aboslute WIDEST toe box skate shoes?

[Xen]

Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[Thebird]

Yeah, I noticed the bottom of the soles on the KSLs are smaller than the soles on some of my other shoes, but the sides of the soles get wider as they come up.  They fit great on wider feet.

[Thebird]

Has anyone had any luck with any Lakai models?  Prefer cupsoles.

[Candied cigarettes]

Has anyone had any luck with any Lakai models?  Prefer cupsoles.

I found the Carroll xlks to be wider fitting compared to other lakai models. Kinda snug but roomy enough

[gringo_viejo]

I'm pretty into the wide toe box / barefoot shoe thing and the New Balance 272 has been the best skate shoe for that vibe for me. The toe box is nice and wide and the arch support minimal. The heel is slightly raised, but these are only skate shoes that leave my feet feeling normal after a session. I think they're also slightly longer than some of the other numeric models so that might be part of it. They have plenty of protection too. I've landed primo a number of times and have gotten away with it every time.

Here's a pic of the other NBs I've tried and a few shoes popular in the wide toe box world. I'm a size 12 so here's a summary of how the others felt compared to the 272s.

255 - Started here. These felt pretty nice but something about how they placed the laces leads to me ripping one basically every session.

440 - Grabbed these next. Super bummed these didn't work out because these seems to always get great colorways. They're more squared off so my middle toes are a little more snug than I'd like, but that might work for your foot shape. The killer for me was the built in arch support. It's high. I'm used to minimalist shoes so after even a half hour in these my soles feel like they lost a fight.

306L - I was excited to try these after burning through laces in 255s. They were great for a while but the elastic on my flick foot gave out and now it's pretty floppy. They are a little narrower than the 272s.

I really appreciate the variety of sizes and shapes New Balance offers. It can make finding your fit an expensive hassle, especially when they don't even have a dealer locator for their Numeric line on their website, but it's nice that they seem to offer something for everyone.

Hold up... The top two shoes in the photo, what are those? (Not NBs I bet...) Those look like they have actual width in the toe box all the way out to the end. The white canvas ones look especially comfy.

[GBLange]

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I'm pretty into the wide toe box / barefoot shoe thing and the New Balance 272 has been the best skate shoe for that vibe for me. The toe box is nice and wide and the arch support minimal. The heel is slightly raised, but these are only skate shoes that leave my feet feeling normal after a session. I think they're also slightly longer than some of the other numeric models so that might be part of it. They have plenty of protection too. I've landed primo a number of times and have gotten away with it every time.

Here's a pic of the other NBs I've tried and a few shoes popular in the wide toe box world. I'm a size 12 so here's a summary of how the others felt compared to the 272s.

255 - Started here. These felt pretty nice but something about how they placed the laces leads to me ripping one basically every session.

440 - Grabbed these next. Super bummed these didn't work out because these seems to always get great colorways. They're more squared off so my middle toes are a little more snug than I'd like, but that might work for your foot shape. The killer for me was the built in arch support. It's high. I'm used to minimalist shoes so after even a half hour in these my soles feel like they lost a fight.

306L - I was excited to try these after burning through laces in 255s. They were great for a while but the elastic on my flick foot gave out and now it's pretty floppy. They are a little narrower than the 272s.

I really appreciate the variety of sizes and shapes New Balance offers. It can make finding your fit an expensive hassle, especially when they don't even have a dealer locator for their Numeric line on their website, but it's nice that they seem to offer something for everyone.

[close]

Hold up... The top two shoes in the photo, what are those? (Not NBs I bet...) Those look like they have actual width in the toe box all the way out to the end. The white canvas ones look especially comfy.

kinda looks like Xero shoes. zero drop minimalist shoe.

[Sativa Lung]

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I'm pretty into the wide toe box / barefoot shoe thing and the New Balance 272 has been the best skate shoe for that vibe for me. The toe box is nice and wide and the arch support minimal. The heel is slightly raised, but these are only skate shoes that leave my feet feeling normal after a session. I think they're also slightly longer than some of the other numeric models so that might be part of it. They have plenty of protection too. I've landed primo a number of times and have gotten away with it every time.

