Buying guide for wide and extra wide shoes

Finding comfortable yet stylish footwear can be a complicated task, even more so if you happen to have broad or extra wide feet. However, you should never settle for regular shoes. Thinking that you will eventually stretch them out, or planning to wear them regardless of the pain and discomfort they may cause, is not a smart idea. Your feet will hurt and you will end up back at square one; looking for wide shoes to buy. Another thing to take into consideration is that there are several parts of our body that change as you grow older, and feet is one of them. Feet will widen and lengthen the older we get. It is thus important, to avoid general discomfort and possible health problems when walking, that the shape and size of shoes is the right one for your type of feet. To aid you in your search, here are some tips on how to find wide and extra wide shoes for women, men or kids.

Shop Wide Shoes for Women

Women's Wide Sandals	Women's Wide Walking Shoes	Women's Wide Boots
Women's Wide Slippers	Women's Wide Heels/Wedges	Women's Wide Casual/Dress Shoes
Women's Wide Clogs	Women's Wide Athletic Shoes

Shop Wide Shoes for Men

Men's Wide Sandals	Men's Wide Walking Shoes	Men's Wide Boots
Men's Wide Slippers	Men's Wide Casual/Dress Shoes	Men's Wide Clogs
Men's Athletic Shoes

Shop Wide Shoes for Children

Keeping Pace and Answer2 both make shoes that are great for Kid's who need wide shoes. This is especially important for those who need to wear AFOs

General tips to consider for procuring wide shoes

The first thing you should do when trying to buy wide and extra wide shoes is know your true shoe size. This can be done by measuring your feet, and finding instructional videos online for helping you do this is quite simple. Knowing this will save your time when talking to store attendants or when you are looking for shoes online. The second thing you should do is go straight to check the wide shoes section either online or at a shoe store. This might be evident, but checking this section first will actually save you the trouble of choosing shoes that might not be available for you. The third thing you should do is know what types of shoe designs are usually better for wide feet. This is especially relevant when choosing women, men or kid's wide sandals, since many fashion trends are not meant to be made into wide shoes. For example, having too many sandal straps can be uncomfortable for wide feet, as they constrict too much. Knowing what styles are better and where to find them will save you a lot of time.

Where to find wide and extra wide shoes

A good idea when buying wide or extra wide shoes is to look for retailers that cater specifically to these shoes. Nowadays, you can find these stores in every big city, making the process of finding wide shoes a lot easier. You can find all types of wide shoes in there, from wide walking shoes to wide dress shoes. You have different brands to try from, sales people that know what shoe will fit every customer's best needs and are there to offer you guidance and advice, and who can also explain how each pair of shoes are made, etc.

You can also find retailers online (such as Orthotic Shop), and you can buy shoes from those stores, try them on at home, and return them without issues if they are not what you were looking for. Many retailers have filter options that will only show wide or extra wide shoes, so you have no need to look through their whole catalog to find what you are looking for. Furthermore, try finding bloggers in your area that recommend places to buy this type of shoes. Say you are looking for extra-large boots; there might be a blog entry with just that, saving your time and even detailing where and which kind of boots you can find around you. At the Orthotic Shop we have free return shipping for exchanges.

Another option, albeit a more expensive one, is to have your shoes custom made. This way you can get the style you want fitted into your size. If this is not possible, and you still cannot find what you are looking for, checking out vintage stores can be a very good option. Shoe styles from a different era are always a great way of looking stylish. Plus, certain shoe styles can fit both men and women, such as brogues and laced oxfords. Women can also look into men's shoes for this, which are usually made in a wider fit although the shoe size will probably be smaller than expected.

Remember to choose softer fabrics, like suede and denim, over hard ones, like leather, since the more the shoes let your feet accommodate to then, the better you will feel when walking in them. The way your feet feel in your shoes will affect your posture, your general stance, making you look better and more confident. In the end, you do not need to have ugly shoes to fit your wide or extra wide feet, but you should prioritize your comfort above all. Taking into consideration all of this tips, hopefully finding wide or extra wide shoes can become an easier task.