trail hikers for extra wide feet

I have the same problem although I can get by with new balance 2E widths. The solution I found is to use a carbon fiber foot plate to stiffen the sole and provide protection from bruising. I used them for the last 600 miles on the PCT this fall and they helped a lot.

These aren’t the same as the ones I got but look similar.

Foot Plate

The real answer is to toughen your feet up. But beyond that, GoLites fit wide feet well. I wear a 4E running shoe and the Sundragon 2s fit my feet perfectly.

after doing some internet research it looks like what I am really looking for is a shoe with a large toe box. I think that even a size regular Wide with a large toe box will work. Any shoes like this?

After MUCH suffering and many experiments, I find the New Balance 4E fittings to be delightful. The only other shoes which work for me are the Australian Dunlop KT-26s ($30) – but they are legendary here in Oz.

Actually, what REALLY bugs me is that so many shoe vendors don’t include the widths on their specification pages. They have reams of marketing crap about ‘super-zoop’ this and that (which means zero to the customer), but they omit something as basic as width. I am left suspecting they don’t WANT customers to know about the shoe width – which is usually too narrow.

The New Balance web-store allows you to search on gender+shoelength+shoewidth!!! Once I am into the search system I can also include the shoe last as a search parameter. I still find this amazing. And so utterly helpful.

Cheers

Roger, I stumbled upon the Last chart NB provides on their website and thought I had found the holy grail of shoe research. The New Balance SL-1 Last is described as a wide, deep toebox and regular heel. I found this looking at the old New Balance 574's. They seem to be the only "basic" running shoe that I can find good info on and come in sz 15 and above. I'm wondering if their construction would offer comparable results to your Dunlops Roger? The New Balances are $60, but that's better than $100 or more.

Have you looked at the NB 1320's?

I have my eyes on the NB 1320's. My caveat is that I tend to get some pretty excruciating foot pain after a couple days on flexible soled runners on rough trail with a 25-30 lb pack. I typically wear 14 4E's on an SL1 last, but the RL-3 last that the 1320's are made on does not fit like the SL1. It is narrower in the toebox and the shoe is shorter. I have not tried on the 1320 in a 15 4E, but I am planning on ordering some to try out.

The 1320 is a synthetic upper "multisport" shoe with vibram outsoles and goretex. Listed weight is 14.7 oz. Fat chance that 14.7 is correct for 15 4e's ;)

They also have a 1520 that looks exactly the same as the 1320, but the upper is suede. It also weighs in at 14.9 oz.

If the 1320 doesnt work out for me, I will probably end up getting the NB 1201 boot. It weighs in at 22 oz. It is interesting to look at the reviews of this and the 1500 on new balance's website. Most of them go something like this…

"I normally wear a size xx xE in NB running shoes, but this boot fits much tighter and the toebox doesnt have near as much room as necessary. Why does this boot not fit true to size? I had to go up a full size and get the next width wider."

NB's typical response is…

"This boot is built on an entirely different last that maximizes your performance by providing a more athletic fit, which is required for rugged outdoor activities."

If anything, a boot should fit slightly looser than a comparably sized running shoe. Feet swell dramatically during a day of hiking. Not to mention the fact that most people wear thicker socks and sometimes 2 layers of socks when in the great outdoors.

I am concerned because they do not make any of the above mentioned shoes or boots in a 6E and going up to a 15 may cause the arch to be in entirely the wrong place.

It may be time for full custom shoes.

I just realized that I misspoke on the last. New Balance Web Express describes the last on each of their shoes and has the hyperlinked chart for last description as well. The SL-2 last is the Deep, Wide Toebox and Narrow heel.

Hi Lucas

I have had good results with the SL-1 last, but that's for MY feet. I have a pair of 910s I am trying out – they have a new PL-1 last. Seems OK as well. I think you just have to experiment with the lasts.

I don't think any other shoes (any brand) are like the KT-26s (seriously). The KTs are really soft in the sole and in the body, and very light. They don't have the moulded cup base modern joggers use – the basic KT design must be over 20 years old. Dunlop daren't change the design – they would get murdered, and why should they anyhow when the KTs continue to sell so well?

Cheers

One problem is that New Balance makes fewer and fewer shoes with the SL-2 last every year. I have narrow heels, but on the other end of my feet I have bunions and hammertoes, so I really need that high and wide toebox. The last time I looked, there were no women's trail runners using the SL-2 last. Their regular running shoes have relatively slick soles, and I would hesitate to wear them on steep trails, either dusty or muddy.

Hi Mary

My wife hasn't bought Women's shoes for a decade or more. She always buys Men's, and the range is larger. They fit her fine.

Cheers

Men's shoes are all far too wide in the heel for me!

Back in the long-ago days when women's dress shoes came in "combination" sizes, I had to get a shoe with a AAAA heel. (Maybe they still do, but I haven't been able to wear women's dress shoes for the past 30 years.) The front part of my feet have spread, but the heel is just as narrow as it ever was.

The old Montrail women's Hardrocks work fine, but they're not around any more. Montrail claims they're going to resurrect it next spring with a different name–AT Plus or something like that. I'm not holding my breath!

Hi Mary

> Men's shoes are all far too wide in the heel for me!
Ah – problem.
Have you considered really thick socks, like the Darn Tough Vermont ones?

Cheers

OP: maybe try Superfeet Black??? (rigid plastic arch support, no neoprene or other cushioning). I use these daily in my NB 812 4E's.

Roger, thanks for the feedback on the KT26, I wish they came in 15. I'd really like to try a pair for the simplicity. I noticed their velcro model does come in a 15, but I'm not liking the idea of hiking w/ velcro fasteners, plus I'd have to jump through hoops to get them in the U.S. Nike has resurrected the Pegasus '83, which is kind of a throwback to their original waffle runner. The reviews have it as slightly narrow, but breaks in nicely. I hesitate to try it on the trail. Nike is notorious for having one model of shoe fitting well and another model fitting snug. I think I'm going to give the NB SL-2 a try beside the Nike and see what the results are.

Consider the other options at Hitchcock Wide Shoes for Men: http://www.wideshoes.com