Genuine 2E and 4E fittings.
For wide feet, buy a genuine wide fitting rather than sizing up in length. Going up a size to gain width moves the flex point past the ball of your foot and commonly causes arch ache. New Balance and Brooks offer real 2E and 4E fittings, and width letters are not standardised between brands.
Key takeaways
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Most foot pain blamed on cushioning is a width problem. A shoe that is too narrow will hurt regardless of how much foam sits under it.
Width letters are not consistent between brands — a 2E in one brand is not the same volume as a 2E in another. Check each brand’s own chart rather than assuming the letter transfers.
Yes, On makes waterproof hiking shoes — the Cloudwander and the Cloudrock. Here is what they are, and the one reason many hikers should buy something else.
FitVille sells 2E, 4E and 6E fittings, which almost no brand does. We checked four listings, decoded the width names, and read the FDA claim properly.
On runs narrow and short, which catches out more men than any other issue with the brand. Here is how to size them and when to buy something else.
Three shoes at similar prices built on completely different ideas about cushioning. Only one is a genuine distance trainer.
Three shoes bought for the same reason and built for three different feet. Width matters more than cushioning here.
All three say waterproof. What that word actually means differs a lot, and it's not the thing most buyers should be comparing.
Barefoot, flat trainer or cushioned runner. Three genuinely different answers, and the right one depends on what you lift.
A women's boot should be built on a women's last, not shrunk down from a men's. Not all of them are.
A paper-and-ruler method that matches what a Brannock device would tell you, plus a conversion chart.
No. Sizing up in length to gain width moves the flex point past the ball of your foot, which commonly causes arch ache. Look for a wider fitting in your existing length instead.
No. Width letters describe a ratio to that brand's own standard last, so a 2E in one brand is not the same volume as a 2E in another. Always check the individual brand's size chart.
New Balance and Brooks offer real fittings across large parts of their ranges, and there are wide-fit specialists such as FitVille. Several popular brands, including On, effectively sell one width.