Trainers for the overweight runner

This is something, that over the years, I have come to view as crucial to running injury free.

Per mile. each foot will strike the ground around 800 times, with a force of 3 times your body weight. So at a body weight of 210 pounds that is 630 pounds of pressure per foot strike.

i.e. For 1 mile.....

630 * 800 * 2 = 1008 000 pounds(504 tonnes) of pressure on your feet !!!!

per foot strike * strikes per mile * two legs = pain and injury !!!!

So buy a decent "comfort + cushion" running shoe.

My current shoe is the Reebok Premier Cushion V

It is a great comfort shoe with a nice wide forefoot section and a neutral and forgiving ride. At around £55 it is not too expensive. I combine these trainers with my "ortha heel sports" insoles to give me the required stability

My other current shoe is the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 £75, which has built in pronation support. This seems to offer just the right level of support for me. For severe over pronators, the Brooks Beast is certainly a shoe worth trying.

I often buy the Asics Gel Cumulus which has a nice mesh at the forefoot that allows my fat hobbit feet a bit more space. Again it is a neutral ride and offers great heel and forefoot cushioning. At £70 it is a bit more expensive. But worth it!

It is always worth going to a specialist running store to have a gait analysis performed to determine your running style, with regards to foot strike and pronation. It is worth noting that prices are normally quite a bit higher in store than you would typically get online! But like snowflakes the same trainer is not always identical, so if it fits you in the shop, it might be a safer choice than buying it cheaper online.