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You go to an online shop and waste hours browsing and looking for your perfect shoe. You find it, order it, and wait a week or two until it arrives, but then you find out it doesn’t fit! What a shame! Now you have to return it, wait another few weeks until you get a refund, and start the process all over again.

That’s why knowing the right shoe width is extremely important.

Shoes that are not the right width will pinch your foot. This can cause blisters, cramps, and even fatigue. Those that use tight-fitting shoes for cycling, running, or hiking need to pay close attention to shoe width especially because it can impact their performance.

Trying to determine your shoe size can be quite difficult.

There are so many different shoe sizes to consider. You have to look at the US and European shoe sizing metrics depending on the brand or where you are purchasing the shoes from. To make matters even more difficult, truthfully, different brand shoes fit slightly differently. There really is no universal shoe size standard that is followed by all manufacturers.

That being said, perhaps the most important part of finding the right fit when it comes to shoes is getting the right shoe width. This is honestly just as important as getting the shoe length the right fit.

You might think there are just a couple of shoe widths to consider. You would be wrong! There are actually nine different shoe widths in the US shoe sizing spectrum. Before your head starts spinning, we will break them down for you.

Shoe Widths

Now that you are thoroughly confused by the fact that there are so many different shoe widths, let’s get into the specifics!

A Width

A width shoes are usually for women’s shoes. This signals a narrow shoe. You won’t usually see it for men’s shoes as men typically do not have feet this narrow.

A width shoes are usually between 3.4 inches and 3.9 inches. This measurement is across the ball of the foot. You may also see AA or 2A listed for shoe width. This designates an even narrower shoe. However, 2A and AA are not universal and the size will vary depending on the manufacturer. A 3A or AAA is an extremely narrow shoe and is usually not seen.

B Width

B width shoes are the standard or average shoe width for women’s shoes. If a women’s shoe is bot labeled with a width, it is likely a B.

Across the ball of the foot, B width shoes are between 3.6 and 4.1 inches.

This is extremely narrow for men’s shoes so you will rarely see the designation for men’s shoes.

D Width

For D width shoes, this is the average width of men’s shoes and considered wide for women’s shoes. If a men’s shoe is not labeled with a width, it is likely a D.
Across the ball of the foot, it is between 3 and 5 inches. However, most commonly, D width shoes fall between 4 and 4.5 inches across.

E Width

E width shoes are used for wide shoe classifications. This is a standard wide shoe for men, but an extra wide shoe for women. It usually falls between 4.2 and 4.7 inches but can be anywhere in the range of 3.2 to 5.2 inches depending on the manufacturer.

EE Width

The largest on the traditional shoe width scale is EE. This is almost never seen for women’s shoes. For men, this is an extra-wide shoe.

EE width shoes can be anywhere from 3.4 to 5.4 inches wide from across the ball of the foot. Typically, it falls between 4.4 and 4.9 inches. You can also find EEE or 3E shoes, but these are extremely rare.

Fitting

If you want to find the right fit of shoes for your feet, the best way to do t his is to go to a shoe store and have it measured by a professional. They have extremely accurate scales and tools available at the store to ensure that you get a good measurement.

It is important to keep in mind that you should get your feet measured every time that you go to the store or are thinking about buying a new pair of shoes. That is because your foot can swell or shrink over time. If you want to get a shoe that fits great, you need to get a current measurement.

How to Find Shoes That Are the Correct Width

You might not have known about all of these different shoe widths. Now that you know, it’s obvious that you want to make sure you get a good fitting shoe. So, how do you find a shoe that is the correct width?

The first step is to have your foot measured every time you are ready to buy a new pair of shoes. Again, this helps ensure a current measurement that takes into account any swelling or shrinking of your feet. Getting measured at the end of the day is also a good idea because this is usually when your feet are the largest—due to swelling and settling—so you can be sure that you will not underestimate your foot width.

The next thing is to fit your shoes to your wider foot. Most people’s feet are not the exact same size. It is better to have a shoe size that is slightly wider than one that is too tight.

You should also not focus solely on shoe size. As you read above, shoe widths vary depending on the manufacturer. You might be one shoe width in a certain shoe and a different in another. That is why it is also essential to consider how the shot fits. You should always try on shoes before purchasing.

