Shoes/sandals for wide feet

[Ray Varella]

I’ve always had trouble finding shoes for really wide feet (eee) and one is a half size larger than the other. 

It rules out most cycling shoes. 

Birkenstocks fit my feet well but they aren’t all that grippy. 

A couple years ago I saw they had some with soles listed as being rugged. 

They are a bit different from their typical soles and I’ve been using them quite a bit. 

I got the “Milano” which is similar to their “Arizona” but it has a back strap. 

I’m pretty happy with the way they grip the pedals and the sole looks like it will last a very long time. 

Maybe another option for those of you who have difficult to fit feet. 

Ray

[Eric Marth]

Thanks, Ray. I have struggled to find good cycling shoes for my wide feet as well. For sandals I like the Bedrock base model without the sculpted footbed. They don't restrict the shape of my feet though the soles are very flexible which might be problematic for some riders. 

It seems there are a few clipless options, Lake makes some with wide lasts but they are very expensive. It seems the Stomp Lox shoes are on the wide side but I haven't tried them on. They are also expensive and they look like the offspring of a Danner Mountain Light II and a bowling shoe. 

I recently picked up a pair of older Allen Edmonds shoes, the style is called Mitchell. Mine are black. These were produced around 2008 and only for a few years. Sometimes they turn up on eBay. Mine are 12 EEE and are comfortable for riding. 

To my eye the Mitchells resemble traditional handmade leather cycling shoes: low profile, many eyelets, simple patterns, no graphics. 

It's a world of difference from the Adidas Sambas I'd been cramming my feet into for the last few years of riding! I'd been having foot pain on the outer edge of my left foot in particular. This has resolved by switching to shoes that are as wide as my feet. I will say that if Sambas fit you they are a pretty good off-the-rack platform cycling shoe that isn't very expensive. And you can find them used for even less. I used a Krink paint marker to black out all the white leather on mine. 

In the past I've been drawn to shoes from Dromarti, Reynolds and Lennon but I know they are all too narrow for my wide feet. 

[James]

Xero makes great shoes with wide toe boxes.  

[Stephen Merelman]

I am firmly set atop an EEEE platform. I have a pair of cheap Forte-branded mountain bike shoes that I got from Performance in 2007 or so that are actually wide enough and I  pray they never wear out. I splashed out on some Lakes that sort of work, with thin socks, though everything below my ankles goes numb in winter. Otherwise, Birks work very well in the warmer months and announce to the serious roadies that they can ignore me and vice versa.

[Paul Donald]

I'm not at EEE widths, but my feet have spread considerably as I approach 60. My current fav shoes for everything are Birkenstocks, particularly Birkenstock Footprints. All current 6 pairs (all black, all leather, naturally) are from eBay. Now looking for some fishermans sandles to add to the "summer collection". Lots of brown suede across models it seems, black smooth can be harder to find. The soles of the dress shoes (my bike is pretty, why shouldn't I be!) slip on the Monarch pedals, so I use BMX platforms with aggressive pins which work very well. However, the more casual styles have soles much like a regular Birkenstock and I find they stick fine to the Monarchs. I have a nice pair of "athletic" shoes by Birkenstock Footprints that follow the bowling/vintage cycling shoe design with lots of eyelets and low profile, that feel nice and work well for me for riding. They look a little like those old cycling shoes, but as designed for a duck. Or maybe a Hobbit. 

Switching from the Birks to my attractively slender Chrome Kursks reminds me sharply that I cannot wear narrow shoes for any real length of time.

The only shoes I have for clipless use are Giro Chamber II, and in one size up from my regular shoe size. They have a wide footbed, and some believe the widest on the market but that's what the internet said. I don't use them a lot but I don't get numb toes or a hot spot under the ball of my foot when I do. 

[Frank Burkybile]

I have the same problem and found that the Birkenstocks with the 'rugged" sole work for me. Birks are super comfy and are stiff enough for cycling (at least how I do it). The backstop is a must. 

Also - I have a pair of Keen 'Austin' leather Spd shoes that worked pretty well until I decided to just switch to platform pedals on all of my bikes. I wear a EEE through Allen Edmonds but the keens are just regular 12's and they worked. They still plenty of life left if anyone is interested in them. As long as someone covers shipping, I would let them go for a steal. I am clearing out for a move and they have been sitting in a closet for a few years. 

On Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 9:56:34 PM UTC-4 Ray Varella wrote:

[Eric Marth]

Some great recs and ideas here, thanks to everyone for sharing their Wide Shoe Resources!

[John Dsvidson]

I have 13EEE shoes normally. The Keen Austin’s work well for me. 

I do wish Keen would tell me which other shoe is made on the same last. But they don’t.

For road shoes I use the Mega Sidi. Both in the road and mountain.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5e12bfd1-2108-464e-b020-82ca3e4ecc0en%40googlegroups.com.

[J]

I bought the Giro Rumble recently for dirt cheap as a sleek MTB shoe. The aren't the widest but also not nearly as narrow as everything else I've tried. They are kind of cheap feeling and squeaked a bit when I first got them but I'd give them 1 thumbs up from my EE wide feet. I took a black sharpies to the orange heel and changed the orange laces. Also worth noting that I don't think gets talked about when it comes to shoe width, I don't have high volume feet like a lot of folks who need the width do. Just a wide forefoot, with high arches and narrow heels. If someone made cycling shoes on a munson last I'd be stoked. Altra running shoes have been a revelation but are too soft for my kind of riding bikes. I think I posted about them before but I have the Quoc grand tourers and they are ok but definitely aren't "wide or roomy" like I've seen some reviews state. I have a friend who still swears by the Specialized Recon ADV for his wide feet, but I haven't had a chance to try them since we wear different size shoes. I will say his size 9 foot has more volume than my size 12 so I think they'd work. Never could get on with Birkenstocks, my feet swim in them.

[Chris Halasz]

I'll chime in here. My wife have feet that are just a bit wide, not quad-E or anything, and found we really like using Xero shoes. Good enough width for us, nice slim heel counter fit, and most important to us is that there's room for the piggly wiggly toes to spread out. Lots of flex, and no numbness any more ever when we ride, even on our weekly thirty mile rides. 

I do a twice weekly 10k trail run (lots of rocks) in them as well. I run a little slower, but steadier, and knees and ankles and hips happier. 

- Chris