Best Running Shoes for Heavy Men in 2023

1. Saucony Echelon 9

Saucony makes high-quality running shoes in a widely-ranging product line, and it wasn’t hard to choose them as our number one.

The Echelon 9 is a well-built shoe. It’s a good mix of stable, balanced, form-fitting, and well-cushioned.

Although it’s a quite stable shoe, it’s designed for runners with a neutral gait. If you overpronate, it may not be very comfortable on your feet.

Stability is an important feature, and the Echelon has a light but flexible panel under the midfoot to provide a great foundation. A 3D heel counterbalances the shoe out, and keeps your foot secure when it’s in the shoe, keeping you extra stable.

Saucony’s FORMFIT mesh cocoons your foot in a secure but comfortable way, leaving you feeling well-supported from top of the foot to the toes.

Flat laces allow you to close your shoe as tightly as you need to over your foot, so there’s no play that could cause you to feel unstable.

The PWRRUN midsole is soft and cushioned, so your joints will be protected with every step.

As well as a springy midsole, the TRI-FLEX crystal rubber outsole helps to spread the landing impact force over a greater surface area. This is particularly helpful for heavy runners, as it takes some of the pressure off your joints on the footstrike.

2. Brooks Addiction GTS 15

Overpronators, this is the shoe for you! Brooks is known for its impressive cushioning, so it’s a great choice for heavy runners who need shoes that will be easy on their feet.

The Addiction GTS 15 has a removable foam insole that can be taken out to allow for more space if necessary. If you use a custom orthotic, you can fit it in the shoe quite easily.

Brooks’ unique BioMoGo DNA midsole offers very soft cushioning that adapts to your foot and your stride.

If you care about the environment, you’ll be happy to know that, in the landfill, it breaks down 50 times faster than similar midsoles, making it quite environmentally-friendly.

Other features that make the Addiction GTS 15 a good option for heavy runners include an Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar (PDRB), which prevents the foot from rolling, a Segmented Crash Pad to smooth out the landing and transfer impact away from the joints, and a wide variety of fits, including narrow, wide, and extra-wide.

3. Hoka One One Gaviota 4

Hoka One One is renowned for its cushioning. They may look a little unusual, but you can’t beat their plushness!

The Gaviota 4 wins first prize for the most cushioned shoe for heavy runners. It’s designed as a stability shoe, for overpronators, but it works equally well for neutral runners.

First, they have some useful features contributing to their stability. The upper is made from light engineered mesh, so you won’t find these shoes to be heavy on your feet. They’ll feel light, comfortable, and breathable.

The shoe’s base is stable, featuring a Late-Stage Meta-Rocker for stability. The purpose of a Meta-Rocker is to move you forward with ease, like rolling a wheel, while keeping you stable on your feet.

This is supported by an RMAT J-Frame designed to combat overpronation. It’s a dual-density foam layer, with a firmer section on the side of the foot where it tends to roll.

To keep the foot in place even more securely, Arch-Lock wings synthetic overlays prevent it from falling over, offering support from the outside as well as the inside.

When it comes to cushioning, there’s a molded OrthoLite foam insole and a bouncy EVA midsole that runs the length of the shoe. The insole is removable, in case you need to add a custom insert.

It’s even padded around and on top of your foot, with a cushioned tongue and collar, and fabric lining. The lace-up closure means you can adjust it to fit tightly but not uncomfortably on your foot.

4. Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14

Nike fans, this shoe is our pick from their selection as the best running shoes for heavy men. It’s a sleek-looking neutral shoe that’s balanced yet dynamic under your feet.

Let’s begin with the upper. It’s crafted from lightweight mesh and incorporates Nike’s Dynamic Flywire technology. This is the addition of long, light fibers strategically placed to add stability to the shoe and support to your foot.

These long fibers also make the shoe super light on your feet, so they won’t get fatigued by heavy footwear.  Yet the shoe remains supportive in all the right places.

The supportive nature of the Flywire tech is most effective when the shoe is laced tightly, providing stability without compromising the natural movement of the foot.

Nike uses its own Zoom Air Cushioning System, which is a unique use of air pods in the heel and forefoot. These provide bouncy cushioning and contribute to a softer, easier landing.

The midsole is made of springy and comfortable Nike React foam, a great choice for heavier runners. It’s durable and won’t flatten easily.

There’s also a cushioned insole that provides a touch more comfort, or can be removed if you’d prefer to add a custom orthotic.

Other features include a carbon rubber outsole for superb traction, a padded ankle collar for extra comfort, and an internal heel counter for stable foot placement.

5. Brooks Dyad 11

The Brooks Dyad 11 is aimed at neutral runners, but would also be suitable for runners who underpronate, too.

Not all shoes are great for custom orthotics. If you use your own inserts, it can be frustrating trying to find shoes that work well with orthotics in them.

But Dyads do work well, as they’re lightweight, have a removable insole, and also come in wide and extra-wide sizes. So they should be able to accommodate any orthotic with ease.

Whichever insert you choose to place in them, the BioMoGo midsole adapts to your weight, speed, and stride, and molds to it to give your feet the best experience.