Also, when you try on shoes, do not think that a shoe just needs to be broken in. If a shoe is tight or uncomfortable when you try it on, chances are that they will not stretch out enough to fit properly. You want to find a shoe that fits you right from the get-go.

Last, but certainly not least, to find a shoe that is the correct width, you should walk around! Trying a pair of shoes on at the store isn’t enough. You should take a few laps around the store to ensure that they are comfortable and do not pinch or rub.

Now that you know all about shoe widths and how to find shoes that are the right width for your feet, good luck! There are a lot of great shoes out there to enjoy and the perfect pair is out there waiting for you.

Adidas and Nike are two giants of the sports footwear world, and many people – whether involved in sports or not – enjoy wearing their products.

However, since people make more and more of their purchases online, when it comes to buying shoes, it’s important to order the right size – otherwise, you’ll find yourself having to go through the hassle of returning them simply because they don’t fit.

To help you avoid this kind of trouble, here we give you an in-depth guide to sizing Adidas and Nike sports shoes to make sure you buy the right ones first time.

Why is this even an issue?

Before we start, let’s take a step back and think about a basic question – why is sizing like this even an issue? After all, shoes have sizes, right? So why can’t we just buy footwear that matches the size of all our other shoes?

Well, in theory, shoes all have sizes, so if you take a size 9, you should just buy a size 9.

However, the problem is that although this system of shoe sizes exists, it has never been fully standardized, so what one company calls a size 9 won’t necessarily match the size 9 of another shoe manufacturer.

This means that some brands are known to be below average size (they “run small”), while others tend to be above average (they “run big”). Shoes that match the average size are said to be “true to size”.
As a result, when buying shoes online, as well as knowing your regular shoe size, you should also find out whether the brand you want to buy runs big or small or if they are true to size. You can then choose the size you buy accordingly.

Do Adidas and Nike run true to size?

Generally speaking, Adidas are considered to run true to size, which means you will normally be safe buying the size you usually wear.

Adidas shoes are known for being quite generous in width too, so if you have wide feet, you don’t need to worry about buying a larger size.

However, note that Adidas Ultraboost 1.0 and 2.0 shoes are narrower than most Adidas shoes, so with these, you should choose a pair half a size above your normal size. However, for 3.0 models, just buy the size you normally wear.

Conversely, Adidas Cloudfoam shoes for women run slightly larger than other Adidas shoes, so if you are unsure which ones to go for, you are safer choosing half a size smaller than usual.
Nike shoes, on the other hand, are known to run slightly small compared to Adidas and most other shoe brands – so you should probably choose a pair that is half a size larger than the size you usually take.
At the same time, Nike shoes usually have quite a snug fit in terms of width, so if you have wide feet and are just buying a regular pair of Nike shoes, you are probably best choosing a pair half a size larger again than the shoes you normally wear.

That said, Nike also produces several types of sports shoes specifically designed for people with wider feet, so if you know your feet are wider than average, it would be a good idea for you to choose one of those models.

A more accurate way to decide

Of course, what we have described above involves a certain amount of guesswork, so you are still just hoping for the best when buying shoes. But, as you would expect from two of the world’s largest sportswear companies, there is a more accurate way to work out your size.

Whether you are buying Adidas or Nike shoes, the most accurate way to work out which shoe size you require is to measure your feet. Once you have established the length of your feet, you can then refer to the size tables provided by the two companies – which we have included below.

Here’s how to measure your feet:

1. Place a piece of paper on the floor against the wall and then stand on it with your heel gently touching the wall.
2. Mark on the paper the point where your foot is longest. Bear in mind that this may be either your big toe or your second toe, depending on the shape of your feet.
3. Next, measure the distance from the wall to the point you marked on the paper and use this measurement to refer to the relevant table below.

By using this technique, you can work out exactly which size shoe to buy according to the company’s guidelines. This way, you can be sure that when the shoe arrives, you have the best chance of it fitting and you are unlikely to need to return it.

