Shoes and the "heavy" person

You could go get a gait analysis done and stop guessing on the shoes.

I bought a pair of reebok shoes and I don't get shin splints while walking or running, but that doesn't mean I'd recommend them to someone else.

My husband buys Saucony brand.

Go to a running store. They will analyze you for walking as well, so don't feel like you can't go to it because you're walking and not running.

HOWEVER no matter what they say to you, GO WITH YOUR GUT. Ask to try neutral shoes even if they suggest stability shoes, and try a few minimalist ones as well. Walk around the store, if they have a treadmill ask to walk on their treadmill. See if they have a return policy to let you swap them out if the shoes don't feel right (many stores will let you return/exchange shoes within a certain window). In general I think it's best to start with neutral shoes and go with whatever cushion feels right; if those don't work, then try stability, etc., but more and more the research on shoes indicates that most people don't need the extra controls in their shoes.

DO NOT BUY MOTION CONTROL SHOES UNLESS YOU ARE TOLD TO BUY A DOCTOR. I cannot emphasize this enough. I am a huge running shoe geek, and all the studies I have read have basically said almost no one needs a motion control shoe, but you run the risk that if you're a bigger guy that a shoe store will simply slap you in the most supportive shoe possible regardless of what you actually need.

questionfear wrote: »

...you run the risk that if you're a bigger guy that a shoe store will simply slap you in the most supportive shoe possible regardless of what you actually need.

I think @questionfear comment describes what can often happen. Many running shop staff will put people in an over engineered shoe by default because that's the "conventional wisdom".

I've been running since high school in the 70's. When motion control shoes / stability shoes first started to be marketed most shops really didn't know what they were doing but were told what to look for in wear patterns and then put people in various types of stability shoes based on what was observed. One maker made a tank of a shoe which I swear caused me injuries... it didn't solve anything! They felt awful. Like running on boards. But these very shoes would be recommended to me by 8 or 9 of 10 running shops I'd visit, mostly because the maker had a dominant hold on the local market and if someone came in showing signs of pronation shop staff were told to sell that as a solution.

That was decades ago and despite more makers on the scene and far more shoe choice, you can see the same thinking in many shops still today.

It turns out that a zero drop shoe with an ample toe box allows my foot to fall and lever more naturally and after 100's of km on a pair of such shoes it's difficult to see any evidence of pronation. Yet if I walk in to a shop and mention pronation, or if they look at me still 15 pounds over my goal weight, many will insist on putting me in an over built motion control shoe. By default. A good shop staff will dig deeper.

So... to the OP I'd suggest find a really good running shop and push them to explain their advice. Maybe call them first and ask if they carry a range of shoes from stability to minimalist and zero drop shoes. If so, that's some indication they may be more clued in, but at the individual staff level you can expect a lot of variability.

I started running as an obese male 105 pounds over my ideal weight based on my frame type.

Shin splints / pain is something that affects many new runners (or distance walkers too) regardless of whether they are heavy or not. While I know you are walking right now, there are commonalities between the motions that can cause the issue. Building gradually and avoiding a more serious injury that sidelines you is key. Once you get through the initial period of conditioning most people find shin pain is a thing of the past. I suffered a little last fall when I started but within a matter of a few weeks that pain fairly quickly faded.

Now I run hundreds of km every month, injury free, on all surfaces from streets to the gnarliest trails imaginable.

PS: Don't forget to stretch even if you are walking.