Best Shoes For Heavy Men

If you’re a man who’s overweight, it can feel like the world is against you. But there’s one thing we can all agree on: Being overweight is difficult to deal with. It affects your mental health and your self-esteem, and it makes it hard for you to do things that people who aren’t overweight take for granted. One of those things is buying shoes. Shoes that fit well are essential if you want to be able to walk around without pain or discomfort, but if you’re heavy, finding shoes that fit well—and are comfortable—can seem impossible. Here’s how we make sure our customers don’t have to go through that struggle anymore:

Best Shoes For Heavy Men

7 Best Running Shoes For Heavy Men, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2022

Running shoes for big guys have loads of cushion to keep the feet protected. And more importantly, they’re built durable. Whether you’re running on pavement or on the trails, these shoes can take a beating. Choosing from more than 500 running shoes for heavy men can be a lot. To help you, this list trims it down to the best of the best from different categories. Best overall Altra Lone Peak 5.0 Best road Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 Best trail New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6 Best Nike Nike Pegasus Trail 2 GTX Best Asics Asics Gel Nimbus 23 Best value Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 Most popular Salomon XT-6

How we test running shoes

To keep everything as bias-free as possible, we buy all the shoes we examine with our own money. And to be objective, we have our own shoe testing lab for a more data-driven review. On top of these, we also:

• Run in each shoe for at least 30-50 miles
• Cut them open to assess what’s inside
• Measure each part
• Calculate their CoreScore using thousands of expert and user reviews

Best running shoes for heavy men overall

Altra Lone Peak 5.0

CoreScore

92 Superb!

Pros

• Great for wide feet
• Superb grip (rocks, mud, ice, snow)
• Stiff and durable
• Sheds mud easily
• Great water drainage
• Balanced and stable ride
• Removable Ortholite insole
• Great for road-to-trail transitions
• Extremely breathable
• Rock plate for technical terrain
• Gaiter-friendly
• Easy to clean

Cons

• No ground feel
• Too cold for winter days

Verdict

The Altra Lone Peak 5.0 is a trail shoe that will make you run with confidence! It’s sturdy underfoot, supportive, and it’s got the right blend of comfort and responsiveness. Throw in any terrain, and this shoe will bite its way through them!

Best road big guy running shoes

Brooks Glycerin GTS 19

CoreScore

91 Superb!

Pros

• True to size
• Good cushioning
• Breathable
• Smooth transition
• Durable

Cons

• Not very versatile
• Slight heel slipping

Verdict

The Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 is a great every-day runner’s shoe that offers good cushioning on a stable platform and will go the distance. The Glycerin GTS 19 doesn’t offer anything that is mind-bending or earth-shattering. It’s simply consistent.

Best trail big guy running shoes

New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6

CoreScore

91 Superb!

Pros

• Comfortable
• Super plush
• Protective underfoot
• Amazing lockdown
• Easy to put on (heel loop!)
• True to size
• Heel rudder
• Looks amazing
• Value at $135

Cons

• Heavy
• Runs warm
• Could be grippier

Verdict

A heavy-duty trail beast, the Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6 has proved to us it’s more than capable of taking a beating from harsh elements! It crushes everything underfoot and will last plenty of miles. After putting it to the test, we found that it works best as a road-to-trail transition shoe and a light to moderate dedicated trail shoe.

Best Nike big guy running shoes

Nike Pegasus Trail 2 GTX

CoreScore

90 Superb!

Pros

• Outstanding waterproofness
• Great for road-to-trail transitions
• Lively ride
• Feels lighter than it is
• Good grip
• Perfect for autumn and winter
• Runs true to size
• Undeniably durable

Cons

• Not breathable
• Semi-gaiter lets snow in
• Bulky

Verdict

The Nike Pegasus Trail 2 GTX is a trail shoe that REALLY impressed us. It kept our feet dry all throughout the wet conditions we ran! It’s made for training runs so don’t expect anything fast. Instead, expect a superbly bouncy and comfortable shoe that will mute out all the rocks and roots underfoot. Even better, in areas of grip and durability, this shoe will wow you!

Best Asics big guy running shoes

Asics Gel Nimbus 23

CoreScore

90 Superb!

Pros

• really comfortable
• good lockdown
• plush feel
• soft yet lively ride
• best for heel strikers
• wide feet friendly
• kayano feel
• durable outsole
• stable for a neutral shoe

Cons

• lacks breathability
• on the heavy side

Verdict

A shoe that gave our feet all the impact dampening they could ask for – the Asics Gel Nimbus 23! It runs smooth and stable, and above all, it keeps the feet free from pain from every pound on the pavement. It’s a neutral daily trainer we’d recommend any day for those who want comfort in all their runs. But be warned, with all the protection and cush you get, a sacrifice on lightness is made.

Best value running shoes for heavy men

CoreScore

90 Superb!

Pros

• Perfect fit
• Impressive lockdown
• Moderate stability
• Great for faster runs
• Cushioned ride
• No break-in needed
• Really breathable
• Good grip
• Durable

Cons

• Heavy
• Limited color options

Verdict

Super comfy, silky smooth, and sneaky fast! The Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 truly gave us a confidence-inspiring ride. It’s a stability workhorse. If you want a supportive training run, it’s the shoe to get, just as it’s the right fit for a peppy, bouncy ride on race day. And as a true Mizuno, it’s a killer in the durability department!

