Wide Men's Shoe?

[OakLeaf]

OK I know a women's forum isn't the place to be asking this but since I'm here and my male DH just got a new road bike -

He's got pretty wide feet - anybody have suggestions for what brands of shoes he might do best with? He's probably going to be leaning toward a MTB style shoe, but would consider road shoes if they fit. I know many shoes run really narrow, so if we can narrow the search down to certain brands and LBS's that carry them, it'll probably make it easier.

[VeloVT]

Sidi makes many of their models in a wide width -- they call it "mega", which sounds kinda unflattering to me (like buying mega-sized pants...), but whaddoeye know about marketing .

ETA: Some folks will undoubtedly be able to say if Sidi megas really are wide -- but if it's worth anything in my experience their standard width shoes are fairly standard width, designed to have a glove-like fit, but not necessarily narrow per se.

I would look at Specialized too... Not sure if they come in widths (though I would expect they might), but my "princess and the pea" boyfriend who tried on about 20 pairs of shoes and didn't like any of them found a pair of Specialized that he finds very comfortable.

[Andrea]

Northwave shoes fit wider than the norm.

I have wide feet and wear the Specialized S works, which I know from experience are slightly roomier in the toe than the Shimano bakeables that I used to have/hate.

[emily_in_nc]

My DH has the widest feet ever (EEEE). He wears the Sidi Mega in road shoes, and some model of Lake MTB shoes in wide width. They're quite a few years old, so I am sure that particular model is no longer made. There are wide shoes out there, but you do have to look hard. Same with hiking boots, etc...he has the hardest time buying shoes. Good luck!

Emily

[Tokie]

My DH has EEEE size feet (I call them his fins), and he loves his Specialized road shoes. He buys a Specialized footbed to go in them too, which somehow is like an orthotic. They have different footbeds you can purchase to customize the shoe more.I imagine that their Mt bike shoes have a similar wide accomodating shape. And compared to other shoe brands, the pricing is very reasonable, and the quality has been very good. Tokie

[Tokie]

PS Emily, We shop from a catalogue for men with wide feet (I believe the company's name is "Hitchcock") They have a decent selection of the basics, dress, sports, hiking, work boots, slippers, and if you describe what brand and size shoe does fit you, they can direct you to shoes with a similar last. It has been a great resource for my DH, also an 11 4E! Tokie

[Cari]

Hey OakLeaf,

I've always been a fan of Sidi shoes. I've tried on several other brands along the way (Shimano, Nike, Specialized, Diadora...) and there's just no comparison.

The cool thing about Sidi Megas is that the sole is wider *and* the upper is much more roomy (i.e. there's more material) than in the regular sizes. My feet are a little bit wide and I wear the regular ones so I'm guessing the Megas must be *very* roomy.

Two other brands to consider are Diadora and Gaerne. Diadoras are good for people with a wide forefoot. I first tried on Gaernes last summer and am thinking of buying a pair of those next time. They're Italian like Sidis and have a roomy fit to them, but are sort of cooler-looking than most Sidis. Northwaves are pretty roomy but I've seen *many* of those just come unglued right in the store... yikes!

Whichever way your DH decides to go, make sure he tries them on in the store, at the end of the day, wearing the same type of socks he'd wear for cycling. And there's no reason he should have to buy MTB shoes instead of road shoes just for comfort -- both come in wide sizes.

Hope this helps,

Cari

[Nokomis]

Another "my husband loves his wide sidi" vote here.

[OakLeaf]

He tried on both Sidi and Specialized and went with the Specialized MTB Sport. He was amazed that anything that wasn't specifically a wide shoe fit him so well! Thanks everyone!

(He chose a MTB shoe so he'll have some tread off the bike, not for any fit issues.)

Now to get him used to clipless pedals for the first time. He swears he won't fall over

[Mr. SR500]

I don't think I have particularly wide feet, as I wear normal regular shoes. However, I do wear Sidi Mega's. They are not super wide, but I just like the slightly larger toe box. Worth a try, but you need to try them on. Sidi sizing runs true, but they have mega, narrow, and half sizes, so important to try on several pair to get the correct fit.

[Dianyla]

I have very wide feet even by men's definition (my New Balance men's 8.5 EEEE fit perfectly). I absolutely adore my Sidi Mega's in a size 43. I also have a very high arched high volume foot.