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Trying to find the best running shoes for wide feet is a long held frustration for anyone gifted with a broad forefoot!
Wide feet, defined as having an increased width (across the ball of the foot) relative to its length, require a wide fit shoe with slightly different proportions.
If you’re looking for the best WOMEN’S running shoes for WIDE FEET, check out our post specifically for WOMEN’S shoes here. Otherwise you’ll find info and stats on Mens and Womens shoes below.
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Who has wide feet?
Feet will naturally widen over time, and this happens faster with excessive body weight or poor ankle/leg stability.
Looking at cultural differences, wide feet are more common amongst Asian cultures (source).
Side note: we look in detail at the best running shoes for wide feet below.
Who needs wide fit running shoes?
It’s no surprise that you’re searching for the best running shoes for wide feet – some surveys found that up to 50% of people need a wide fit running shoe.
So they should be pretty common, right?
Oh so wrong unfortunately…
Looking at the 800+ men’s shoes available on runningwarehouse.com, less than 15% of running shoes are for wide feet.
If you’re looking for the best trail shoes for wide feet, only 8% have trail running shoes have options for wide feet – that’s only 1 in 12 models!!!
Where do you find running shoes for wide feet?
In considering the best running shoes for wide feet, there is no “best” shoe because everyone’s needs are different.
It would be like trying to recommend a “best” car – some people need a station wagon for the kids, others need a sports car for the look while some prefer an off-road vehicle for, well, off-road.
The availability of wide fit running shoes also differs around the world.
Geoblocking and freight forwarding
In America, the whole range of running shoes is available, including all colors and wide fit shoes if they’re made in that model.
In Australia, it’s a different story. Most running shoe brands only offer a limited selection of options in each model to Australian customers. Each brand might only bring in 2 of 6 colour options and some brands don’t even offer their wide fit running shoes to the Australian market.
And before any Australian readers just figure “I’ll order online from the US”, popular brands have created geoblocking of certain countries. So a brand won’t allow any of their retailers to sell shoes from the US to, say, Australia in order to “protect” the US market…
To get around the issue, you can use a freight forwarding service – they take delivery of your item in the US and then forward it on to you. It’s a time consuming and expensive process, adding A$50+ to the cost of shipping for a pair of running shoes.
Freight forwarding makes geoblocked US purchases less economical that Australian purchases but if the specific running shoes for wide feet that you need aren’t available in Australia, it’s a necessary cost.
What to look for in a wide fitting running shoe?
The two key features of the best running shoes for wide feet are the heel to toe offset (aka heel to toe drop) and the amount of support it provides.
(If you’re not sure what all these terms mean, like “stack height” and “heel-toe offset”, have a read of our post here explaining each part and function of the running shoe.)
Road shoe without support
Lower drop
If you prefer a lower offset shoe (anything under 6mm) and you don’t needs support, HOKA ONE ONE have become one of the best running shoes for wide feet with the introduction of a range of female D and male 2E widths.
Runners love HOKA because of their generous cushioning and smooth ride.
The most popular and multi-purpose road shoe from Hoka would be the Bondi, available in Mens and Womens wide fit. It’s a 4mm heel-toe offset with 42mm of cushioning under the heel. It weighs in at 315g/286g (mens/womens), which isn’t too shabby considering the very generous stack height.
You’ll find the best prices and biggest color range of wide fit Hokas for the Mens range and Womens range here..
Quick word of caution though – the Bondi also comes in a carbon plated version. It’s not available in a wide fit, not recommended for regular training or, for that matter, for regular runners. It’s great to buy into the dream but it leads to a medical bill more often than a 2hr marathon (trust me, I busted my knee training regularly in carbon shoes and I’m a Physio!).
Mid to high drop
In a mid offset shoe (around 6-8mm) without support, your best options are in the Saucony or New Balance range.
Saucony’s wide fitting running shoes can accommodate a higher volume foot (nice way of saying a “fatter foot”) than the New Balance options, although some New Balance models are quiet generously sized.
The most popular model in the Saucony would be the Saucony Ride, available in Mens and Womens wide fit (of course).
The Saucony Ride is a 35mm stack height, 8mm drop and 250g/221g (M/F) shoe designed for all distances. You’ll find the widest range (<- pun alert!) in the Mens models and Womens models here.
In the New Balance options, the NB 880 is the most popular wide fitting running shoe. Its got a 34mm stack, 10mm drop and 289/249g weight (M/F). You’ll find the Mens range and Womens range available in a wide fit.
High drop
For your high drop wide fitting running shoes without support, you’ll find the best running shoes for wide feet in the Brooks or Mizuno ranges (although there are some options in the New Balance range as well).
These shoes offer 12-13mm of offset to minimise pressure on calf muscles and ankle stiffness – see our shoe recommendations for calf pain here.
Brooks offers the Ghost, a 35mm drop, 12mm stack height shoe weighing in at 272g/238g (M/F). It’s a responsive shoe with a very generous fit (good for high volume feet). Check out the Mens colors and Womens color options here.
Mizuno has the Wave Rider (not to be confused with the Saucony Ride), with 38mm stack and 12mm drop and weighing 286g/238g (M/F). Both the Mens range and Womens range are available in a wide fit.
Road shoe with support
If you need support in a wide fitting road running shoe, the best running shoes for wide feet are:
(We’ve added stack/heel height, heel-toe offset/drop and male and female weights to each model)
- Hoka One One Arahi – 35mm, 5mm, 264g/218g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Saucony Guide – 35mm, 8mm, 269g/235g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Asics GT-2000 – 31mm, 8mm, 277g/252g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Brooks Adrenaline GTS – 36mm, 12mm, 289g/249g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Mizuno Wave Inspire – 37mm, 12mm, 303g/244g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- New Balance 860 – 35mm, 10mm, 297g/258g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
Trail running shoes
If you’re looking for trail running shoes for wide feet, the options are even more limited.
Trail running shoe with support
First point…actually, the only point, THERE ARE NO SUPPORT OPTIONS FOR TRAIL SHOES!!! Literally none.
Despite the rising popularity of trail running and the prevalence of wide feet (up to 50% of runners), running shoe companies haven’t figured out this HUGE gap in the market.
Until they do, your only options are to go for a supportive road shoe or to add a supportive orthotic to a well structured neutral shoe.
Trail running shoe without support
For a trail shoe that fits a wide foot and doesn’t have support, the best running shoes for wide feet are:
- Altra Lone Peak – 25mm, 0mm, 314g/261g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Hoka One One Speedgoat – 36mm, 4mm, 280g/246g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Saucony Peregrine – 28mm, 4mm, 320g/230g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
- Brooks Cascadia 32mm, 8mm, 312g/272g (see best price for Mens and Womens)
Disclaimer for Best Running Shoes for Wide Feet
**Special note: this article has Physiotherapist-recommended products with affiliate links to trusted vendors, selected for their fast & reliable service and great prices. The article was written prior to sourcing the affiliate links and the links in no way influence our recommendations.