Here's a pic of the other NBs I've tried and a few shoes popular in the wide toe box world. I'm a size 12 so here's a summary of how the others felt compared to the 272s.

255 - Started here. These felt pretty nice but something about how they placed the laces leads to me ripping one basically every session.

440 - Grabbed these next. Super bummed these didn't work out because these seems to always get great colorways. They're more squared off so my middle toes are a little more snug than I'd like, but that might work for your foot shape. The killer for me was the built in arch support. It's high. I'm used to minimalist shoes so after even a half hour in these my soles feel like they lost a fight.

306L - I was excited to try these after burning through laces in 255s. They were great for a while but the elastic on my flick foot gave out and now it's pretty floppy. They are a little narrower than the 272s.

I really appreciate the variety of sizes and shapes New Balance offers. It can make finding your fit an expensive hassle, especially when they don't even have a dealer locator for their Numeric line on their website, but it's nice that they seem to offer something for everyone.

[close]

Hold up... The top two shoes in the photo, what are those? (Not NBs I bet...) Those look like they have actual width in the toe box all the way out to the end. The white canvas ones look especially comfy.

Barefoot running shoes. I actually used to wear the NB minimus ones during the summers because they're ultralight and breathable - think water shoes with a much better sole and support. I wouldn't attempt skating one though, you'd tear through them in minutes.

[huggernaut]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

[Thebird]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[close]

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

Interesting, I also have a pair of Dicksons and lo vulcs, both of which are tighter than the KSL.  I think the only other shoe I have as roomy as the KSL is the Accel og.

[huggernaut]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[close]

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

[close]

Interesting, I also have a pair of Dicksons and lo vulcs, both of which are tighter than the KSL.  I think the only other shoe I have as roomy as the KSL is the Accel og.

So funny how foot shape can matter. I love my Dicksons.

[Xen]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[close]

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

[close]

Interesting, I also have a pair of Dicksons and lo vulcs, both of which are tighter than the KSL.  I think the only other shoe I have as roomy as the KSL is the Accel og.

That's why a wide toe box means different things to different people =D

Yes, they are 'pointy' but I can let them side because they are wide at the metatarsal area where I need width (still part of the toebox).

Plenty on here have wide midfoot and think a wide toe box is the answer because they have 'wide feet'.


The best shoe was the DC Even Smith. Perfection.

[Thebird]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[close]

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

[close]

Interesting, I also have a pair of Dicksons and lo vulcs, both of which are tighter than the KSL.  I think the only other shoe I have as roomy as the KSL is the Accel og.

[close]

That's why a wide toe box means different things to different people =D

Yes, they are 'pointy' but I can let them side because they are wide at the metatarsal area where I need width (still part of the toebox).

Plenty on here have wide midfoot and think a wide toe box is the answer because they have 'wide feet'.


The best shoe was the DC Even Smith. Perfection.

Yup, that is the same area where I need the width.  I've had pretty good luck with Etnies Joslins as well with a little help from a shoe stretcher. 

I'm really interested to see if the Creager re-release will fit like the original or be slimmed down.

[Xen]

Mentioned a few posts back but the NB#440 is a great fitting shoe, nice and wide and not pointy. Stock, They hurt my arches tho (all NB do); I had to size down 1/2 a size.

[huggernaut]

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Got some KSL's and they feel plenty roomy.  Haven't had a chance to skate em yet, as I'm finishing off a pair of 440's that just hug my whole foot entirely too much.

[close]

I went from 440 to KSLs and have had no issues at all; the KSL are plenty roomy without being boxy. It's an old school fit.

[close]

Wow, this was not my experience at all. I wear a lot of Emericas and the KSL was cut in a bit on the toe box and crushed my big toe.

[close]

Interesting, I also have a pair of Dicksons and lo vulcs, both of which are tighter than the KSL.  I think the only other shoe I have as roomy as the KSL is the Accel og.

