What is worse than a skater with small feet? A skater with wide feet! Since the skate shoe industry is pretty niche, choices are limited. Most skate shoes aren’t wide enough for those with rather wide toes, but there are a couple of shoes that are wide enough for most skateboarders.
As a skateboarder with wider feet than average, I feel your struggle. Often shoes feel cramped (looking at you Nike and Adidas!) especially near the toe box. While you can wear skate shoes that are a bit too narrow, it will start to hurt after just a short while.
I want to point out that the shoes mentioned aren’t a solution for everyone. Some skateboarders with size 4E will still have a hard time finding skate shoes that work. In that case, buying a slightly bigger size might help a bit.
Most Recommended:
- Extremely comfortable
- Great padding, decent cushioning
- A partial rubber toe cap for durability at the cost of board feel
- Grippy medium flexible Michelin outsole that’s extremely durable
- Don’t requite much time to break-in
- Fits like a glove
Skate Shoes With Widest Toe Box: Nike Allyoop
- Lots of cushinging and great padding
- Easy to break-in
- Decent impact absorbtion
- The widest skate shoe you can get
- Rather expensive
- Not very durable
Most Board Feel: Vans Pros
- Lightweight and flexible
- Great board feel and impact protection
- Foam that shapes to your feet
- Offers the most board feel
- Not like other Vans shoes.
- Good for both wide and narrow feet
5 Great Skate Shoes For Wide Feet
As a skateboarder with wider than average feet I selected a couple of shoes that could be a match. Since I know it’s difficult to determine what shoe is right, I tested a couple that could actually fit. I even included brands that are notorious for offering narrow shoes, but the funny thing is, not all are that bad.
I will repeatedly tell you that you should visit shops and not buy online. Sure it takes more time to visit a shop but buying an returning is time consuming as well. I hope my personal experience will help you to find the shoe that fits, we as Big Foot skaters are often neglected.
1. Etnies Marana Michelin
Whats great about the Etnies Marana is the wide toe box that offers comfort and extra protection against grip tape because of the rubber toe box. Not only the toe box area is wide, the rest of the shoe also offers enough space for those that feel cramped around that part of your foot. I never had any issues with these shoes comfort wise, though the cupsole shoe isn’t as flexible as compared to a vulc shoe.
The Etnies marana is one of the most beloved shoes and has been for over a decade. Because of its mad cushioning and reinforced outsoles it’s a great shoe for hardcore skateboarders that ollie huge drops or skate a lot of larger obstacles. Dropping a 7-stairs is very doable, an average vulc won’t offer as much protection like the Marana cupsole does. The difference is night and day.
If you don’t have wide feet, they still are a good choice. They offer lots of comfort and landing primo will suck less because of the sturdy outsole. Great for those who want comfort and need some extra confidence when hitting the skate park.
As you can see from the image, it comes with a partial rubber toe cap, which makes this area extremely durable at the cost of board feel. The outsole is made of high-quality rubber by Michelin, which is near indestructible. If you’re able to skate these shoes for over 200 hours, you’ll hardly see any wear. It also makes the shoe less flexible compared to other cupsoles. You can’t have it all right?
This is one of the few shoes that never had that cramped feeling, nor did they hurt after a few hours of skateboarding. It takes some time to break in, so start wearing them casually at first before you shred. It will speed up the process.
Reasons To Buy:
- Amazing impact protection
- A well-padded upper to make your feet feel secure
- Extended rubber around toe makes them last longer
- Have a short break in period
- Fit true to size
- Boxy toe to prevent your feet from feeling squished
Reasons To Avoid:
- Has less board feel than a vulcanized shoe
- Beginners might find this shoe too stiff
2. Vans Pro
Vans shoes are typically narrow but the Pros are an exception. Vans Pro’s feel pleasant even after hours of skateboarding because of the extra cushioning and wider toe box. Not only the toe box offers relief to those with bigger than average toes, the whole shoe offers enough room and doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
Not all Vans are great for skateboarding, especially if you are looking for a wider model, avoid the classics and high tops. They feel cramped and will start to hurt sooner than later.
Back to the Vans Pro. What I really like about this shoe is how natural they feel. As this is the only vulcanized shoe on the list, those who want maximum board feel should consider the Pro model.
Another plus is that these shoes are pretty durable. Vans developed a technology (or rather marketing term) called Duracap which makes the flick area last longer. It’s just an extra rubber layer under the suede which some other skate shoe brands offer as well. It works though, when ollie holes appear you still have lots of rubber to chew through.
Another feature Vans often mention is their PopCush technology. This is a memory foam that adjust its shape to your feet, which is a big plus for those with wide feet. Most beneficial is the way it handles impacts when skating bigger features. Considering this is a vulc shoe it, does a great job at absorbing impacts. The Popcush won’t last forever and I advise you to replace these shoes after 100 hours of skateboarding or replace the insoles for a few extra hours of skateboarding.
