Best Running Shoes for Shin Splints?

Go to a specialty running store. They will find you a great shoe for the shape of your foot and your running goals. What works for one won't work for another.

depends on your foot/body specifically. Go to a store and get fitted for shoes and also try on some vibrams. The running style is different (heel strike vs. toe strike) but its worth comparing. Shin splints can also be a result of adding on too many miles to quickly. To help alleviate the pain, spell out the alphabet in cursive with each foot while sitting down.

I would go to speciality store and get your feet fitted for the proper shoe.
You may over pronate, have high arches, or flat feet so what works for one person might not be the best choice for you.
I suffer from them on my right leg, I do calf stretches, hamstring stretches and ice, rest, ice rest....and I don't eve run, just very brisk walking!

I went to a Specialty store to get my foot looked at. Turned out I was wearing a Stability shoe, when I should have been in a neutral shoe. This helped tremondously but I let my shin splints go on for too long without resting them...and now I am dealing with issues from a stress fracture Definately rest. I ended up going with Asics 33 Series (their newest line) I might consider trying on Vibrams, but I can't get over the ugliness of them :S

the opposite of vibrams!!

I needed major physio and weight training after pulling a calf muscle when I switched to vibrams - what I should have done is go to a running shop for gait analysis and got the inward-collapse-supporting shoes I really needed.

Did you ease into your Vibrams? The company as well as my running store recommended starting with 10% of your normal mileage and *slowly* increasing it. You do use a lot of muscles in your calves and feet that aren't otherwise exercised with a traditional shoe, so it is easy to overdo it if you don't train carefully.

Vibrams! I went from debilitating shin splints to no shin pain literally overnight. Total convert.

+1

Now I get shin splints if I even WALK in my "running" shoes.

I loves me my Vibrams.

Yep, you could pick 3-5 different kind that would help. I just ran a marathon in Brooks but previously used Nike Shox, loved them.

Go to a shoe store and get fitted.....

Asics stability shoes are also wonderful. My shin splints went away completely.

Just don't run

^ This! I learned running doesn't agree with my body (my shins and the bones in my legs). I have found LOADS of other workouts that get a better workout overall and doesn't cause me pain (shinsplints). Not everyBODY can do every type/ style of workout.

I firmly believe that the human body was made to run, just not necessarily on such hard surfaces or with shoes that are thicker in the heel so that they cause the ankle to snap down and put extra stress on the shins. But mainly because I read a couple books about it.

Just don't run

^ This! I learned running doesn't agree with my body (my shins and the bones in my legs). I have found LOADS of other workouts that get a better workout overall and doesn't cause me pain (shinsplints). Not everyBODY can do every type/ style of workout.

wow! Really? I hope you actually gave it a try...but sheesh to tell someone to GIVE UP?...

It's refreshing that the OP actually wants to up the distance and keep at it...Not saying you didn't try hard...but some people just do not quit because of wall....they find ways to get over it, go around it, or damnit...GO THROUGH IT!

My son suffered with what he thought were shin splints and was advised by running buddies to just "run through it". So he tried. Just kept getting worse. Finally went and got it checked out and had a stress fracture. Had to wear the boot for 6 weeks. As for switching to barefoot running shoes all at once, I do not advise that. I tried that myself and immediately injured my ankle and had to take about 3 weeks off. Which I hated. Best advice is go to Fleet Feet or some specialty running store and let them analyze your feet and running gait and recommend a shoe for you. I wear the Brooks Ghost 4 and they are AWESOME!

If you don't like the look of the FiveFingers, New Balance makes a set of "minimalist" running shoes (New Balance Minimus), but are very light weight and have almost no drop (drop between the heel and toe).

I've used both, and love both. I have plantar fasciitis, and find when I run with my minimalist style shoes, my heel hurts much less the next day then when I run with $120 asics.

Also, as some people suggest, try running more with a mid-foot strike as opposed to a heel-strike. Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSIDRHUWlVo

You don't actually have to run bare-foot to have the advantages of bare-foot style running.

Lastly, don't increase your total weekly milage more than 10% a week. It can break down your muscles over time and cause over-usage injuries!

In my experiance, the guys at a sporting goods store aren't very helpful decding which shoes are right for you unless they happen to be a runner themselves.

They can help you with what is a popular shoe, but of course that might not be the right shoe for you.

All of these comments are excellent. Nthing Vibrams (though they take some easing into); Nthing softer substrate (trails cured my shin splints right away); Nthing getting advice from a specialty store (go to an independent store, though; the employees at large chain stores don't know anything and I now have a useless but expensive pair of Sauconys under my bed); Nthing cross-training; Nthing orthotics and arch support. The best things that work for me are: getting new shoes, trail running, and arch support inserts. My problem is every time I find a standard shoe I love (I'm on Asics gel nimbus now), the company eventually changes them from a stability to a neutral shoe to increase popularity. So now I'm in the market for a good standard non-barefoot shoe and I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Can anyone recommend other running stores? I can't find one in my area. (Charlotte nc)

http://www.charlotterunning.com/

http://www.runforyourlife.com/

I'm sure there are others. Google is your friend.