Trail Running Shoes for Wide feet?

i like new balance. I know not very gear head of me but they fit my feet and have a few models with good trail soles. I wear a 11d normally but hike in 11.5e for the added room in the toe area.

-Tim

I second using New Balance. The New Balance Arch Support Company got it's start over 100 years ago.

New Balance go up to EEEE in some models, like the MT1110 GT.
VERY comfortable compared with some.

cheers

New Balance definitely.

Dunham – owned by New Balance now, I believe – also has some great shoes. Their Waffle Stomper trail from maybe 5 years ago remains my favorite shoe ever. Vibram sole with a mesh breathable upper with no leather. I got 3 pairs and unfortunately am now down to my last pair. Hopefully I'll be able to track something similar down when they die. I'm a 13 EEEE.

I wear 14 EEEE. For the past several years I have been using Dunham boots. I am growing more concerned as I scout out my next pair though. It looks like Dunham has cut back to work shoes and dress shoes only. Hopefully the 2009 product lineup will bring back their outdoor shoes again.

I have considered Montrail shoes. They offer some of them in wide widths (EE) up to size 14.

http://www.montrail.com/Product.aspx?prod=120&cat=110&top=1

I'll second the low-top Dunham Waffle Stompers. Even though the 4E's still feel a hair narrow, under load they actually fit better. Didn't know they were discontinued, bummer.

I have wide feet with a flat arch. I wear a custom orthodic or other insert in the shoes. My around-town sneakers are wide (EE) NBs. My trail shoes that I just love now are the Montrail Streak. They don't come in wide, but are wide enough for me and my orthodic. Very breathable.

However, I've been having trouble getting a GTX wide winter shoe. For that, I've been using the Hurricane Ridge XCR in a non-wide (w/o orthodic) this winter.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I use New Balance on the road and have been their road shoes on the trail too. Durability has been a problem and forefoot cusioning is usually the first thing to wear out with rocks poking the balls of the feet being the teltale sign.

I found a pair of NB 811 trail runners on sale this weekend and ran a few miles on the trail this morning. Heel cusioning seems great but the feel in the forefoot leads me to believe that this is yet another road shoe cloaked in grey.

Is it asking too much for a wide trail running shoe with adequate forefoot protection from poking rocks? Maybe my expectations are too high.

Curt, I'll look into Dunham. These are boots, not running shoes right?

Mike, thanks for the link. I was not aware that Montrail made running shoes in widths. Based on weight, there seems to be a little more shoe there than the New Balance 811's and the full length plate seems to be what I need. I wonder if they have a neutral shoe. Pronation control on uneven surfaces seems like an oximoron to me.

-Tim-

I found the Hardrock Wide to not be wide enough, or comfortable enough for me. I tried those, and went with the Streak.

Nope. They were trail shoes. Basically a boot sole attached to a mesh trail shoe upper, making it the perfect trail shoe in my opinion. They still sell a version, although it's changed quite a bit and not for the better.

Search for Dunham Waffle Stomper Nimble and see if you can find any. It's getting hard to find them without a waterproof liner. I'm starting to look for a New Balance equivalent, but none that I've looked at have the nice Vibram sole.

Yeah, I should have gotten some of the nimbles when I had a chance….

I keep looking for NB to come out with a solid outdoor lineup to replace the discontinued Dunham boots & trail shoes. I can only hope their spring catalog brings joyous surprises.

Tim-

I also have the NB MT811AT 'all terrain' running shoes, but got them to hike in. They were very light, but now I know why. Seems like all they did was put a different tread on hard surface running shoes. I have around 75 miles on them and I am looking for something else now. The balls of my feet get very sore after less than ten miles on easy trail (grassy, not many rocks), and after only a few miles on rocky trail. Granted, this is carrying 25-30 lbs (LOTS of water), but I can see how this might not be much different when running without a pack. They also have poor arch support. I would not count on these being the answer to your problem.
Please let us know what you do end up going with and how they work out. Good luck.

-Tim

Tim F… You are spot on. I could feel the rocks poking through the forefoot on the first run.

I wonder what the adventure race community uses?

The "Full length TPU plate" in Montrail's Continental Divide and Hardrock might be something to look into. The specs for these shoes indicate about two extra ounces of weight above shoes without it.

I'll report back if I find a pair of Harddrock '08 Wide.

Thanks for the input everyone. Sharing your experience means more to me than you know.

-Tim-

Take a look at Hitchcock Wide Shoes for Men: http://www.wideshoes.com