Abstract: Under fractured roof conditions, excessively high initial support pressure can significantly aggravate roof fragmentation, leading to crack propagation, localized roof collapse, and even roof caving near the hydraulic supports, which severely threatens safe production in the working face. FLAC numerical simulation software was employed to investigate the shear-slip evolution characteristics of the roof. Based on the shear-slip criterion, a critical initial support pressure formula for hydraulic supports under fractured roof conditions was derived and established. Field validation was conducted at the 220101 working face of Xinji No. 2 Mine. The results indicate that:①The interface between the hydraulic support canopy and the goaf is the most prone area for shear slip. As the support pressure increases, the shear-slip zone expands diagonally upward from the supports, with the affected area continuously enlarging. ②The derived formula determined the practical initial support pressure range for the working face to be 0.532～0.608 MPa. Field measurements showed that the actual initial support pressure was maintained between 0.7–0.8 times the critical working resistance. The hydraulic supports effectively controlled roof deformation through active support, with no instability or roof collapse observed, confirming the rationality of the initial support pressure setting.