[close]

That's why a wide toe box means different things to different people =D

Yes, they are 'pointy' but I can let them side because they are wide at the metatarsal area where I need width (still part of the toebox).

Plenty on here have wide midfoot and think a wide toe box is the answer because they have 'wide feet'.


The best shoe was the DC Even Smith. Perfection.

For sure where I need it too, but the narrowing of the toe box on those was a deal breaker.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the 440 but doesn’t look like they make it in size 14

[Thebird]

Bumping this to see if anyone has any good finds lately.  I had a few people teel me the Crockett highs were wide, so I'm going to try a pair and see how they work out.

[Xen]

For me it's been the Adidas Tyshawn (mids); I tried a pair ages ago in my size (10) but they were too big. Seeing a post on SLAP about going a half size up had me curious so I found a 10.5 locally and they fit perfectly and feel great. Bonus that they come in a mid!

They're holding up like any other skate shoe so I'll skate them as long as they make them just to take a piece of gear out of the madness equation. I wouldn't say they are the WIDEST you can get but they fit me well enough.

[Thebird]

For me it's been the Adidas Tyshawn (mids); I tried a pair ages ago in my size (10) but they were too big. Seeing a post on SLAP about going a half size up had me curious so I found a 10.5 locally and they fit perfectly and feel great. Bonus that they come in a mid!

They're holding up like any other skate shoe so I'll skate them as long as they make them just to take a piece of gear out of the madness equation. I wouldn't say they are the WIDEST you can get but they fit me well enough.

FYI it looks like they have some colorways of these on the Adidas site for $49.

[RayGatsby]

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For me it's been the Adidas Tyshawn (mids); I tried a pair ages ago in my size (10) but they were too big. Seeing a post on SLAP about going a half size up had me curious so I found a 10.5 locally and they fit perfectly and feel great. Bonus that they come in a mid!

They're holding up like any other skate shoe so I'll skate them as long as they make them just to take a piece of gear out of the madness equation. I wouldn't say they are the WIDEST you can get but they fit me well enough.

[close]

FYI it looks like they have some colorways of these on the Adidas site for $49.

For those that haven't seen it in the separate sale thread you can get an additional 40% off if you buy Tyshawns at Adidas's eBay store using the code on the product page: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155226381373?hash=item2424369c3d:g:7XcAAOSwHwdja-vr. Got a pair for $31.97 all-in shipped.

[LebowskisRug]

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I'm pretty into the wide toe box / barefoot shoe thing and the New Balance 272 has been the best skate shoe for that vibe for me. The toe box is nice and wide and the arch support minimal. The heel is slightly raised, but these are only skate shoes that leave my feet feeling normal after a session. I think they're also slightly longer than some of the other numeric models so that might be part of it. They have plenty of protection too. I've landed primo a number of times and have gotten away with it every time.

Here's a pic of the other NBs I've tried and a few shoes popular in the wide toe box world. I'm a size 12 so here's a summary of how the others felt compared to the 272s.

255 - Started here. These felt pretty nice but something about how they placed the laces leads to me ripping one basically every session.

440 - Grabbed these next. Super bummed these didn't work out because these seems to always get great colorways. They're more squared off so my middle toes are a little more snug than I'd like, but that might work for your foot shape. The killer for me was the built in arch support. It's high. I'm used to minimalist shoes so after even a half hour in these my soles feel like they lost a fight.

306L - I was excited to try these after burning through laces in 255s. They were great for a while but the elastic on my flick foot gave out and now it's pretty floppy. They are a little narrower than the 272s.

I really appreciate the variety of sizes and shapes New Balance offers. It can make finding your fit an expensive hassle, especially when they don't even have a dealer locator for their Numeric line on their website, but it's nice that they seem to offer something for everyone.

[close]

Hold up... The top two shoes in the photo, what are those? (Not NBs I bet...) Those look like they have actual width in the toe box all the way out to the end. The white canvas ones look especially comfy.

440's are pan flat with no built in arch support. I have flat feet and feel nothing and just checked.

