2 Best Basketball Shoes For Wide Feet in 2025
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Like any other type of shoes, basketball kicks work best if they fit perfectly. Unfortunately, there are quite a few wide-footed players who are forced to go at least half a size up just to fit the basketball shoes that they want.
But our extensive lan testing shows that some hoope shoes are in fact a bit more spacious than others and we can't stay quiet about it!
In this article, we gather the best basketball shoes for wide feet for your convenience and dive into the nitty-gritties of what makes a wide hoop shoe in the guide below.
How we test basketball shoes for wide feet
We have developed a unique way of measuring the internal dimensions of basketball shoes with the help of custom gel. It allows us to filter out the widest options, which then make it to this selection.
But fit is not the only parameter we check in the testing process. Each hoop shoe goes through a series of meticulous play tests and lab tests to claim its right as the best shoe for wide feet in a certain category.
We go as far as cutting each shoe in half, using callipers, durometers, a gel mould, and even specialised shoe testing machinery to assess every characteristic - shock absorption, energy return, stability, grip, flexibility, and more.
And to make the results even less biased, we buy all tested basketball shoes with our own money.
Best basketball shoes for wide feet overall
What makes it the best?
Reaching our number 1 is never easy, but it gets even harder if the shoe belongs to such a well-known brand as Adidas! After thoroughly analysing it inside and outside our lab, we’ve decided the Dame 9 deserves our RR ring as the best hooper overall for wide feet.
Thanks to our super effective (and super nerdy) technique, we can now precisely measure the interior of every shoe that steps into our lab. We use our own gel to create a mould, and when we had the Dame 9’s replica, we grabbed our calliper and measured its width. With 95.4 mm at its widest part (average: 92.8 mm) and 71.0 mm at the big toe (average: 63.9 mm), we can happily say big feet have found their sole-mate!
The best part of this roomy fit is that the shoe’s midsole doesn’t fall behind. At 120.1 mm in the forefoot, our calliper stated it’s way wider than average! And even though the gap in comparison to the standard is not as big, the midsole’s width at the heel goes all the way up to 93.0 mm, surpassing the average too.
Despite being this spacious, we never found this Adidas unstable! It scored a perfect 5/5 on our stability test, so it protected our feet like a piece of armour on the court. Nevertheless, all this width and protection come with a price: the Dame 9 made our scale mark 14.71 oz/417g, which is higher than average.
Pros
- Outstanding energy return
- Excellent shock absorption in the heel
- Fantastic outsole traction
- Top-tier stability and ankle support
- Highly secure foot lockdown
- Exceptional durability
- Decent flexibility given the design
- True to size and width
Cons
- Still one of the heaviest
- Not for outdoor courts
- Extremely low toebox height
- Not breathable
- Rapid price increase
Best budget basketball shoes for wide feet
What makes it the best?
After hours and hours of being our guinea pig, we discovered the Adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low bites the court like a hungry pup. And, very much like the Ant-Man himself, no one can stop it! But the best part is that it features an accommodating and solid structure that helped us feel safe and supported every daring move.
First things first, during our wear tests this Adidas shoe showed wonderful grip even on dusty courts. We felt confident when we went for quick split-steps, aggressive layups or even when we had to defend a quick guard. Our controlled traction test confirmed it, as when we took the Anthony Edwards 1 Low to our lab, it earned a high 0.85! This result is pretty much as good as what we’ve seen in many elite hoopers.
Even big-foot players can enjoy this grip beast. Why? Well, because our gel spilled the tea on it! When we created a mould of its interiors, our calliper returned 99.3 mm when we measured the forefoot, which is wider than average. But don’t worry, this extra space wasn’t a problem thanks to the shoe’s containment. With an X plate with a very pretty crimson cross design, the support underfoot is guaranteed.
Last but not least, the 5/5 it scored on our torsional rigidity test was the cherry on top for this solid structure. We never lost confidence when we went for crazy moves, as we knew the traction and support of this Adidas had our back. That being said… the break-in period is inevitable!
Pros
- Responsive ReactX midsole
- Excellent stability and ankle support
- Fantastic outsole grip
- Soft comfortable step-in feel
- Accommodating fit
- Great for outdoor courts
- Amazing durability for money
Cons
- Heavier than average
- Not breathable
- Cheap-feeling materials
How to tell if you need a wide basketball shoe
If you’ve landed on this page, you are most likely familiar with some or even all of the following issues:
- burning sensations, hot spots, or blisters on the sides of your feet
- pressure on top of your instep even when the laces aren’t cinched down
- getting a size bigger doesn’t help as the shoe feels longer but remains tight
These are the surefire signs that you need a roomier hoop shoe with more internal space in a regular D medium width or an alternative width like 2E wide or 4E extra wide.
But how can you tell if one basketball shoe offers more foot space than the other one without trying them both in person?
Measuring basketball shoe width in the lab
We have developed a proprietary approach to measuring the internal space of each hoop shoe with the help of custom gel.
First, we pour liquid gel into each shoe and leave it in the fridge until the mould solidifies (2 hours) and replicates the shoe’s internal shape. We then use a digital calliper to check the mould’s dimensions as precisely as possible.
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We approve a basketball shoe for wide feet based on its shoe width at the widest part. |
Our custom-made shoe holder/calliper detects the widest part of the shoe, touching the most protruding parts on both sides of the mould.
Having measured dozens of hoop shoe moulds, we found the range to be as large as 10 mm! Here is what the narrowest and the widest basketball shoes look like in comparison:
This explains why you can buy the exact same size and still not get the same fit in different shoes.
Wide shoe or wide toebox?
There are quite a few basketball shoes that show regular width in the widest area but feel notably roomier around the toes. This happens when the shoe’s toebox shape is rounded and has no aggressive tapering towards the front.
The photo below shows how a tapered toebox (top) is different from a rounded one (bottom):
If you experience pressure, cramping, or numbing primarily in the toe area while the rest of the shoe fits just fine, you probably need a basketball shoe with a wide toebox and not a wide shoe per se.
To put a number on each shoe’s toebox width, we take another calliper measurement at the big toe. The wider this measurement is, the more accommodating and less pointy the shoe’s toebox is.
If that’s what you need, see our guide on the best basketball shoes with a wide toebox.
Wide widths in basketball shoes (2E/4E)
Unfortunately for wide-footed players, not many hoop shoes have a roomy fit in a standard D width. And that’s okay because it is meant to accommodate medium-width feet, after all.
If you feel like you could use more space all throughout the shoe, your best bet is to consider basketball shoes in alternative widths such as 2E wide or 4E extra wide.
However, not many brands provide these alternative widths and New Balance proves to be the most generous in this regard. But how much more space do you get in wider widths? This varies depending on the brand and the shoe.
According to New Balance’s detailed width chart, there is an additional 3-4 mm in its 2E width and an additional 6-7 mm in the 4E width (both compared to the D medium width). But please keep in mind that each shoe’s unique shape, upper design, and materials affect the fit a lot.
When is a basketball shoe too wide?
Despite their burly appeal, most basketball shoes actually have a pretty snug one-to-one fit which is intentional considering the dynamic nature of this sport.
Any unsanctioned wiggle room can result in one of the following (undesirable) situations:
- Heel slipping out of the shoe
- Foot and ankle shifting side-to-side increases the risk of ankle rolls
- Toes swimming inside the toebox, compromising secure grip and contact with the court
Basketball movements are less predictable than they are in walking, for example. So it is okay to have a bit snugger fit in a pair of hoop shoes compared to your daily trainers.
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