Ugly Step-Sister Feet

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Shanna_Inc86
Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
in Chit-Chat
Ok so I have wide feet and a high arch. :explode:
Technically I should be wearing a 7 1/2 to an 8 US sized shoes; however, b/c my feet are so wide, I usually buy an 8 1/2 - 9 1/2 so that I can wear them comfortably w/o too much pain. Its like my toes never grew the way they were suppose to; the bigger sizes usually support my arch better. Shoe shopping usually ends in tears b/c I've become so frustrated trying to find something that fits properly! I usually have foot pain anyways, except when i wear flip flops or slip ons. :embarassed:
Its not a big problem with dress shoes, I manage but I don't want all that extra space with sneakers b/c I tend to trip over my own feet more. Any suggestions on what brands might work for me or maybe I should just shop for men's shoes.

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  • DallasLeann
    DallasLeann Posts: 44
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    For casual or dress shoes I recommend ALDO. Their shoes tend to be normally on the wide side. For running shoes, I have no idea. I will be watching for the answer too.
  • PBJunkie
    PBJunkie Posts: 652
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    Doesn't green cross have shoes specifically made for wider feet?
  • LizC26
    LizC26 Posts: 319 Member
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    Have you tried just getting the extra-wide sneakers...You can find them online....Zappos is awesome b/c it's free overnight shipping back and forth until you find the size/pair that you like & they have like 5 different width's of shoes available.
  • RachelJE
    RachelJE Posts: 172
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    I have HORRIBLE plantar faciitis, and literally had foot pain for 2 years. I have found the ONLY brand that works for me is alegria. They are a little on the pricey side, but SO worth it. I have to wear them around the clock - as soon as I step out of bed in the morning I put them on. But I have gone from around-the-clock foot pain to NO PAIN AT ALL. Good luck. I know how frustrating foot issues can be.
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    I have no idea...I'm not a runner...I do a lot of Jillian Michaels, been doing a weird hybrid of P90X and I want to do Insanity after the first of the year...I need to find good, supportive shoes for that
  • Jelleebean
    Jelleebean Posts: 212
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    new balance comes in a variety of widths, arches, and shapes. go to a specialty shop, and have your feet fitted. that'll probably be your best bet.
    i've been in mens for years, womens are always too narrow, and, a 9.5 womens is almost impossible to find. so, mens 7.5 or 8 it is :D
  • demery12371
    demery12371 Posts: 253 Member
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    Brooks has a great variety of running shoes for those of us with wide feet. I ended up with Asics but did try several brooks on and they felt good without alot of extra space.
    Good luck with your hunt. I feel your pain with the wide feet.
  • wendywilliford
    wendywilliford Posts: 10
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    Find a shoe store that measures and fits you to an appropriate shoe. It might cost you to begin with, but once you know what shoe/size fits you best, you will know what to buy in the future.
  • ecs1516
    ecs1516 Posts: 51 Member
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    I just buy brands that come in wide sizes. Like Asics women sneakers on zappos.com. Wides are harder to find. I have bought men's Teva sandals but they look pretty much like womens. Leather dress shoes I usually don't buy wide because they stretch.
    That being said I usually buy shoes online once I find wides or know how they fit.
    Merrell women shoes although not wide fit and stretch if they are leather ones.
  • fudgebudget
    fudgebudget Posts: 198 Member
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    I would recommend buying shoes online so you can get them in the wider sizes - Zappos and the like will carry wider shoes and they do free returns. You might also want to consider some insoles - that way once you buy something that fits length-wise, you can make sure that you're getting custom arch support to go with it. A lot of times you can transfer insoles between shoes if you need to.

    And I know you said that dress shoes aren't a problem for you, but silhouettes.com does some pretty decent dress shoes and makes them in all kinds of wide widths. I do a lot of teaching for my job, which means a lot of standing and foot swelling, so I have a few pairs of shoes from them in a wide width that I've stuck insoles into. They are awesome.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    Relatively wide feet, here, too. I have long-ish toes so shoes tend to fit okay, but I like Airwalks in the wanna-be Converse ("Connabees") style.

    1. They last forEVER.
    2. They never get stinky!
    3. The sole may appear narrow but the canvas is forgiving and allows the foot to "spill" over the sides.
  • justnname
    justnname Posts: 162
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    I have the same problem.. I can't go into a shoe store and buy shoes. Zappos has been AWESOME.. They have a lot of variety wide shoes.. I wear New Balance Sneaker and wear a lot of Sofft Shoes for work (so compfy)
  • RachelJE
    RachelJE Posts: 172
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    Should have also mentioned that I'm an 11.5 wide. Not an easy size to find. The Alegrias have removable foot beds, and you can get a wide-width insert, but I've never had to do that. The regular width fits my normally wide foot.
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    wow...thank you everyone for the responses. I've always been scared to buy shoes online but many of you have mentioned zappos and their free returns. Def will check it out. I don't mind spending the extra anymore!

    Thank you also for the link to the site for the dress shoes. The only problem I run into buying heels a lil big is that they'll slip off if I'm not careful haha mix in alcohol and o'boy! I've become a pro at falling with style! :glasses:

    I've always had wide feet but when I was pregnant and working on my feet all day long, I developed a bunion...FUN...I'm not doing anything about it till it becomes a serious problem. I don't want foot surgery; hell I ended up with some severe bruising on my foot from a car accident and 2 months later, its still tender at times.
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
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    Do you know if you are an over, under or neutral pronator? With high arches i'd say you're probably an under or a neutral.

    Saucony's Progrid series of shoes are excellent for people with wide feet, like you and myself. New Balance as well may be able to offer you a bit more hard arch support with the added space. However, I've found that NB doesn't offer as much space as Saucony does, unless you're going for a minimalist shoe because NB likes to make all their shoes have more leather than mesh on the upper material so your foot wont slide around when you run as much, but for people with wide feet it doesn't help us. Saucony makes a lot of shoes with more mesh on the upper so you can wiggle, stretch, and flex your toes easier.

    Here's a few Saucony shoes I'd recommend:

    Saucony Grid Cohesion 4
    Saucony Progrid Ride 4
    Saucony Progrid Triumph 8
    Saucony Grid Ignition 2

    I wear the Saucony GridFlex. I love them, but I have wide, flat feet. And although I should be wearing shoes with much more arch support I find that arch support shoes deter me when weight lifting because it throws me off balance. So that's another thing to consider when buying shoes. What will you be doing in them? If you want to transition from running immediately to weight lifting, you have 3 options: 1. take your shoes off when weight lifting 2. buy a second pair of weight lifting shoes 3. buy shoes that may not give the IDEAL arch support but give comfortably and are minimalist enough, with the smallest grade of incline from toe to heel, for an easy transition.

    good luck.

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