I did find the 272 longer and lots of heel slip, but it was a leather model so maybe the stiffness contributed a bit

[Crabby_Bastard]

Bumping this to see if anyone has any good finds lately.  I had a few people teel me the Crockett highs were wide, so I'm going to try a pair and see how they work out.

The Vans SKATE Half Cab '92 is very comfortable on my wide feet.

[ambiguousclarity]

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Bumping this to see if anyone has any good finds lately.  I had a few people teel me the Crockett highs were wide, so I'm going to try a pair and see how they work out.

[close]

I’m size 13 and wide enough that most shoes are too tight. I find the Kyle Walker Pro 2 and Rowan fit reasonably comfortably. Prefer KWP2s but they retail for $200 AUD. I only buy them when on sale. I don’t  care for the additional height in the ankle of the Rowan. Have generally been lucky enough to pick up either shoe on sale. I was told by a vans retail staff member that certain shoes come in a variety of widths in the states. Haven’t fact checked it though.

The Vans SKATE Half Cab '92 is very comfortable on my wide feet.

[Thebird]

@Xen, how do the Tyshawns fit compared to the KSLs?

[PisstickleTypeExperience]

I still stand by my Fallen Patriots. Very comfortable, I have a backup pair and would buy more.

[Xen]

@Xen, how do the Tyshawns fit compared to the KSLs?

@Thebird besides needing to go a half size up, they are much better around the toes (the KSLs, while wide, did have a slightly pointer toe box); the overall fit of the shoe with the tys is lightyears ahead; it's much more form fitting, especially in the heel and mid foot, slightly more arch and way more comfortable. It's as if the tys are a 'tailored shoe' and KSLs are 'off the rack'.

My-Tys are mids but feel less bulky. Grip is better on the KSLs by a bit but that might be me as I've always felt Adidas weren't as grippy as they should be.

[Thebird]

Thanks for the detailed description.  Appreciate the feedback, I may have to try a pair.

[DarkPools]

Not sure if it's the widest per se, but Es Silo SC and Accel OG are both pretty wide/spacious in the toebox.

[SaySo]

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@Xen, how do the Tyshawns fit compared to the KSLs?

[close]

@Thebird besides needing to go a half size up, they are much better around the toes (the KSLs, while wide, did have a slightly pointer toe box); the overall fit of the shoe with the tys is lightyears ahead; it's much more form fitting, especially in the heel and mid foot, slightly more arch and way more comfortable. It's as if the tys are a 'tailored shoe' and KSLs are 'off the rack'.

My-Tys are mids but feel less bulky. Grip is better on the KSLs by a bit but that might be me as I've always felt Adidas weren't as grippy as they should be.

This is the best description I've read regarding my experience with with KSL and Tyshawns. I haven't skated the Tyshawns, but just trying them on they felt great. My feet swim in the KSL width-wise and also feel a lot lower or deeper "in" the shoe if that makes any sense. So far the KSLs skate great - I'm two sessions in and there's been minimal break-in necessary. I hope they don't bag out too much.

Will have to keep an eye out for a deal on the Tyshawns.

[DarkPools]

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@Xen, how do the Tyshawns fit compared to the KSLs?

[close]

@Thebird besides needing to go a half size up, they are much better around the toes (the KSLs, while wide, did have a slightly pointer toe box); the overall fit of the shoe with the tys is lightyears ahead; it's much more form fitting, especially in the heel and mid foot, slightly more arch and way more comfortable. It's as if the tys are a 'tailored shoe' and KSLs are 'off the rack'.

My-Tys are mids but feel less bulky. Grip is better on the KSLs by a bit but that might be me as I've always felt Adidas weren't as grippy as they should be.

[close]

This is the best description I've read regarding my experience with with KSL and Tyshawns. I haven't skated the Tyshawns, but just trying them on they felt great. My feet swim in the KSL width-wise and also feel a lot lower or deeper "in" the shoe if that makes any sense. So far the KSLs skate great - I'm two sessions in and there's been minimal break-in necessary. I hope they don't bag out too much.