Here is the sizing table for Nike sports shoes:

Nike Sizing Chart

Heel to toe (inches)	EU Men’s	EU Women’s	UK Men’s	UK Women’s	US Men’s	US Women’s
8.5	35.5		3		3.5
8.7	36	35.5	3.5	2.5	4	5
8.8	36.5	36	4	3	4.5	5.5
9	37.5	36.5	4.5	3.5	5	6
9.1	38	37.5	5	4	5.5	6.5
9.3	38.5	38	5.5	4.5	6	7
9.5	39	38.5	6	5	6.5	7.5
9.7	40	39	6	5.5	7	8
9.8	40.5	40	6.5	6	7.5	8.5
10	41	40.5	7	6.5	8	9
10.1	42	41	7.5	7	8.5	9.5
10.3	42.5	42	8	7.5	9	10
10.5	43	42.5	8.5	8	9.5	10.5
10.7	44	43	9	8.5	10	11
10.9	44.5	44	9.5	9	10.5	11.5
11	45	44.5	10	9.5	11
11.1	5.5		10.5		11.5
11.3	46		11		12
11.5	47		11.5		12.5
11.7	47.5		12		13
11.8	48		12.5		13.5

And here is the same table for Adidas shoes:

Adidas Sizing Chart

Heel to toe (inches)	EU	UK Men’s	US Men’s	US Women’s
8.7	36	3.5	4	5
8.8	36 2/3	4	4.5	5.5
9	37 1/3	4.5	5	6
9.1	38	5	5.5	6.5
9.3	38 2/3	5.5	6	7
9.5	39 1/3	6	6.5	7.5
9.7	40	6.5	7	8
9.8	40 2/3	7	7.5	8.5
10	41 1/3	7.5	8	9
10.1	42	8	8.5	9.5
10.3	42 2/3	8.5	9	10
10.5	43 1/3	9	9.5	10.5
10.7	44	9.5	10	11
10.9	44 2/3	10	10.5	11.5
11	45 1/3	10.5	11	12
11.1	46	11	11.5	12.5
11.3	46 2/3	11.5	12	13
11.5	47 1/3	12	12.5	13.5
11.7	48	12.5	13	14
11.8	48 2/3	13	13.5	14.5
12	49 1/3	13.5	14	15
12.2	50	14	14.5	15.5

Tips for getting it right

To finish, here are a couple of tips to help you find the most perfectly fitting shoes for your feet.

Measure your feet at the end of the day

Since your feet can swell up during the day, you should always measure your feet in the evening. This way, you will be measuring your feet at their largest, so you know the shoes you buy won’t end up being too small. For the same reason, you should always shop for shoes at the end of the day.

Don’t assume your size based on other shoes you wear

You shouldn’t assume that just because the shoes you always wear are a particular size, you can be sure that new shoes of that size will fit your feet. Shoes become larger through use, and your feet can change size and shape as you grow older, suffer from illness or get pregnant. Also, as we have seen, shoe sizes vary between companies, so the best advice is always to measure your feet whenever you buy new shoes.

Account for thick socks or inner soles

If you wear thick socks or use inner soles in your shoes, you should account for this when buying your shoes since these can add half a size to the shoes you should buy.

Read online reviews before buying

It’s not a bad idea to spend a bit of time reading online reviews of shoes before buying them. If shoes run big or small, people are likely to mention this in their comments, and this will help you choose the correct size when buying.

Use the Nike app or a Nike Fit mat

The Nike app has a feature that can tell you the size you need from a photo of your feet, so it’s a good idea to make use of this before buying. Also, in Nike stores, you can use the Nike Fit mat to find out the correct size for your feet. You can then use that size when buying online. Be as accurate as you can.

While the best option is still to buy shoes in a store where you can try them on first, the second-best choice is to measure your feet to accurately determine the correct size to buy.

Adidas shoes usually run true while Nike shoes generally run slightly small – however, using this information to guess which size to buy is still a little risky, and it’s better to be more scientific about it.

If you’re buying new shoes, there are many things to consider when choosing the best pair. For example, the style will be important, as may the brand, and you’ll probably be interested in the quality too.

However, another element that shouldn’t be overlooked is the weight since this can impact your comfort levels – as well as your performance if they are shoes for sport. So to help you find the right shoes for your needs, here we answer the question, how much do shoes weigh?

