In our 43 years in the shoe biz, we’ve seen a LOT of different types of feet.
From super wide, to super narrow, bunions, collapsed arches, high insteps, you name it— at Rackets & Runners, we’ve seen it all. And in those years we’ve developed a bit of a knack for fitting those tricky-to-fit-feet.
One of the questions we get asked regularly is "what are your best wide-fitting shoes?" So today we’ll iron out those models, both in running and walking, and the elusive wider-fitting court shoes.
About Shoe Widths
Before we begin, let’s simplify shoe width sizes as it can become a bit confusing. Just like the length of your footwear is measured in sizes, footwear companies break down width into sizes. It’s usually a combination of a letter plus a number (2A, B, D, 2E, 4E).
On the women’s side:
- 2A - narrow
- B - standard
- D - wide
- 2E - extra wide
On the men’s side:
- B - narrow
- D - standard width (most shoe companies provide shoes in this width)
- 2E- wide
- 4E- extra wide
- 6E - Extra extra wide- limited but available in some models.
Why are these sizes different for men and women? Men typically have wider feet and therefore the standard width for a men's shoe would be a wide for a woman's shoe.
Our best wide-fitting road running shoes
Explore our complete mens & womens collections.
If you’ve got a neutral foot-strike (i.e. your feet stay in an upright position when you run or walk) or you wear orthotics, you could try these options.
Neutral supportive road running shoes
These shoes are typically a little bit more ‘boxy’ in shape and provide not only more width but more volume for your foot. While all of these options fit a bit more generously in their ‘D’ width, they are also available from 2E to 4E widths. Typically, these models are a dream fit for orthotics — most are engineered to accommodate orthotics by providing a bit more depth, a straighter last and a bit more rigidity for housing the orthotic.
- New Balance 840v4- Womens & Mens
- Brooks Dyad 11- Womens & Mens
- Hoka Bondi 7- Womens & Mens
- New Balance Fresh Foam More v3- Womens & Mens
Neutral road running shoes
Compared to the above category, these shoes are a bit sleeker in design and fit a bit more concave to your foot. They have a neutral midsole, are perfect for everyday mileage and are typically available in D, 2E and some 4E widths.
- Brooks Ghost 14 - Womens & Mens
- New Balance 880v11 -Womens & Mens
- New Balance 1080 - Womens & Mens
- Hoka Clifton 8 - Womens & Mens
Stability road running shoes
If your feet have a tendency to collapse inwards when running or walking, these models provide additional support on the inside of the shoe to hold the foot upright and inline preventing over-pronation.
Walking shoes
Although the above neutral running shoes are great for both running and walking, we do provide more traditional shoes that are specifically for walking. These provide a little bit more rigidity in the midsole and are outfitted with a leather upper.
New Balance 928 V3 Walking
women's
All-court shoes
Unlike our running and walking shoes, court shoes are not as accessible in wider widths and are rather elusive to find. Plus, the reinforced upper of court shoes to aid in lateral movements make the shoe not as generous of a fit by nature. Throw in a bunion or two to the mix and it’s ‘game over’. But fear not, we have a couple of models that have worked wonderfully for those with wider-fitting feet.
- New Balance 806- Womens & Mens
- New Balance Fuelcell 996v4- Womens & Mens
- Babolat SFX- Womens & Mens
- ASICS Gel- Resolution 8-Mens2E
- New Balance Fresh Foam Lav- Womens & Mens
- Yonex Power Cushion Sonicage 2- Womens & Mens
Hopefully this list has helped narrow down your wide-fitting feet problems. As always, we’d highly recommend coming into our shop and allowing one of our shoe fitting experts to properly fit and suggest different models based on your foot strike and shape.