure their ride is comfortable: 

1. Impact protection that lasts: comfortable and durable cushioning (foam)
2. Durable outsole, especially if a runner overpronates or supinates so, at the landing, the forces are not distributed evenly 
3. Stability. It can be a stable neutral shoe or a stability shoe (for overpronation or flat feet) 
4. Proper width of the shoe. Whether it’s just a wide toebox or the overall width of the shoe, it’s important to nail the comfort 

We will cover all of these features in great detail below. 

Cushioning for big runners 

When we talk about cushioning, we’re actually talking about the foam. We must cover 3 things here: 1) stack height, 2) softness and responsiveness 3) durability of the foam. 

For big men, we recommend running shoes with at least 30 mm heel stack height. 

In our lab, we stick to the guidelines from WorldAthletics to get accurate stack height measurements. This means that we cut the shoes in half and then measure the heel stack height at 12% and the forefoot stack height at 75% of the inner shoe length. 

Next, we look at the softness of the foam. We use a shore A durometer to measure how soft the foam is. This also has to be done on shoes that are cut in half. 

Soft foam vs. firm foam test on the curb 

Here, we recommend running shoes with foams that scored 20 or more on the durometer. 

Last but not least, the responsiveness and durability of the foam. We have to talk about this because foams being soft and comfy is not enough as your feet can sink in and stay there (dull foam) or you would have to put in a lot of energy to get things going instead of the foam and its responsiveness helping you out. 

This is not something we test for in our lab (yet) so we focus on the known features of foams. This mainly depends on the foam type: standard or premium. 

Standard foams are more affordable and are usually found in daily trainers. They are very durable and stable, but they lack responsiveness. On the other hand, premium foams are found in race shoes and tempo shoes and they are as responsive as it gets! But, they are a) pricey b) not durable. 

Here’s an overview of the foams and their biggest pros and cons. For now, this is the best way to check whether the shoe you plan to buy is able to deliver what you expect (foam-wise). 

Standard foams overview

Premium foams overview

Durability of outsoles in running shoes for big men

As mentioned above, the durability of the outsole is important here, because the weight is not the only factor, but also whether you overpronate or underpronate. If so, you most likely land on one side of the shoe more and, because of that, the wear is stronger on that side. 

How long your outsole will last depends on its hardness and thickness. Harder and thicker rubber will obviously last longer than a thin soft one. In our lab, we use a shore C durometer to test the hardness of the outsole. 

We also measure the thickness of the outsole with a digital caliper. 

But, instead of maxing out on both counts, brands find a fine line between the thickness and hardness. For context, here’s how hard and thick outsoles are in best-rated running shoes for big guys: 

Find a stable shoe if you’re a heavy runner

Stable shoes come in 2 forms: stability shoes for those who overpronate or stable neutral shoes for those with neutral pronation. 

High off the ground and narrow, soft platform: unstable

The stability of the shoe mainly depends on a) stability features like GuideRails or medial posts and b) height and width of the base. 

Given that we recommend shoes with at least 30mm at the heel, we know the platform will be high. So, best to look for those that are wide at the same time because this will ensure planted landings and no wobblyness. 

In the table above you can notice that we recommend at least 90mm width at the heel. 

There are other elements that bring stability to running shoes, like sole flares, dual-density midsoles, stiff heel counters, padded heels. 

If you’re a fan of stiff heel counters, you can always look at our test result: we squeeze and push heel counters and give them a 1-5 stiffness rating. 

Assessing the stiffness of the heel counter 

Width of running shoes for heavy men

We covered above the width of the base but here we’re talking about the internal width or how much room there is for your feet and toes. 

It’s important that the shoe fits well which means it should not be tight and your toes should not be cramped. On the other hand, the fit should not be loose, there should be no sliding within the shoe to the sides, or to the front and back, and your heel should not slip. 

Often, big guys need wider shoes. If you need wider shoes overall, look for Wide 2E or Extra Wide 4E shoes. 

Industry labels for different widths of running shoes

Or, if you’re looking for a wider fit within the Medium/Standard width, you can consult our test results. We measure the width in 2 places: at the big toe and where it’s the widest. We always do so on a Men's US 9 D-width shoe.

This allows us to understand which foot type the shoe will most likely fit well and also we learn how pointy the toebox is. 

To get to those 2 measurements, first, we pour the gel into the running shoe and then freeze them together for 2 hours to create a gel mold 

The gel mold hardens, so we can take it out and start measuring. 

Knowing these 2 measurements can help you nail the width that you need. Pointy toeboxes are narrower at the big toe, while foot-shaped toeboxes are rounder.

Paying the price in weight and breathability

Unfortunately, when we take into account what’s great for heavy runners, the price can be paid in the shape of a) excess weight or b) lower breathability ratings. This is natural, more materials like foam, padding, layers, and rubber, mean more weight and also worse breathability. 

Summer or winter: how breathable do you want your running shoes to be

In our shoe lab, we pump the smoke into the shoes and then watch where the smoke comes out and at which pace. Based on this, we rate the breathability of shoes on a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the least breathable and 5 is the most breathable. 

Breathability test performed in RunRepeat lab

It would not be fair to say that getting the 1/5 is bad. It’s actually cold-weather-friendly! In cold weather, you want the heat to stay inside so that your toes do not freeze. And, in summer, we want all the breeze we can get. 

Weight of running shoes for big men

When we list all the features that could come in handy: more cushioning for superb impact protection, more rubber at the outsole for a better grip and stable landings, more padding for that perfect locked-in feel, maybe even a plastic heel counter, and so on, we end up with a lot of wanted features and they all carry some weight. 

Because of this, it’s best to understand what you want to use the shoe for and wether you’re ready to carry maybe some extra weight but get more needed benefits in return. 

Based on our current data, the average weight of running shoes for big men is 296.8g or 10.5 oz while the average weight for all shoes in our database sits at 265.3g or 9.4 oz. 

Trail shoes for big guys 

As with road shoes, it’s best to look for stable platforms and prioritize cushioning over the ground feel.