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You may need to get wide running shoes if your current running shoes are making you feel any discomfort. Some common indicators of a shoe that is too narrow include numbness, foot pain during your run, foot soreness after your run, cramping, shin splints, skin irritations such as blistering, toe nails turning black or falling off, and awkward tightness in the ankles, heel, midfoot, or toes. Over time, running in shoes that are too narrow or short can lead to a number of serious feet ailments. Neuromas, for example, are often associated with wearing too narrow shoes. It is a consistent pain, numbness, or parasthesis caused by aggravated or damaged nerves in the foot. Secondly, narrow shoes can cause the enlargement of bone or tissue around the base of the toes (especially the big toe and pinky toe) known as bunions. These can be debilitatingly painful. They can also can cause the toe to permanently angle towards the inside. A third common ailment is known as hammertoe, in which a narrow shoe can cause the toe(s) to permanently curl downward, putting tremendous stress and pain around the toe joints. Here are a few pointers regarding wide running shoes that I've learned during my time fitting people. At the bottom of this page I've included a list of my favorite running shoes that come in different widths. Additionally, you can read my article on how to fit running shoes, and the article about my top 15 running shoe fit tips. Use the half inch rule to help you determine what width you need. Running shoe manufacturers usually make their shoes in widths 4A, 2A, B, D, 2E, 4E, and 6E. There is about a half inch difference between each width. A men's regular width will be a width D. A women's regular width will be a width B. In both cases, with each size increase (i.e. from D to 2E), the shoe gets wider by about a half inch. Likewise, with each decrease in size (i.e. from D to B) the shoe gets narrower by about a half inch. Measure your foot to determine what width you need. In general, a regular width for a man is usually 3.5 inches across the base of the toes and average starting at width D. A regular width for a woman would be about 3 inches and average starting at width B. For every half inch wider your measurement is, move up a width on your shoes. For example, I'm a man who measures at 4 inches across the base of my toes, so I would want to get a 2E width shoe. Your best bets for finding shoes made in wider widths, or shoes that in general fit wider, will be with New Balance, Saucony, ASICS, and Reebok. As you test your shoe, ensure that the sides of the feet don't hang over the sides of the midsole. If they do, you need to get a wider width. Ideally, they should line up perfectly, or the base of the shoe should be slightly wider than your foot. If the material at the base of the lace area is bunching up, that means the shoe is actually too wide. Get the next width narrow in this case. I highly recommend that you get wider running shoes if you have diabetes or other circulatory diseases. Wearing a narrow shoe may damage the foot or restrict blood flow to the foot, which can cause a serious infection. I also highly recommend a wider shoe if you have arthritis or osteoporosis. When you have conditions like these, you have to relieve the foot from as much pressure as possible. A narrow shoe coupled with the pounding of running will only accelerate the wearing away of the joints and bones. If you want to continue running and minimize risk, you must give your feet as much space and freedom of movement as you can. Here are my favorite wide running shoes. I've categorized them into the major shoe categories, listed the widths available, and added the following notations to help you get your ideal fit.
Stability Saucony ProGrid Hurricane series - Plus / Widths D-2E (men's) B-D (women's) New Balance 768 series - Standard / Widths D-4E (men's) 2A-D (women's) Saucony ProGrid Guide series - Standard / Widths D-2E (men's) B-D (women's) New Balance 903 - Performance / Widths D-2E (men's) B-D (women's) New Balance 1062 - Plus / Widths B-4E (men's) 2A-D ASICS Gel Cumulus series - Standard / Widths D-4E (men's) 2A-D (women's) New Balance 757 - Standard / Widths D-2E (men's) B-D (women's)
New Balance 826 - Performance / Widths D-2E (men's) B-D (women's) Brooks Beast (men's) series - Plus / Widths D-4E Brooks Ariel (women's) series - Plus / Widths B-2E
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