The width of a shoe is a significant factor in foot comfort and overall foot health, often overlooked in favor of length. Finding the correct width prevents excessive pressure and friction on the foot’s structure. Foot width is not static; it can change over a person’s lifetime due to aging, weight fluctuations, and increased activity. Wearing footwear that accommodates the full width of the foot is necessary for maintaining proper foot function and avoiding long-term discomfort and deformities.
Warning Signs That Your Shoes Are Too Narrow
The body offers clear, immediate signals when shoes are too narrow, primarily through discomfort and physical changes. A feeling of compression or tightness across the ball of the foot, the widest part, indicates the shoe’s toe box lacks sufficient space. This constant squeezing can lead to acute symptoms like persistent redness, painful blisters, or the formation of corns and calluses on the sides of the feet.
More concerning signs involve nerve and circulation issues caused by restricted space. Narrow shoes can compress the nerves, resulting in a burning sensation, tingling, or numbness in the toes, often associated with Morton’s neuroma. Deep indentations or red marks left on the top or sides of your foot after removing footwear signal uncomfortable constriction. Difficulty sliding the foot into a shoe, even if the length seems correct, also points to a width mismatch.
Foot Conditions and Structures Requiring Extra Width
Certain anatomical structures or acquired health conditions make a wider shoe fit necessary for comfort and prevention of further damage. Some individuals are genetically predisposed to having a naturally wider forefoot, requiring a broader toe box than standard sizing provides. A wide fit is also necessary to accommodate acquired foot deformities like bunions (bony protrusions at the base of the big toe) or hammertoes. Narrow shoes will exacerbate the pain and progression of these deformities by forcing the toes into an unnatural position.
Conditions that cause temporary or chronic swelling, known as edema, also necessitate extra width and depth in footwear. Edema is common during pregnancy, or in individuals with diabetes or poor circulation. Since foot size can fluctuate throughout the day, an accommodating fit is required to prevent painful constriction. Flat feet, or fallen arches, also result in a wider foot structure; when the arch collapses, the foot spreads out, which standard-width shoes cannot comfortably support.
Practical Steps for Measuring Your Foot Width
Accurately determining foot width is the first step toward finding properly fitting footwear. The most reliable time to measure is at the end of the day, as feet naturally swell slightly from standing and activity, ensuring the measurement captures the foot at its largest. It is important to measure both feet, as shoes should always be purchased to fit the larger foot.
While a Brannock device provides the most accurate professional measurement, a simple at-home technique involves tracing the foot while standing. Measure the distance across the widest part of the forefoot, typically just behind the toes. Once the measurement is taken, compare it to sizing charts to determine the correct width designation.
For men, ‘D’ is considered the standard or medium width, while ‘E,’ ‘EE,’ and ‘EEE’ indicate increasingly wider sizes. For women, ‘B’ is often the standard width, with ‘D’ and ‘EE’ being common wide and extra-wide designations. Note that these letter codes can vary slightly between brands and regions.