Most popular running shoes for heavy men

Salomon XT-6

CoreScore

84 Good!

Pros

• Fit true to size
• Superb responsiveness
• Quicklace system is a breeze
• Zero Heel-slip
• Amazing grip
• Breathable
• Super stable ride
• Great protection
• Stylish
• Durable

Cons

• Quite heavy as some trail shoes go
• Stiff in colder conditions

Verdict

The Salomon XT-6 has been a hugely popular shoe for nearly a decade both for its looks and its ability to take you anyway on a trail. With heaps of protection, insane grip, and a responsive, speedy ride the XT-6 is still a relevant trail shoe to help you explore the less beaten trails. It’s a shoe that’s sure to leave you confident traversing steep gradients, or comfy at the end of a long hike.

Comparison of the 7 best running shoes for heavy men

	Altra Lone Peak 5.0	Brooks Glycerin GTS 19	New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6	Nike Pegasus Trail 2 GTX	Asics Gel Nimbus 23	Mizuno Wave Inspire 17	Salomon XT-6
Best	Overall	Road	Trail	Nike	Asics	Value	Popular
CoreScore	92 Superb!	91 Superb!	91 Superb!	90 Superb!	90 Superb!	90 Superb!	84 Good!
Users rating	4.7/5	4.6/5	4.6/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.7/5
Experts	89/100	91/100	91/100	89/100	89/100	90/100	95/100
Best price	₦760	₦880	₦790	₦940	₦880	₦790	₦1280
Terrain	Trail	Road	Trail	Trail	Road	Road	Trail
Pace	N/A	Daily running	N/A	N/A	Daily running	Daily running	N/A
Arch support	Neutral	Stability	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Stability	Neutral
Heel to toe drop	0mm	10mm	8mm	10mm	10mm	12mm	N/A
Weight	301g	303g	337g	340g	309g	309g	365g
Breathable	–	✓	✓	–	–	–	–
Comfortable	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	–
Orthotic friendly	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Removable insole	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Rock plate	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Sustainable	–	–	✓	–	–	–	–
Pronation	UnderpronationSupinationNeutral Pronation	Overpronation	UnderpronationSupinationNeutral Pronation	UnderpronationSupinationNeutral Pronation	UnderpronationSupinationNeutral Pronation	Overpronation	UnderpronationSupinationNeutral Pronation
Toebox	Wide	Wide	Wide	Medium	Wide	Medium	N/A
Hiking	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Jogging	–	✓	–	–	✓	✓	–
Mud	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Off-trail	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Spartan race (OCR)	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Treadmill	–	✓	–	–	–	–	–
All-day wear	–	✓	–	–	✓	–	–
Walking	–	✓	–	–	✓	✓	–
Big guy	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Heavy	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Low drop	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Maximalist	–	–	–	✓	–	✓	–
Zero drop	✓	–	–	–	–	–	–
Distance	MarathonLong distance	MarathonLong distance	MarathonLong distance	MarathonLong distance	MarathonLong distance	MarathonLong distance	N/A
Cushioning	Balanced (2/3)	Plush (3/3)	Balanced (2/3)	Balanced (2/3)	Balanced (2/3)	Balanced (2/3)	N/A
Widths available	NormalWide	NormalWide	NormalWideX-Wide	Normal	NarrowNormalWideX-Wide	NormalWide	Normal
Foot Condition	N/A	Plantar fasciitisFlat feet	N/A	N/A	Plantar fasciitis	Flat feet	N/A
Strike Pattern	Forefoot/Midfoot strike	Heel strike	Forefoot/Midfoot strikeHeel strike	Heel strike	Heel strike	Heel strike	N/A
Collection	Altra Lone Peak	Brooks Glycerin	New Balance Fresh Foam	Nike ReactNike Pegasus Trail	Asics GelAsics Flyte FoamAsics Gel Nimbus	Mizuno WaveMizuno Wave Inspire	N/A
Technology	N/A	N/A	Vibram	Gore-Tex	N/A	N/A	N/A
Waterproofing	N/A	N/A	N/A	Waterproof	N/A	N/A	N/A
Arch Type	High arch	Low arch	High arch	High arch	High arch	Low arch	High arch
Flexibility	N/A	Flexible (4/5)	N/A	Moderate (3/5)	Flexible (4/5)	N/A	N/A
Material	Mesh upper	Mesh upper	Mesh upper	N/A	Mesh upperReflective	Mesh upper	Mesh upper
Release date	Jan 2021	Feb 2021	Feb 01, 2021	N/A	Dec 2020	N/A	Apr 2020
Ranking	#27Top 2%	#57Top 4%	#44Top 3%	#128Top 8%	#160Top 9%	#137Top 8%	#487Top 43%
Popularity	#33Top 2%	#164Top 10%	#290Top 17%	#294Top 17%	#62Top 4%	#223Top 13%	#5Top 1%
# of colorways	18	18	12	9	43	25	1
Forefoot height	25mm	N/A	20mm	20mm	15mm	19mm	N/A
Heel height	25mm	N/A	28mm	30mm	25mm	31mm	N/A
Season	N/A	N/A	N/A	Winter	N/A	N/A	N/A
Summer	–	✓	✓	–	–	–	–
Ultra running	–	–	–	–	–	–	✓

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