Some different shoe weights

There are many different types of shoes, which means there is a wide range of possible shoe weights. For this reason, the best way to answer this question is to look at different types of shoes for men, women and children to give you an idea of how much they usually weigh.

Here are a few examples:

Men’s shoes

• Slippers – 14oz
• Sandals – 15oz
• Running shoes – 1.3lbs
• Casual sneakers – 1.8lbs
• Regular shoes – 2.2lbs
• Boots (including work boots) – 3.3-4lbs

Women’s shoes

• Slippers – 12oz
• Sandals – 13oz
• Running shoes – 1.1lbs
• Casual sneakers – 1.3lbs
• Heels – 1.5lbs
• Regular shoes – 2lbs
• Boots – 2.5-3.5lbs

Children’s shoes

• Slippers – 11oz
• Sandals – 12oz
• Running shoes – 14oz
• Casual sneakers – 1.1lbs
• Regular shoes – 1.3lbs
• Boots (including work boots) – 1.2-1.5lbs

These numbers can give you a rough idea of the kinds of weights you can expect – but the weight is also affected by several factors, so it can vary quite a lot, even within each category.

For example, a major factor that affects the weight is the size of the shoe. A size 14 is bigger than a size 9 – there’s just more of it, so the larger size will be heavier.

Similarly, when talking about children’s shoes, the size (and therefore weight) depends on the age of the child – because a shoe for a toddler will obviously weigh much less than a shoe for a teenager.

Finally, the material a shoe is made of has a significant impact on its weight. This is an important point, so let’s look at it in a bit more detail.

How does the shoe’s material affect its weight?

When talking about the material a shoe is made of, there are two things to consider: the type of material the shoe is made of and how much of it there is.

For example, since leather weighs more than canvas, leather office-style shoes generally weigh more than something like a pair of canvas Vans. Similarly, boots that incorporate protective metal toe caps will be heavier due to the extra weight of the metal.

These are examples of how the types of material used in a shoe can affect its weight.

At the same time, shoes with thick, heavy-duty rubber soles will weigh more than a pair with soles made of thin rubber, and a pair of high leather boots will weigh more than a pair of similar leather shoes. This is simply because there is more of the material present.

So these are some of the factors that determine how much a shoe weighs, but does it matter? To finish, let’s talk about this now.

Does the weight of shoes matter?

The weight of your shoes is important, and it is essential to choose shoes that are a suitable weight for the activity they are intended for.

If you are talking about sports shoes – for example, shoes for running – having heavier shoes will mean you have to work harder with every step.

While you might not feel this over a short distance, if you are running a longer distance, the extra effort will add up, negatively affecting your performance. This means that lighter running shoes will allow you to achieve faster times.

However, this is not the only consideration. Running shoes also need to offer a certain amount of protection to your feet, and more padding equates to heavier shoes.

As a result, when choosing a pair of running shoes, you need to find the right balance between weight and padding, and this will depend on the type of running you do.

If you are a sprinter, you will want super-light running spikes, but for long-distance running, you will need more padding and shock absorption. Running on a road or running cross-country also require more protection for your feet than running on grass or on a track.

The same is true of hiking shoes. Heavier shoes will offer more protection to your feet and ankles as well as more grip – but you will have to work harder and will become fatigued more quickly.

This means heavier, tougher hiking boots are recommended for more challenging trails whereas lighter hiking shoes are more suitable for gentler walks.

Finally, with working boots, if you need full protection with protective steel toe caps, you will need to wear heavier shoes because safety is the most important consideration.

A range of shoe weights for different purposes

In general, when choosing your shoes, you need to think carefully about what you need them for and find the best balance between lightness and protection.

It is not always the right option simply to go for the lightest shoes or those that offer the most protection. The best choice will probably be somewhere in between, so consider the activity you will be wearing them for and let that guide your decision.

In the past, flat feet were considered a handicap to those with aspirations of becoming professional athletes, and having the condition was often seen as detrimental to somebody’s chances of participating in high-level sports.

However, more recently, the medical community has started to revise the commonly-held assumption that flat-footed people struggle in sport – and this is supported by the number of professional athletes who have been successful despite suffering from the condition.

