I am a pretty little dude so maybe my thoughts carry no weight here. But I think if you a little over weight you could still get into minimal running, just if your new to it just like any other new person take it slow and listen to your body.

I would say you can do both, but if you're used to running a lot of miles shod, you are going to have to accept the fact that when you start minimalist running, you are going to have to start with very low mileage, and take it slowly. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. I wish I was running lots of miles right now. :D Still dealing with my IT Band and can manage about 2.5 miles so far.

I'm doing a little run/walk bf on the tm and it's going well - well at least nothing hurts that didn't already hurt so I'll take that as a positive sign.

I can't wait for warmer weather so I can do a little bf running outside.

Happy running!

I'm way more overweight than you, and I'm wearing minimal shoes full time. Before I switched I was in so much pain from the weight on top of bad alignment that I couldn't contemplate the idea of running, and did as little walking as possible. I still walk way more than I run, but can make the occasional run now.

More weight means more force on your feet when you walk/run, but a good barefoot form will reduce the shock by using your tendons' and muscles' natural spring action. Compare the size of your calf to the size of the padding in your shoe. You really sure the shoe padding protects you more?

Better yet in minimal footware you will feel the shock and know exactly what you are doing to your feet, instead of having those sensations muffled by the padding in your shoes. Start slowly and listen to you body and there's no reason why you can't run.

When I started Couch to 5K in 2009, I was 87 pounds overweight. When you are overweight, running with a natural barefoot form is even more important than when you are not overweight. When you run with normal shoes and a normal heel strike, the extra weight just increases the force transmitted through your knees with every landing. When you run with a natural barefoot form, there is no knee pounding, but a more gentle landing on your mid-foot with a bent knee that easily absorbs the landing. However, you still need to be very careful to not overdo it and do too much too soon. Build gradually and you should be fine.

unrelated to minimal running, I had really bad itbs before I started minimal running and what seemed to help me a lot was a foam roller. If your physical therapist doesn't have you on one now, I would highly recommend it.

I appreciate everyone's encouragement. I'm still doing a little bf running on the TM - walk .25 then slow run .25 and so far so good.

Searayman, I use a soccer ball at home because I don't have a foam roller and it seems to help some. I use a regular foam roller at PT though.