Category Archives: Extra Wide Shoes

When The Shoe Lady isn’t in an 11.5M, she may slip into an 11W or even a 10WW. Wide feet are very versatile and the good news is there are a lot more shoe manufacturers designing for them. Wide feet could be muscular, broad in the forefoot (well, like a duck), thicker from top to bottom so they need a wide size to hold their volume, flaccid and fleshy. Each type has it’s own preferences for shapes of shoes.

Understanding USA Shoe Widths – A European Question

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Dear Shoe lady,

I’m from Malta and have a very large foot size unfortunately here the maximum size available for shoes for women is a 9 which is not even close to my size so i have been wearing mens shoes most of my life. As you can imagine this is not flattering at all and restricts my wardrobe to trousers as men’s shoes look hideous with dresses or skirts!

Last February my mother went on holiday in the United states and bought me 2 pairs of women’s shoes in size 11 W – the length of the shoe is fine however the width is simply too small. When I measure my feet according to the chart on this website I still get a size of 11 W however since I have 2 pairs of shoes in that size which do not fit I am hesitant in buying another pair in the same size. so I was wondering if you could tell me how to better measure the width of my foot to be able to buy the appropriate size.

I have recently finished a Master degree in Pharmacy and will start working with a pharmaceutical company my job will involve many functions with other professionals and I would like to be able to wear women’s shoes since first impressions are important in this business furthermore the fact that I have never owned a pair of womens shoes greatly influences my self esteem.

Many thanks in advance for your advice
Marisabelle

Dearest Marisabelle! I am here for you!

We want you to be the most attractively shod pharmacist on the continent! A size 11W is roughly 26.7 cm long and 10.9 cm wide. But there is a small difference between and 11 and a 12, only 0.6 cm, so your measuring has to be very exact. You’ll need to do a bit more reading about measuring your feet. Also on that page, read about shoe size and shoe width. You MUST make judgments about the SHAPE of your feet beyond what the size charts tell you.

Also, I don’t know which brands your mother bought? Some brands are terrible at making wider sizes, others are great. This article tells you about wide feet and lists some of the better brands to consider. Let me know more information about the shape and size of your feet after you read the articles and I’ll make more suggestions for you.

Keep in touch,
The Shoe Lady

Strappy Sandals for a Thicker Foot

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Dear Shoe Lady,
I will be matron of honour at my niece’s wedding and am deciding
between the 1. Touch Up Morgans Bronze 11w

Morgan, bronze by Touch Ups

and the Annie Allison Black
11extra W.

Allison, gold by Annie

My foot measures 26cm long and 10cm wide – however I have a
high instep and was wondering how generous these shoes were with their
straps across the top – ie. depth from sole to top of foot?    Your opinion
would be great, as I have not tried these brands before.  Could you please
also advise the postage to Postcode 2346, NSW, Australia for both 1 and 2
pairs (in case I buy both…lol)  Thanks Cindy  (I have just measured and my
largest foot around is 25.5cm -this is taken with tape measure around the
middle of foot where the heel arch is and fully around to the top halfway on
top of foot (not incl toes)  -hard to describe isnt it…lol….
thanks  again,
Cindy
Dear Cindy –
I, too, have a high arch and a thick foot.  If you just looked at the length and width of my foot, you’d sell me a size 10.  You are quite correct to take the girth of your foot into consideration.  But if your measurements are correct, I think you may have overdone it.  Both of these brands are pretty true to size.  Your measurements suggest that, independent of the girth of your foot, you should be a size 10 to 10.5 Medium.
The Morgan is cut in such a way that it would accomodate a thicker foot.  The strap across the top of the Allison does not have an elastic insert that would allow the top to stretch.  It is possible to move it around a bit to fit the top of your foot.  In some circumstances, you could get a wider size and that would help for the top strap but if you do, you may run into problems with the heel strap.  It has a 1 inch piece of elastic but it does not have a buckle and isn’t really adjustable.  So if you get a shoe that is too wide, the heel strap will slip down all the time.
That said, both shoes could fit perfectly, or neither could.   I like the sparkle on the Allison and I normally think a heel strap makes walking easier.  But for you, I’d lean toward the Morgan as being the more versatile fit.  Then consider whether you should be going with a 10.5M or 11M or 10.5W or 11W.   This decision is based on your own knowledge of your feet and your preference for whether you want the sole of the sandal to show above your toes, or if you like your toes to go to the very end of the sole.
The Shoe Lady