If you have the chance, visit a skate shop and try on the Vans Classics first and then the Pro’s, the difference is huge, making the Pros feel like walking on clouds.
The Pros also have Vans Popcush, which is like a memory foam insole that’s surprisingly good at taking impacts and feels super comfy to walk around in.
Reasons To Buy:
- Have a wide natural-feeling toe box
- Is consistently wide from the mid-foot to the toe
- Have great board feel
- Reinforced rubber underlay to prevent the toe from ripping
- Have super comfy insoles
Reasons To Avoid:
- Expensive
- Insoles don’t offer protection for long
3. Etnies Joslin 2
One of the most comfortable skate shoes you can buy, but also less durable compared to the other shoes on this list. The Joslin 2 offers extreme cushioning, making them one of the best picks if you are also heavier or taller than average.
The Etnies Joslin 2 is a cupsole shoe which makes them less flexible compared to their Vulcanized counterparts but it’s actually pretty flexy for a cup. Just like the Etnies Marana, they have the Michelin outsole that can survive the heat death of the universe. While it looks a bit bulky at first glance, you won’t really notice when skateboarding.
The impact protection is focused around the midsole, making it a great skate shoe for technical skaters that are looking for more comfort. Sure, you’ll sacrifice a bit of boardfeel but you can’t have it all.
What I don’t like about this shoe is the quality of the suede and Etnies failed us. When you hold them the first time and feel the shoe, you would expect them to last for quite some time. Perhaps the suede quality is an issue here because we had to fix them after only 40 hours of skateboarding.
So you have these extremely durable outsoles with suede that don’t quite last long, which is a missed opportunity. Even though there are 2 layers of suede and some canvas underneath the second layers, they will wear fast. Prevent it from ripping using shoe goo and you should be good. This is anecdotal obviously, but something to keep in mind.
Reasons To Buy:
- Lightweight durable flexy sole
- Extra layers of suede near the ollie area
- Lots of impact protection
- Don’t take much time to break in for a cupsole
- Great padding and cushioning
- Entire shoe is made of suede
- Fit true to size
Reasons To Avoid:
- The suede isn’t of the best quality
- Looks bulky (but doesn’t feel that way).
4. eS Silo
The eS Silo is nice and wide around the mid-foot, and offers even more room towards the toes. While the Silo isn’t a great choice when it comes to board feel, they are extremely wide.
There are tradeoffs and they feel awkward skating them at first because of their bulky and stiff nature. This will take some time. They break-in but won’t offer the flexibility like the other shoes listed here.
However, if you are one of those with at least 5 wide toes, this shoe is one to consider. They aren’t pretty to look at but do offer lots of comfort and protection. Again, it’s a cupsole which means they aren’t very flexible but it gets better. You just have little choice if you have wide feet.
After a while they start to break-in and you’ll feel more confident skating them, though for highly technical skating they won’t be the ones I would pick. Great for casual park skating and even more for bowl skating, as long as you like to carve around.
You buy an eS silo for comfort and the much needed extra toom for your feet, not for board feel. This shoe needs a couple of weeks of walking and daily use before you use them as you go to skate shoes.
It will save you lots of time breaking in and they do offer enough board feel to do basic flick tricks, just not as much as a vulc shoe. You will feel less connected to your board, but that’s also a matter of personal preference, besides they aren’t that expensive.
Ultimately, this is a skate shoe that’s great for impacts, offers some flex, and is very comfortable to wear. They boost your confidence, make landing primo less annoying, but board feel is mediocre.
For those that have a rather wide mid foot but less width around the toe area, the eS accel might be a shoe to consider as an alternative.
Reasons To Buy:
- Okayish board feel
- Upper suede is pretty okay and last for a while
- Decent padding around the heel
- Is a sturdy shoe that looks low-profile
- Breaks in pretty quickly
Reasons To Avoid:
- Rather narrow toe box
- Not quite the looker
- Outsoles don’t last very long
- Also comes in a plastic ‘leather’ version, be careful to avoid that one
5. Nike SB Alleyoop
While Nike is the last brand you would think to offer wide skate shoes, their Allyoop model is actually very wide. I skated Janoski’s for a while but they hurt so much that I gave up after a week. The Allyoops are very wide all over and feel extremely comfortable.
I even have some room left around the toe area which is rather unique in my case. The Allyoops are very comfortable shoes that are also great for skateboarding. The downside is that they aren’t specifically designed for skateboarding and wear faster than most shoes.
My advice would be to reinforce the toe box yourself by cutting some suede from old shoes to make them last an acceptable amount of time.
