Running with the world's widest feet...

[e.e.cummings]

Or do I think that they are the world's widest feet? I have pretty big bunions, and they cannot be operated because I have arthritis in the big toe. So I have a course of conservative treatment: night splints, physiotherapy, excercises to do at home. I asked my physiotherapist yesterday if it was a bad idea for me to run (I ran years ago A LOT, but my knee started giving me trouble so I eventually gave it up).

He surprised me. He said it was fine if done in moderation (walk 10 minutes, run ten minutes, etc.) Since running shoes are normally more flexible (not as rigid, say, as a hiking shoe), it allows the toes to flex and it gets the lubrication flowing between the toe joints, so it is a good thing for my issue. And because I am doing all of these strengthening exercises for my feet (which start at the butt and work its way down) I should not have the same knee problems.

I do need to find good wide toe box. I hear that New Balance is good for that kind of shoe. Shoe shopping today!

[OakLeaf]

If you haven't tried Mizuno in a while, give them a chance as well. They used to run narrow, but now they fit me better than anything (in Wide sizes :rolleyes:). I have a very wide forefoot and a narrow heel.

They recently discontinued my favorite shoe in women's Wide, but both the LRS and a factory rep told me that the men's version of the shoe is the same thing, just different colors. A standard men's shoe is D width, same as a Wide women's. If you need even wider, you could go to a Wide men's (EE).

Good luck with your shoe shopping! :)

[colby]

I have Brooks Ariels, they come in EE widths (even for the ladies!!) and have a wider toebox. The Addiction I believe also comes in super-mega-cruiser widths.

[Pan Dulce]

I like New Balance. They come in a variety of widths, and mine do indeed have a boxier toe. I got mine at a discount Lady Footlocker that has last season's shoes. I got them for 70% off.

I like to browse Zappos.com (http://www.zappos.com/) to get a feel for what kind of shoes are out there. They have a pretty good return policy, too. I usually get nervous about buying shoes online though, because I never know what size I'm going to be in a particular brand.

[KnottedYet]

Chaco Z2's come in wide. They are all I run in these days. The toe-loop helps fight the bunion-induced tendency to adduct the first ray.

I've put a few patients in them for running or general wear, and no-one has been disappointed yet.

(plus they can be resoled, which saves a gazillion bucks each year)

http://www.chacousa.com/US/en-US/ViewProduct.mvc.aspx/11397W/0/Womens/Z-2-Vibram-Unaweep?galleryId=W-SAND

(and for the colder months, add a pair of Injini toe socks! Good stuff! http://www.injinji.com/ )

[HappyTexasMom]

The toe-loop helps fight the bunion-induced tendency to adduct the first ray.

Can you please pretend I'm a 2-year-old and explain to me what this means?:)

I had operations on both feet for my bunions 13 years ago, but I've never quite felt like my feet flex like they should, so I'm curious what you mean by this.

[KnottedYet]

Can you please pretend I'm a 2-year-old and explain to me what this means?:)

I had operations on both feet for my bunions 13 years ago, but I've never quite felt like my feet flex like they should, so I'm curious what you mean by this.

Sorry! The toe loop and the way it's threaded through the sole (tension adjusts through the stride) pulls the big toe straight as you walk. The fact that it's held straight also forces it to flex upward as your foot rolls forward. (otherwise it would like to fold up toward the other toes and just make the bunion bigger and bigger and bigger...)

I had someone who couldn't bend her big toe upward AT ALL eventually get to bending upward about 20 degrees, mostly just by wearing Chaco Z2's. Her toe straightened out quite a bit, too.

[e.e.cummings]

The design of the Chaco's remind me of the design of the Birkenstocks that I just bought - they straighten the toe like my night splints. It is amazing to not see that big point on the side of my foot - those sandals make the inner side of my foot perfectly straight. It's incredible. I will keep the Chaco's in mind, they really look comfortable.

I did go shoe shopping yesterday and found some New Balance shoes (on sale, no less). They fit like a dream. Trying them out today on my walk/run.

Thanks everyone for the great tips!