Very often, shoe sizes have been simplified to a single number like US size 7, European size 26, etc. These numbers assume that the length-width portion is all equal. But as you would expect, some people have wider feet than others. For those of you who have wide feet and constantly wear unsuitable shoes for work and daily exercise, it makes your feet sore or even painful. Some may think that daily work automatically causes pain in the feet no matter what shoes they wear, and they think this is normal. No it is not. Do you know it doesn’t have to be that way? At the very least, you can relieve the pain or pressure on your feet by wearing shoes that actually fit you. That’s why you need to try on at least one pair of wide-cut shoes and see if you feel good. You should notice the difference between improperly fitting shoes and perfectly fitting shoes as soon as you start wearing them.
The Myth: Wearing wide-width shoes makes you look chunky
No woman wants her feet to look huge. Will your feet look bigger with a pair of wide shoes? No it won’t. A pair of wide-width shoes is only less than a quarter of an inch wider than a narrow one. I would say 99% of people can’t tell the difference with the naked eye. The difference in appearance is so small that it makes a huge difference for the comfort of your feet.
How to label the shoe widths
In the US there are generally 9 sizes for width, namely AAA, AA, A, B, C, D, E, EE and EEE, with AAA being the narrowest and EEE being the widest. In women, B is often viewed as the mean or mean latitude. C and D are considered wide and E is considered extra wide. So, if you think most of the shoes you try on at local shoe stores are too narrow, look for C, D, or E. (Some brands of shoes have F and G instead of EE and EEE. And for some other brands name them 2E and 3E instead of EE and EEE.)
Wide heels
Some may think that wide shoes usually come in the shape of flats. No, there are all shapes such as heels, sandals, flats and sports shoes. If you are planning or planning to buy your first pair of wide-width shoes to work with, you should spend a lot of time trying on different widths until you find the perfect pair. Note that width D for one shoe manufacturer is usually not perfect for another manufacturer. I’ll go so far that even for the same shoe manufacturer, different shoes for the same size sometimes still have a difference that you can notice on your feet. That’s why I always take time to try on shoes. I will never buy a pair of shoes, even if it has a look that I absolutely love, if the right size and width is not available.
Wide sandals
Wearing a pair of flat, wide sandals on the weekend is so relaxing. Let your feet get some fresh air when you’re not working. Although you will feel fine, if you have to walk a long distance (say, even 2 km), it is better to wear shoes that will help you walk better. It feels good at first, but with almost no shock-absorbing ability, you can easily increase the pressure on your feet and legs and increase the chances of getting injured. However, if you are not exercising or walking in a mall for 5 hours, the flat wide sandals are the perfect shoes to hang out with friends on the weekends.
Large width running shoes
Not every single pair of running shoes will make you comfortable, although all of the stunning TV and online commercials lead us to believe that all popular brands have wonderful and supportive running shoes that you can trust. That’s not to say these commercials are lies, but everyone’s feet are different. And many of the shoes on the market typically have what is called an “average” foot width. I’m happy to see that there are some popular manufacturers out there working to make bespoke shoes more accessible as technology has continuously advanced. But before bespoke athletic shoes are comfortable enough for everyone to afford, I’m glad there are still some shoe manufacturers out there that offer lines of running shoes that are wider for people with wide feet. If you have wide feet I would recommend trying the Asics and Puma. For Asics, most of the lines are pretty wide. For Puma, most of the lines are not that wide. But there are a couple of lines that I’ve tried that are very light and wide, so that I feel very comfortable jogging or walking.
Another point I’d like to address about jogging is that my feet tend to get bigger after about 15 minutes of jogging. I don’t know the exact science behind it. Perhaps it is due to the flowing fasting of the blood or the constant shock that the feet experience directly. It just feels that way to me and it feels awful to have shoes that wrap the sides of my feet super tightly. For running shoes, I usually buy shoes that are wider than the shoes I wear for work. Maybe it’s just for me, but if you are also feeling a lot of stress in your feet walking in skinny shoes, maybe you can explore.
Buying wide-width shoes online or in local stores?
I have a mixed answer to that. I’m a blogger with every reason to support shopping for shoes online. And it’s so much easier to find wide shoes online than at most local shoe stores. But honestly, most of the time I buy shoes from local stores as someone with a pair of wide feet. I usually only buy shoes online if I change the exact shoes I have. Let’s say when it’s time to swap out my running shoes and I decide to stick to the same style. I also do it sometimes when I buy from the same shoe line from the same shoe manufacturer. The size and width are very similar in most cases for the same manufacture and line. But there was one case in my past where I could feel a significant difference and the shoes didn’t feel so good that I couldn’t wear them at all.
This is an interesting blog post because I have a pair of broad feet and I just speak from my own experience and feelings. I remember slowly getting rid of the pain in my left calf a few years ago after getting a pair of wide running shoes. Since then, I have used it for all of my running, walking, and heavy shopping (I find shopping to be pretty intense when the mall is big and I have to shop for at least half a day). If you’ve never tried different widths for your shoes, give it a try unless you are confident that you will be very comfortable with the shoes you have right now. Find your perfectly fitting shoes that will help you relieve stress and pain.
If you find this blog post helpful, be sure to check out our other articles as well, which are also very helpful information and tips to help you look your best inside and out.