Will have to keep an eye out for a deal on the Tyshawns.

Adidas is selling Tyshawn and other models on eBay at a 40% of rate. Tyshawns were going for $30 after the deal but I think they're $54 now after the deal. Peep the Sale Gear thread for details.

On the KSL, I disagree with the "off the rack" comment, as they feel like a modern fitting shoe to me but with more width in the instep/arch area compared to Adidas, which are usually pretty narrow/high arch (which regularly hasn't worked for me from my experience).

That said, they're a great shoe and I'm skating them [KSL] right now. I wanted to like my Tyshawns but the fit was mid for me.  I felt like the Tyshawn had a narrow and shallow toe box in the leather pair i used to have. The mid foot did feel a bit too snug for me. Maybe if I had sized 0.5 that wouldn't have been an issue, but who knows.

I'm tempted to try again with that ebay deal on the Tyshawns and see if my opinion changes

[SaySo]

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@Xen, how do the Tyshawns fit compared to the KSLs?

[close]

@Thebird besides needing to go a half size up, they are much better around the toes (the KSLs, while wide, did have a slightly pointer toe box); the overall fit of the shoe with the tys is lightyears ahead; it's much more form fitting, especially in the heel and mid foot, slightly more arch and way more comfortable. It's as if the tys are a 'tailored shoe' and KSLs are 'off the rack'.

My-Tys are mids but feel less bulky. Grip is better on the KSLs by a bit but that might be me as I've always felt Adidas weren't as grippy as they should be.

[close]

This is the best description I've read regarding my experience with with KSL and Tyshawns. I haven't skated the Tyshawns, but just trying them on they felt great. My feet swim in the KSL width-wise and also feel a lot lower or deeper "in" the shoe if that makes any sense. So far the KSLs skate great - I'm two sessions in and there's been minimal break-in necessary. I hope they don't bag out too much.

Will have to keep an eye out for a deal on the Tyshawns.

[close]

Adidas is selling Tyshawn and other models on eBay at a 40% of rate. Tyshawns were going for $30 after the deal but I think they're $54 now after the deal. Peep the Sale Gear thread for details.

On the KSL, I disagree with the "off the rack" comment, as they feel like a modern fitting shoe to me but with more width in the instep/arch area compared to Adidas, which are usually pretty narrow/high arch (which regularly hasn't worked for me from my experience).

That said, they're a great shoe and I'm skating them [KSL] right now. I wanted to like my Tyshawns but the fit was mid for me.  I felt like the Tyshawn had a narrow and shallow toe box in the leather pair i used to have. The mid foot did feel a bit too snug for me. Maybe if I had sized 0.5 that wouldn't have been an issue, but who knows.

I'm tempted to try again with that ebay deal on the Tyshawns and see if my opinion changes

Yeah, I saw that Adidas official E-bay deal in the sale thread a few days ago, nevertheless, good looking out. Unfortunately I'm not based in the US so the exchange rate, shipping, and/or customs/duties would negate the savings.

Also, when I was back home far prior to the pandemic and tried to order domestically from the Adidas E-bay vendor they were terrible with respect to customer service (order receipt contact, order status, etc.) and transparency so that experience really turned me off to them. In the end I had to cancel the order. I wouldn't want to roll the dice and attempt to get them to ship internationally.

I've only tried on a suede pair of Tyshawns, so I don't have any frame of reference with respect to the leather model, but in my experience with other leather kicks you're right.

[pops]

Mentioned a few posts back but the NB#440 is a great fitting shoe, nice and wide and not pointy. Stock, They hurt my arches tho (all NB do); I had to size down 1/2 a size.

My experience is 440s definitely not that wide. The toebox is ok, but around the middle of the arch the shoe compresses my foot's sides like crazy. My midfoot is slimmer and gets wider towards forefoot. Also the heelcup is not that wide in 440s and I can feel compression on the sides of my heel as well. I trusted reviews saying that the shoes fit wide feet and was vastly disappointed finding they're narrower. But yeah, feet are very different, mine are weird.