[JauntyHatAngle]

I second this.

I've always wore "normal" joggers, been running, playing sport etc without a problem for decades.

Swapped to minimalist shoes, and bam, had shin splints for months, I assumed it was the amount I was running for a while before I realised it was just the shoes and their lack of support.

Went back to my normal shoes and got insole supports for my new shoes, the shin splints went away very quickly.

Turns out a lot of what works for you differs based on your foot shape. I happened to have a very high arch, and my foot couldn't handle the shoes with a low platform because it caused me to pronate. So either I go barefoot or I go decent support.

[J_Sherz]

I have had a similar experience, but am still trying to find the right balance.

I'm a little heavier than the average runner and was getting shin splints in regular running shoes on the "back side" of my leg. Switched to barefoot shoes (and probably didn't build up slowly enough) and had Achilles tendon issues. It fixed the shin splint problem for a while, but then they reappeared, this time on the front side of the leg.

I'm now on insole supports and regular shoes, but still not able to run as much as I'd like without the tell tale signs of shin splints showing up.

I suspect my running gait is partly to blame, but it's surprisingly difficult to change this after years of one method.

[WalterSear]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, did you change your running style at all? Shin splints suggest heel striking. Barefoot running feels a bit like running backwards compared to regular running - it's not the same motion at all.

[WalterSear]

Did you alter your running style in any way? Fwiw, shin splints with barefoot shoes sounds a lot like heel striking.

Barefoot running feels a bit like pedaling a bicycle backwards, compared to the common running style.