Recommendations for wide feet

whiterussian88

Barefooters
Mar 11, 2015
5
0
1
35
#1
Hello all,

I know that this sort of question has been asked in the past, but I need some recent opinions. I have relatively wide feet (3-4 E range) and this has caused problems for me finding minimalist footwear that fits comfortably. I am currently using a pair of Altra Samsons that are just wide enough (after some gentle stretching), but they do well for speed workouts. The Samsons, however, have been discontinued and I am not as fond of Altra's newer shoes. Does anyone know of a shoe that is comparable to the Samson both in terms of width and ground-feel? I should add that I do not mind something with a bit more width and ground-feel.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Merrell's Vapor Glove has a similar ground feel to the Samson (better if anything) but I found I had to really adjust the laces to get a comfortable fit - and my feet are supposedly only a little over a D width.
I've just had to retire my first pair of Samsons after about 1500 miles as the soles wore through. The uppers had failed 3 or 4 months earlier blowing out on both the sides and toes.
Altra tell me they are working on a replacement for the Samson but I've no idea how close it is to market.

It might be worth looking at the Skora range as well but I'm not sure that they will be wide enough.
 
#4
@DNEchris - That's exciting to hear that Altra is at least planning a successor to the Samson. Even if it is a ways from market, at least it's something for which to hope. I have tried Merrell in the past but, as you note, they are an incredibly snug fit (and too snug for me). I have not yet tried Skora, though, so those might be worth a shot. How do Vivobarefoot shoes compare (have not tried them, either)?

@Sid - Thanks for the suggestion, but SoftStar (while comfy) did not quite fit right for running when I tried them. It was a shame, because I quite liked many of the materials they used.
 
#5
I find Vivos very comfortable for wearing casually but narrow to run in.

Have you tried Luna or Xero sandals? Width is much less of an issue with them!
 
#6
Having owned 4 pairs of Vivo running shoes, I would say that the widths vary among models. I personally only found the Aqua Lite to be comfortable for running, as I liked the sole. Even so, they altered my form, and I stopped wearing them. However, that was several years ago, and they have been discontinued.

I do own a pair of the Stealth model, and it seems like a nice shoe. Though I wear them rarely, when the dress code calls for it.
 
#7
skoras aren't very wide. you can always just go bf or wear sandals if you're running.
 
#8
whiterussian88 said:
I have relatively wide feet (3-4 E range) and this has caused problems for me finding minimalist footwear that fits comfortably.
Click to expand...

I know EXACTLY how you feel (9EEEE myself). For me, the Merrill shoes are right out - WAY too narrow. I tried a pair of the Altra Superior (version 1.0). While they seemed to fit reasonably well, the padding and lack of ground feel gave me other issues.

For Minimal footwear, I've been using the Vibran FiveFingers (the style with laces). I have been considering a pair of SoftStars, but am hesitant to order them sight unseen because of with fitting my width...
 
#9
whiterussian88 said:
Hello all,

I know that this sort of question has been asked in the past, but I need some recent opinions. I have relatively wide feet (3-4 E range) and this has caused problems for me finding minimalist footwear that fits comfortably. I am currently using a pair of Altra Samsons that are just wide enough (after some gentle stretching), but they do well for speed workouts. The Samsons, however, have been discontinued and I am not as fond of Altra's newer shoes. Does anyone know of a shoe that is comparable to the Samson both in terms of width and ground-feel? I should add that I do not mind something with a bit more width and ground-feel.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
If you're willing to go super minimal, you can't beat the Sockwa G4s. It's basically a sock with 1.2 mm of rubber grip on the bottom. For me, it's the only truly minimal shoe out there, insofar as it actually does feel like you're running barefoot, minus the tactile stimulation and sensuous pleasure of course. They're the only shoe I can wear that doesn't require some correction for, or concentration on, form or gait. The SoftStar Moc3s aren't bad either, but they're a little thicker. Merrells are pretty narrow I agree. Vivobarefoot is wider, but much thicker than either the G4s or Moc3s, and I don't know if they accommodate super wide feet. I like their casual shoes quite a lot, and the Neo Trail or whatever they call the shoe with knobby tread is good for heavy snow.
Kyrrinstoch said:
For Minimal footwear, I've been using the Vibran FiveFingers (the style with laces). I have been considering a pair of SoftStars, but am hesitant to order them sight unseen because of with fitting my width...
Click to expand...
Kyrrinstoch, you can check out mine next time we get together for a group run, but at the moment I'm still nursing a stubborn stubbed toe injury.
 
#10
@DNEchris - I actually do keep a pair of Xero huaraches on hand and run in them pretty regularly. In fact, prior to the Samsons they were my go-to running shoe. The problem is that they do not handle all terrain that well, especially when I have to make a series of sharp turns, and sometimes the lace pulls through, so I have to stop and re-knot them at the base. For the time being, though, they are pretty good, and I can do 80-90% of my workouts in them without a problem (strangely, wearing socks seems to hold them better in place).

@Kyrrinstoch - Yup, this is exactly my problem, and VFF's were my first nontraditional running shoes. They're great, but a tad expensive given how quickly they wore through for me (about six months, and I only run 50 miles per week max). I switched to Xeros, and they last considerably longer (plus that wonderful 5000 mile warranty), but as I said above, there are some workouts for which they are not ideal.

@Bare Lee - I have looked at the Sockwas, but was a bit confused by some of the reviews. Hopefully you can clear this up for me: How exactly do they "fit"? The name implies that they are sock-like, so I assumed that they stretch with the foot. A few comments said that they are narrow, though, which suggests that they do not stretch. What is your opinion? Are they good for wide feet?
 
#11
whiterussian88 said:
@Bare Lee - I have looked at the Sockwas, but was a bit confused by some of the reviews. Hopefully you can clear this up for me: How exactly do they "fit"? The name implies that they are sock-like, so I assumed that they stretch with the foot. A few comments said that they are narrow, though, which suggests that they do not stretch. What is your opinion? Are they good for wide feet?
Click to expand...
I don't have wide feet, but I think they stretch pretty well. I was also confused by reports that they are too narrow. If I recall correctly, Sockwa has a great return policy, so probably worth a try. I used to hate running with shoes on in the winter, but with the Sockwa G4s, I'm fine with it. Nothing else really worked for me. Plus they're really easy to slip on an off, and can easily be made much warmer with wool socks.
 
#16
Zems are not wide (I had 2cinch ninja)... Feelmax vasko seems to have just enough width.. Thinner soled feelmax shoes are not wide enough, but there's osma 3 and 4 that has same sole as vasko, I would guess that it is as wide as vasko. It looks like new vivos are bit narrower than older vivos.. I was also bit diasppointed that stealth had same problem as first vivo evo - too low toebox and creasing upper causing blister to the top of the big toe.

New kigos (pai, leon) look pretty wide and simple. There's also promising reviews of people complaining about shoes being too wide.
 
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