Running shoe width, explained
Length gets most of the attention, but width decides whether a shoe squeezes the sides of your foot or leaves it room. Most running shoes are made in one standard width. Many popular models also come in a wide version, and a few in an extra wide or a narrow.
What the letters mean
US shoes mark width with letters, and men's and women's shoes use the same letters for different widths. A men's D and a women's D are not the same shoe width.
| Width | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow | B | 2A (AA) |
| Normal | D | B |
| Wide | 2E | D |
| X Wide | 4E | 2E |
Brands don't all letter widths the same way, and some print only “Wide”.
How many current running shoes come in wide
We counted the 95 current road and trail shoes in our catalog. One has no width list, so these are out of 94.
| Men's | Women's | |
|---|---|---|
| Come in a wide | 55 | 52 |
| Also in an X wide | 19 | 13 |
| Come in a narrow | 7 | 9 |
| Normal width only | 39 | 42 |
So a little more than half of current running shoes have a wide version, and X wide is rarer, especially in women's shoes. A shoe can come wide in one version and not the other (three current shoes come in a men's wide but not a women's), so check the width for your own version, not just the model.
Signs you might want a wider shoe
- The upper presses on the sides of your forefoot.
- Take the insole out and stand on it: your foot spills over its edges.
- Your little toe rubs against the side of the shoe.
A wide version keeps the same length and gives more room across the foot, so try it before you go up a size.
How our finder uses your width
- You tell it the width you wear: narrow, normal, wide or X wide, or that you're not sure.
- If you wear wide or X wide, it leaves out shoes that aren't made in your width.
- On the shoes it does suggest, it can tell you which width version to choose.
- If you're not sure, it doesn't guess: width rules nothing out.
- It doesn't measure your foot.