7 Best Running Shoes For Wide Feet in 2025

How we test running shoes for wide feet

Before we decide which running shoes for wide feet make the cut, we painstakingly review each one to ensure we only give you the best. We also test all the shoes in our independent shoe lab.  

Here's what we do to make sure our best picks are really the best ones out there: 

• We buy them with our own money to make sure we give you a non-biased review. 
• For fit, durability, and performance tests, we log at least 30-50 miles before giving our feedback. 
• We cut shoes in half and into smaller pieces to properly test them using different tools and machines. This allows us to describe each shoe with over 20 lab data points. 
• We publish all our data in a way that allows you to compare different shoes between each other or to see how the shoe you're interested in compares to the averages from the given category.

Do you really need wide running shoes?

Just because it might sound like a good idea, wearing wide running shoes might not be the right thing to do. Check whether you actually need them. 

You can take the insole out of the current shoe, stand on it, and see if any part of your foot hangs over the insole. If it does, you might need wider shoes. 

A few other ways to tell: 

• Burning sensation all over your feet because the shoes are tight all over.
• The moment you put on the right-size shoes, you want to take them off because they are so tight. And sizing up isn’t helping; they are long but still tight. 
• You feel pressure on the instep even when the laces are not over-tightened.
• Your toes are cramped in the toe box or your pinky toe is trying to escape from the toebox. This may be fixed with a wider toebox (and not a shoe that's wide overall). 

If you answered one or more questions with Yes, then welcome to our guide to wide running shoes. 

How to recognise wide running shoes based on industry labels

If you need wide running shoes, look for the labels below. You can find them on the shoe box, on the shoe itself, and in the description (when buying online) as a part of a shoe name or under more details. 

If you’re a man, look for 2E for wide shoes and 4E for extra wide running shoes. If you’re a woman, look for D or 2E, depending on whether you need wide or extra-wide shoes. 

Industry labels for different widths of running shoes

Women and men have different labels because their feet are different. Women’s heels tend to be narrower and forefoot wider. 

However, this generalised difference is often not reflected in running shoes, so many runners opt for a shoe made for a different gender with no issues.

Must-know before buying wide running shoes

Even when you decide or realise you need wide running shoes, it's important to know that, in many cases, brands don't make different (wider) casts. The platform stays the same while the upper is given more volume. If you're really curious about this, it's best to ask the brand themselves about exact measurements and changes about the model you're considering buying. 

However, this voluminous upper often does the trick and many runners enjoy the running shoes that create more room by having more upper material and not wider midsoles. 

When it comes to our lab data, in every shoe review, you can check 1) the width of the toebox where it's the widest, and 2) the width of the platform. 

Precise lab measurements and shoe recommendations

In the lab, we measure the width of the toebox in 2 places: where it's the widest and at the big toe. We realised that this measurement where the toebox is the widest is a great indicator of the overall shoe width. All the test results that you see are based on a US 9 men's running shoe in medium width. 

We pour our special gel into the toebox and freeze it with the shoe. This allow us to have a mould of the toebox that we can work with (take measurements of)

Once the gel sets, we can measure the width of the toebox. 

Road running shoes for wide feet

Here, we list (and automatically update) the widest daily running shoes. 

If you’re looking for a wide tempo shoe, here are the top 10 from our database. This table is dynamic, so if a new shoe that comes through the lab has a wide toebox, it will be here. 

Although races, especially shorter ones, ask for a snug and aggressive fit, some find it too uncomfortable and maybe even painful. If that someone is you, here’s a list of the widest competition running shoes. 

The list is short because, as already mentioned here, race shoes are usually more aggressive.

Trail running shoes for wide feet

In trail running, it’s even more important for the fit to be just right, because the terrain is uneven and ever-changing. Sliding and slipping can have more serious consequences than when running on the roads. 

This also means it’s very important not to go too snug because the pressure points can become unbearable and end with blisters (best-case scenario). 

Here’s our list of the widest trail running shoes. This list is dynamic, which means whenever we test a trail shoe that's wide enough to end up here, it will. 

Wide shoe does not necessarily mean a wide toebox

Some running shoes that are classified as wide can have a somewhat narrower toebox. If this worries you, you can also look at the width of the toebox at the big toe. 

Basically, the smaller the difference between these 2 values, the less tapered the toebox. If you have wide feet and a wide toebox, it's best to look at both values and find the biggest ones. 

If you're actually looking for a wide toebox, we recommend reading our guide Best running shoes with a wide toebox. 

Midsole width in wide running shoes 

Sometimes, the knit upper creates the feeling of a wider running shoe. This is great, as knit is softer and more pliable. But it can happen that the foot is actually "escaping" from the shoe or stretching the upper a lot while resting on the not-so-wide platform. If this worries you, you're in the right place! 

If you land on the heel, we recommend finding running shoes with the widest platform at the heel. 

If you land on the forefoot, you may want to look for a wider platform in that place. 

Weight of running shoes for wide feet

Wider platforms mean more planted landings, but depending on the foam type, midsole design, and the amount of rubber on the bottom, they may also mean more weight. 

While heavier shoes often offer very valuable features, like stabilisation technologies, structured upper, and more padding for comfort or protection, what we recommend avoiding is those that are too heavy, meaning they feel like they are weighing you down. This is very subjective, of course. 

Things that will make running shoes lighter are: midsoles that have chunks cut out to save weight and/or make them more flexible, less rubber on the outsole which reduces durability of the shoe, less cushioning making the running shoes closer to the ground or even minimalist, less padding which may affect and lower the comfort levels, etc. 

Here you can find the highest wide running shoes across different categories. 

Breathability of running shoes for wide feet

If you often struggle with sweaty feet, soaked socks, or maybe even running shoes that are not warm enough, we've got you covered. In our lab, we pump the smoke into the toeboxes and assess the breathability based on what we see. 

Testing the breathability of wide running shoes 

Based on how much smoke comes out and at which pace, we assign a breathability rating of 1-5 to each shoe, 5 being the most breathable. 

We then also look at the uppers under the microscope to better understand what's going on. Sometimes we discover that what looks like ventilation holes are actually holes wannabes, as we notice a 2nd layer at the bottom that shuts the holes entirely. Or, we see that what seems to be a tightly packed upper is actually a material with a rather loose structure, which makes it highly breathable. 

When is wide too wide?

When you can’t achieve a proper and secure lockdown in your running shoes. You experience:

• Heel slipping
• Feet sliding from one side to another in the shoe
• Toes have too much wiggle room, so you feel insecure and like you’re losing grip, especially on the trails
• Changing the stride because you’re trying to compensate for a fit that is too loose which results in premature foot/leg fatigue
• Your ankles might be twisting/turning more often because the shoe isn’t locked to your foot properly. 
• You’re trying to grip the ground using the toes, which results in pain.

A fit that is too loose brings unnecessary (big) risk to your runs.