6 Best Basketball Shoes With A Wide Toebox in 2025

How we test basketball shoes with a wide toebox

Each basketball shoe in our lab goes through a very meticulous testing process in which we measure 20+ different parameters with specialised tools and machinery. For this guide in particular, we pay attention to the toebox measurements we got from the digital calliper and the shoe’s one-to-one gel mould.

In addition to lab tests, we also:

• buy all shoes with our own money to avoid bias and brand loyalty
• play test each pair on the court to get a good feel of its overall performance
• cut and dissect each shoe to further investigate its construction and materials

Wide shoe or wide toebox: which one do you need in basketball shoes?

A wide basketball shoe is more spacious all throughout the upper, from the heel to the toebox, whereas a wide toebox refers to the shoe’s roomy forefoot only.

In this guide, we cover hoop shoes with more rounded (even somewhat square) toebox shapes. They may or may not be wide in the other parts of the upper, so if you are looking for a basketball shoe for wide feet in general, see our guide on the best basketball shoes for wide feet.

If you have medium-width feet but experience the nagging discomforts listed below, you are likely to benefit from a basketball shoe with a wide toebox:

• your toes feel like they are clamped in a vice
• you regularly experience pressure points, blisters, or even calluses, particularly in the big toe and the pinkie
• you have foot deformities (bunions, bunionettes, hammer toes, claw toes, etc.), which are aggravated every time you play
• you have a Celtic, German, or Roman foot type in which toes are more in line with each other as opposed to being slanted

However, if your foot feels uneasy not only in the toebox but in the other parts of the shoe as well, this is a sign you might need an overall wide basketball shoe instead. Especially if you experience pressure in the following areas:

• the instep, even when the laces aren’t tightly cinched
• the midfoot, especially in the foot arch area

You can consider shoes with a roomier D medium fit or shoes in alternative widths (2E wide or 4E extra wide). Learn more in our guide on basketball shoes for wide feet.

Measuring toebox width in the lab

How do you figure out the amount of space inside the shoe without trying it on in person? In our case, we are using moldable gel!

We fill the shoe’s interior with liquid gel and keep it in the fridge until it solidifies into a one-to-one replica of that shoe's interior.

We then use a digital calliper to measure the mould in 3 places to get a more dimensional picture of its shape and volume:

• shoe width in the widest part 
• toebox width at the big toe 
• toebox height at the big toe (vertical space in the forefoot)

That’s because a shoe can be wide in the metatarsal area but taper very aggressively towards the front, which is reflected in its pointy shape.

However, the widest measurement is often a good indicator of the shoe’s overall width, and it is also our primary reference point in determining basketball shoes for wide feet.

A wide toebox, on the other hand, can be either medium or wide in the widest part, but it will always show a wide value near the big toe. That way, its shape is more rounded and accommodating for all five toes.

Did you notice how the first shoe appears to be wider even though its internal space is more limited compared to the second shoe?

Toebox height in basketball shoes

A rounded toebox can help eliminate pressure on the sides of your toes, whereas sufficient toebox height can prevent pressure on top of your toes.

This is especially important for players with black or ingrown toenails as well as toe joint deformities (hammer toes, mallet toes, claw toes).

We use a calliper to measure the height of each gel mould at a set distance from the tip of the toe for consistent results.

Is wider toebox always better in basketball shoes?

There is a good reason why the majority of basketball shoes have a more streamlined and pointy silhouette. Any unwanted wiggle room inside the shoe can result in a less secure foothold and reduced lateral support, especially with the rapid direction changes involved.

Considering the dynamic nature of basketball, you feet should be locked in place much more securely than they do in, say, running or walking.

Thus, increased toebox space calls for an even more secure lockdown in the shoe’s heel and midfoot. If you can’t achieve that in a given shoe, the added toe space will only play against you with increased toe jamming and foot shifting.