Apart from those features, the Dyad 11 also has a synthetic upper that’s moisture-wicking and quick-drying, with a breathable lining that helps keep your feet cool while you’re getting warm during your exercise.

A segmented heel crash pad absorbs impact and helps protect your joints, and the blown rubber outsole keeps you steady on all surfaces. There are also two arch pods under the arch to support and cushion, keeping your foot from rolling when you run.

6. ASICS GT-4000 2

Flat footers who don’t wear the right shoes tend to find their feet rolling inwards when they run, or even walk.

That’s why a stability shoe is the best idea. It’s designed to counter that rolling movement, which is why we’ve chosen these as our best stability running shoes for heavy men.

The ASICS GT-4000 2 is a stability shoe, and it has good feedback from flat-footed runners. Many report the arch support to be perfect for flat-footed runners.

Two types of technology contribute to this: the DuoMax support system and the SpEVA Foam 45. DuoMax helps to keep the shoe balanced without increasing the weight too much. SpevaFoam uses a full-length cushion to create a supportive platform that’s firm but easy on the foot.

Another feature that helps immensely to keep the flat-footer’s gait stable and as natural as possible is the Impact Guidance System, which works hand-in-hand with the Guidance Trusstic System to keep the foot stable in the right position.

Heavy runners should find these soft and comfy on the feet, with a FlyteFoam Lyte midsole that provides good cushioning and doesn’t flatten over time as others do, thanks to organic nanofibers.

There’s also special rearfoot GEL cushioning to absorb the shock of landing and facilitate a smooth heel-to-toe transition.

7. New Balance 1540v3

The New Balance 1540v3 is designed for overpronators, but it would be a worthwhile choice for older heavy men who need something quite supportive.

It’s a near-perfect mix of comfortable cushioning and impressive stability. This shoe would also be beneficial to runners who struggle with other foot issues such as plantar fasciitis or heel spurs.

To cushion older feet and reduce the impact on the joints, these shoes feature an extra-soft EVA cushioning, a removable foam footbed, a dual-density foam collar, a plush tongue, and a soft fabric lining for superior comfort.

For stability and security, it has some equally useful features. The EVA cushioning is housed in an ENCAP TPU frame, proving a framework of stability. The ROLLBAR posting system reinforces certain sections to improve the solid feel of the shoe and prevent rolling to either side.

These shoes are reportedly very durable, making them an excellent option for heavy runners of any age.

8. ASICS Gel-Kayano 29

The ASICS Gel-Kayano 29 is our choice for the most comfortable running shoes for heavy men.

They’re also stability shoes, which means they’re very supportive and are good for overpronators in particular.

What makes them so comfortable is a combination of things. Like the previous ASICS shoe listed above, it consists of SpEVA Foam to provide a firm yet responsive platform. An EVA sockliner also contributes to a springy rebound and soft cushioning.

One of the biggest comfort factors on these shoes is the presence of GEL cushions in both the forefoot and rearfoot. You may not notice anything but their bounciness, but they help to absorb shock and provide a powerful heel-to-toe transition and toe push-off.

In addition to the comfort level, you’ll find useful things like an Impact Guiderail System to keep the foot properly aligned, ASICS’ Dynamic DuoMax support system to increase stability without added weight, and heel lock tech to keep your foot from moving around in the shoe.

9. Mizuno Wave Horizon 4

Mizuno is a name you may not be too familiar with, but they make good-looking running shoes that have some highly useful technology.

The Wave Horizon 4 is Mizuno’s top offering in the stability shoe category. If you’re a heavier runner who needs a stability shoe, their cushioning and support are top-notch. And it’s robust enough to handle a heavier runner with ease.

A Mizuno Wave Plate in the sole uses their Foamwave technology to make a big difference to the impact when you land. It disperses that impact across a wider surface area, taking the strain off your points and providing a much more balanced ride.

The U4icX midsole is designed for comfort, featuring a lightweight cushion and a soft and cushy feeling underfoot. It uses a unique PU foam compound, known as XPOP, which is both durable and highly responsive, with great energy return.

10. Saucony Omni 19

Some runners just land harder than others, and as a result, their shoes wear out faster. If you’re one of these guys, then we recommend the Saucony Omni 19 as the shoe for you.

This list starts and ends with Saucony, which should tell you how we feel about them!

Saucony’s ISOFIT tech molds to the shape of your foot, and adapts to your running style too. You’ll find that your foot moves naturally and comfortably in these shoes because they’ve shaped themselves to work with your gait and foot flex when you’re on the move.

If you’re a heavy lander, these shoes have some features that could help. A TPU heel counter keeps your heel stable and locked in, so it won’t move up and down in your shoe as you run.

Medial posts strategically placed in the shoe keep the feet (and therefore the rest of the body) properly aligned. You may be surprised at how much this can help you control your landing!

The TRI-FLEX outsole is a heavy striker’s best friend. It takes the impact on the foot and spreads it out across a wider surface area, reducing the force on a single point of the foot, which can reduce susceptibility to injury.

The outsole is also quite durable, and is designed to withstand the road and its harsh conditions. They’re also available in wide sizes.