They are cupsoles but honestly surprisingly flexible and have lots of boardfeel. The shoe is extremely comfortable and offer lots of impact protection. They might feel a bit more cramped near the arch area, but that depends on how tight your laces are.
The padding is extremely wide which isn’t for everyone, but surely most welcome for those with very wide feet. Overall, this is the widest shoe I skated but not the most durable, biggest con? They are expensive and you chew through the suede rather quickly. Still one of the best nike skate shoes around
Reasons To Buy:
- Decent board feel for a cupsole
- Suede quality is good, but rather thin
- Extremly wide shoes all around
- Less board feel and might feel a bit bulky
- Breaks in pretty quickly
Reasons To Avoid:
- Less flexible
- Doesn’t last very long
Wide Toe Box Skate Shoes Are Rare
The most common problem with skate shoes is the rather narrow toe box. So only the front of the shoe feels a bit cramped, but the rest is fine. You can suffer it for a while, but it after some time shoes will feel very uncomfortable and in most cases hurt.
There are a couple of brands that offer shoes with wider toe boxes, but you have to look for a specific shoe rather than a brand. DC, for example, offers shoes with lots of room near the toe box, and so does DVS.
DC is considered a bulky skate shoe and so is DVS. It takes a long time to break them in and they aren’t always very flexible. You need to find the right shoe and stick with it. Your best bet is to visit a shop because buying online may seem convenient, returning is not.
If you have to, order them in different sizes and return the ones that won’t fit properly. It’s not great for the environment and requires you to have a bigger wallet, sure you get the money back, but buying 3 pairs and returning 2 is quite a chunk of your budget.
What Is Considered A Wide Foot?
You probably know you have wide feet, but how wide are they? Here’s a chart for common US shoe sizes which might help you decide which shoes are the right fit. Often the width isn’t even mentioned, so you could contact the shop and ask before you buy. This chart is based on the width of shoe sizes.
To measure the width of your feet, you need to stand on a flat surface, preferably in the morning. Measure the widest part of your feet and check this table. The morning is the best time to do this because your feet might slightly swell from walking all day, that’s why it’s also the best time to try on shoes in a shop.
| Shoe Size (US) | Medium Width (IN) | Wide Width (IN) | Extra Wide (IN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 9/16″ | 3 11/16″ | 3 13/16″ |
| 8.5 | 3 5/8″ | 3 3/4″ | 3 7/8″ |
| 9 | 3 11/16″ | 3 13/16″ | 3 15/16″ |
| 9.5 | 3 3/4″ | 3 7/8″ | 4″ |
| 10 | 3 3/4″ | 3 7/8″ | 4″ |
| 10.5 | 3 7/8″ | 4″ | 4 1/8″ |
| 11 | 3 15/16″ | 4 1/16″ | 4 3/16″ |
| 12 | 4 1/16″ | 4 3/16″ | 4 5/16″ |
So now you know your size, but the problem is that most skate shoe brands don’t tell you how wide they are. I think this is a missed opportunity because, believe me, you are not the only one with wide feet.
The ratings are used for work boots, but it gives you a general idea about what to look for. Most shoes are Medium Width (B), but there is also E, EE, EEE (3e), EEEE (4e). Here’s what it means:
- E: Wide
- EE: Extra Wide (2e)
- EEE: 3x Wide (3e)
- EEEE: 4 X Wide (4e)
What Brand To Pick For Wide Feet?
There are quite some brands that offer shoes for wider feet, some I didn’t even mention but for good reasons. DVS are a great choice for wide feet, but the shoe won’t last very long (at least the DVS Comanche II).
DC are quite bulky and not for everyone but certainly wortha shot. I haven’t been able to test them myself, so you have to look elsewhere to see how they perform.
Also, don’t rule out Etnies and eS, one of the bigger skate shoe brands which has the luxury to produce a wider range of skate shoes. Etnies is part of Sole Tech, a company that also owns Emerica.
Size Up When You Have Wide Feet
Should you size up when you are between sizes? Well, it certainly won’t hurt in the case of wide feet. Those who have extremely wide feet should definitely size up to avoid cramped shoes, but you’ll feel less near the toe area.
It’s hard to say because all feet are different, almost like fingerprints. I can’t be exactly sure of how your feet measure or fit certain skate shoes. All I can say is that sizing up works for me, especially when it comes to brands like Nike and Adidas.
So What Skate Shoe Should You Choose?
I tried to come up with a couple of shoes from my perspective as a skateboarder with wider than average feet. It’s not a solution for everyone, but I did my best to cater to your needs.
I would like to point out that you need to be careful when browsing Reddit and asking this question. Most of them never even measured their feet. There is some really bad advice out there. For example, some recommend Lakai, which you don’t even have to wear to know they aren’t great for wide feet.
They are rather narrow around the toe box (but GREAT skate shoes!). The front will squish your toes!
