It is important that you know whether you have wide or narrow feet because wearing shoes that are too wide or too narrow may pose serious problems to your feet.
If you like shopping for kinds of stuff such as shoes online, you may want to read feet size guide before making orders.
People with wide feet often end up returning shoes they purchase online because such shoes often become too tight for them.
it is better to approach a local shoe store to purchase shoes if you have this kind of issue.
So, How Do You Tell If You Have Wide Feet?
You can’t tell if you have wide feet just by measuring the length and comparing it with the width alone. You need to be aware of the fact that a size 10 in Asia may be a size 7 or 8 in America or UK, hence different countries.
Nothing makes you more uncomfortable than walking around with shoes that are too tight. First of all tight shoes will hurt your feet by causing blisters and bunions.
Shoes must be measured by their sizes and with, but just because the sizes are right for you does not mean the width will be right for you. Shoes that may seem too narrow or too wide for you, for instance, may create some problems for you in the nearest future.
The following are the steps you can take to tell if you have wide feet:
Step #1: Tape some two pieces of plain white paper on the floor, then wear a pair of trouser socks, as shown in the image below;
Step #2: Place both feet on the paper, then have someone draw each foot by drawing the lines at the edges and follow the toe structures plus the sides. You can start with the left foot, and once completed, simply place the right foot on the other paper to be drawn.
Step #3: With the aid of a measuring ruler, or a measuring tape, simply measure the widest part of each foot, as shown in the image below;
Step #4: write own the numbers measured for each of the foot, and complete your calculation by subtracting 1/8 from the largest number and record the answer you get as your width.
Step #5: Compare your shoe width measurement with the shoe width chart shown below;
Shoe Size Narrow Medium/Standard Wide
| Shoe size | Narrow | Medium/Standard | Wide |
| 6 | 3.3” | 3.5” | 3.7” |
| 6.5 | 3.3” | 3.6” | 3.8” |
| 7 | 3.4” | 3.6” | 3.8” |
| 7.4 | 3.4” | 3.7” | 3.9” |
| 8 | 3.5” | 3.8” | 3.9” |
| 8.5 | 3.6” | 3.8” | 4.0” |
| 9 | 3.6” | 3.9” | 4.1” |
| 9.5 | 3.7” | 3.9” | 4.1” |
| 10 | 3.8” | 4.0” | 4.2” |
| 10.5 | 3.8” | 4.1” | 4.3” |
| 11 | 3.9” | 4.1” | 4.3” |
| 11.5 | 3.9” | 4.2” | 4.4” |
| 12 | 4.0” | 4.3” | 4.4” |
Step#6: This is the International shoe measurement chart for the United States shoe sizes. From this chart, you can determine if your feet are wide, narrow or medium, for instance, if your shoe size is 7 and the final answer after deducting 1/8 from the widest measurement of your feet is 3.8 inches, then you can conclude that your feet are wide.
The Signs That You Need Wide Shoes
There are some signals that must not be ignored especially when you start feeling discomfort with your present shoe size and width. Some of the notable signs that you need wide shoes are;
- You develop corns and callusesCorns are those thickened and hard patches that develop on the top and sides of the skin of the feet. Calluses also appear anywhere as a result of continuous friction between your feet and shoe.
- You develop BunionsThis is a big bump that is usually developed on the big toe and they are developed most especially when you wear shoes that are pointed and too tight.
- You develop hammer toesThis occurs when your toes buckle into a claw-like shape because your shoes are too narrow for your feet.
- You develop blistersThese are caused by the rubbing of shoe materials with your feet.
- There is discoloration of your toeThis occurs when the color of the top of your toe changes as a result of continuous rubbing of the toe with a tight shoe.
Wide-Width Shoes Buying Guide
Regardless of whether you are a woman, man, or kid, there are certain factors you must consider when buying wide-width shoes.
- Know your true shoe sizeAs described earlier, you need to measure your true shoe size, which simply means, measuring the length and width of your feet and then comparing the measurements with the standard measuring table. This will help you choose the right type of shoes for your needs.
- Leave extra spaces for your feetIt is better to choose a shoe that over-fits than choosing one that is too narrow for your feet. There are certain types of shoes that are designed for wider feet and some can shrink as time goes on, however, when you choose a shoe that is slightly wider than your feet, you will still feel comfortable even when it shrinks on the long run.
- Get a custom-made shoe- sometimes Your best option is to get a custom-made shoe by sending your measurements directly to the shoemaker. With a customized shoe, the manufacturer can easily make adjustments even if the shoe is narrower against your measurement
- If possible, consider choosing softer fabrics such as suede or denim because they allow you to stretch your feet further, unlike harder fabrics.