So for anybody with flat feet who’s worried about their opportunities to make it as a professional sportsman or woman, here we talk about famous athletes with flat feet to encourage you not to give up on your dreams.

What is flatfoot?

The condition we usually refer to as flat feet is also known as pes planus or fallen arches – and as the latter name suggests, it is characterized by the arches of the feet collapsing so that the whole sole is in contact with the floor.

There are two types of flat feet.

The first, known as “rigid” flatfoot, is where the arch is completely absent both when standing and when sitting – this is the more extreme type of flatfoot.

The second type, on the other hand, is where the arch is present when the person is sitting or standing on their toes but disappears when the person is standing normally. This type is called “flexible” flatfoot.

A simple way to test for flat feet is to wet the feet and then stand on a piece of paper (or another surface that will show a clear footprint).

A “normal” footprint will show the outside edge of the foot, but there will be nothing on the arch side. However, if the outline of the whole foot – or at least most of it – is visible, it is a good indication that the person has flat feet.

Most children start life with flat feet, but then arches develop when they start to walk as toddlers. However, some don’t develop arches and thus remain flat-footed from childhood.

It is also possible to develop flat footedness as an adult through injury, illness or other causes.

How was flat footedness viewed in the past?

In the past, having flat feet was seen as undesirable since it was thought it could lead to foot, leg and back pain and would also make the person more susceptible to injuries.

This meant that various armies have traditionally not accepted people with flat feet – during World War II, for example, many recruits were rejected due to flat feet.

Doctors have often also tried to treat the condition with braces and even surgery.
What about now?

Nowadays, there is a growing realization that flat footedness is not necessarily the handicap it was once thought to be, and in fact, some in the medical profession are beginning to think that being flat-footed may have its advantages.

When it comes to foot shape, there is no binary distinction between “flat-footed” and “normal”. There are degrees of being flat-footed, and people can also have higher than average arches, a condition that also has associated problems.

For example, having high arches reduces the shock-absorbing properties of the feet, and one study in 1989 revealed that US army recruits with high arches suffered more injuries than those with flat feet, most likely because flat feet are better able to absorb shock.

It is also known that many successful athletes have some degree of flat footedness, especially in basketball, for example.
So while severe cases of rigid flatfoot may cause discomfort and hinder a career in professional sport, flexible flatfoot is often asymptomatic, shouldn’t prevent somebody from competing at a high level and may even offer some kind of advantage.

Some famous athletes with flat feet

Much more work is still required in the field, and it’s impossible to give concrete answers about the condition and how it affects sporting performance – and, of course, every case is different.
However, a look at a list of just a few high-achieving athletes should certainly give hope to budding sportsmen and women who are worried about the shape of their feet. So let’s do that now.

Haile Gebrselassie

A double Olympic gold medal winner and former marathon world record holder, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie sits comfortably among the greatest long-distance runners of all time. He competed at distances between 1,500m and the marathon, and his illustrious career spanned 25 years. So all in all, not bad for someone who had flat feet.

Saïd Aouita

Saïd Aouita was a Moroccan long-distance runner who took the gold medal in the 5,000m event at the LA Olympics in 1984 along with many other titles during his career. He also held various world records at distances ranging from 1,500m to 5,000m. And he managed all this despite suffering from flat feet.

Alan Webb

Alan Webb is a former athlete who competed in the triathlon and is the current holder of the American national record for the mile. He also competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens over 1,500m, although he didn’t finish among the medals. And he achieved all this as an athlete with flat feet.

Shawn Crawford

Shawn Crawford is different from the other athletes we’ve mentioned here since he competed in sprint races rather than in long-distance events, showing that having flat feet is no obstacle to success over shorter distances. Among his achievements was a gold medal over 200m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens as well as a silver in the same event at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Inspiration for all aspiring flat-footed athletes

There are many other famous athletes we could add, but as you can see from just this short list, with the right training and dedication, having flat feet need not be a hindrance to achieving your sporting goals.

If these athletes could achieve sporting greatness through determination and hard work, so can anybody else. And that should be an inspiration to us all.