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I have mutant-wide feet and it's generally impossible to find comfortable shoes for any occasion. For the most part my only options in life are New Balance. I'm cycling a lot lately and would like to take advantage of cleats. So, does anybody actually manufacture 4E shoes? I'd rather not try stretching them out with mink oil/boiling water/wooden shoe stretchers and the pain from narrow shoes can be pretty excruciating. My google-fu is coming up with a few dozen forum discussions with no real solutions.

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  • I also mostly wear NB 4E. Didn't try that hard, but pretty much gave up on finding cycling shoes. I seem to recall hearing that some people have had good luck with cycling sandals, since sandals tend to be a bit more forgiving on sizing.
    – freiheit
    Dec 7, 2011 at 23:35

7 Answers 7

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Sidi make a wide fitting version of their shoes.

I have a pair of Sidi's and they have been the best fitting, most comfortable shoes I've ever found. From their website:

Mega sizes are cut with more material throughout, and a larger-volume heelcup. Mega sizes roughly correspond to a EE/EEE width on the Brannock sizing scale.

Possibly still not wide enough for your needs but they're worth checking out.

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  • Thanks for the info on Sidi. I just bought new shoes recently and totally discounted Sidi, never even looking them because of past experiences with them being narrower then other brands. I will have to try on some of these. Dec 8, 2011 at 15:28
  • I'm going down to Sports Basement to try out the Shimano M087GEs and Northwave Lizzard Pros today. I tried to buy a pair of Sidi Megas but apparently the customers of the high-end bike stores never have feet longer than 42s, which made me feel like even more of a mutant.
    – mhalligan
    Dec 12, 2011 at 23:13
  • @mhalligan I had to order my Sidi's as I couldn't find any shops that stocked them. I got them from a specialised cycling shop, not just a standard LBS.
    – Mac
    Dec 12, 2011 at 23:31
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    I picked up the Shimano M087GEs from Sports Basement in San Francisco tonight, they feel flimsier than the Sidis but wider and more comfortable. I'll have a better idea as to their fit after a few days of wear.
    – mhalligan
    Dec 13, 2011 at 5:39
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I have 4E feet and the only shoes that I have found that fit are Lake

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Yes, D2 Shoes will make you a custom extra-wide shoe.

Good info on the D2 Shoes website. 41 sizes, 9 widths available. $975 price tag is tough, but looks like D2 Shoes will manufacture you an extra wide road or mountain shoe.

The widest off the shelf bicycle shoe I could find is the Shimano SH-M087GE Mountain Bike Shoes. The GE version is a wide version of the regular SH-M087G.

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  • On that note, the Lake MX400s might also be an option, at 1/2 the price of the D2's .. $975 for a pair of shoes is pretty obscene. But man those Lakes are fugly!
    – mhalligan
    Dec 12, 2011 at 23:29
  • I have not tried heat molded shoes (Shimano makes a shoe you heat up too) but even the $480 on those Lakes is too much in my opinion. I don't know how much the material will stretch with the heat molding. Dec 13, 2011 at 0:51
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Once met a guy who had had his shattered foot "reconstructed" with screws, etc, and it was about half-again as wide as his other foot. He was riding in custom-reconstructed cycling shoes. He told me that the cobbler took two regular bike shoes, cut them apart, and sewed them back together as one.

As I recall (it's been maybe eight years), the shoes had cleats, probably SPDs.

(Of course, I have no idea who did the work for him, but probably an outfit that does "orthopedic" shoes.)

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I found a cheap pair of shoes from Specialized that are awesome for wide feet. The Tahoe From Specialized. Note: this isn't a 'competitive' shoe; it's classified as recreational. I ride a hybrid for fitness, and I wear 10.5 US 4E New Balances when I buy athletic shoes. I paid $85 from a retailer but I think you can get them cheaper.

The shoe works because of the construction. They're built like Keen or Merrell sandals, meaning they wrap around your foot in a basket-like construction. It's not a sandal though, in that the sides of the shoe have strips of leather and nylon that flex around the toe box.(don't know if I'm using the right terms) Again, I'm a fitness rider, and I need a versatile shoe for commutes and long rides. And I've been wearing them on long rides for two weeks without any pain. These have a pop-out section on the forefoot to accomodate a clip if you want to install one.

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You may also want to check out custom=made shoes from BONT. They aren't cheap though!

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It's also possible, if you have the tools and the inclination, to make your own from a pair of non-cycling shoes that already fit correctly. Ideally these should have a flattish outsole (so they don't catch on the pedals) which is also thick enough to recess the cleats.

You'll still ideally want the stiff insole from a cycling shoe (as here) to spread the pressure from the plate the cleats bolt onto. So, you need a donor cycling shoe whose sole isn't too narrow, but at least it doesn't need to fit around your feet for this to work.

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