Have you realized that your feet need a bit more space? Whether it’s walking with bunions, a wider forefoot or just seeing the benefits of a foot shaped shoe, we’ve got you covered! Our team has tested tons of gear to come up with the best wide toe box walking shoes!
If you’ve ever dealt with blisters or sore feet after long hours of walking or standing, I hate to say it but your shoes might be the cause.
The toe box is the front part of a shoe and the fit can totally make or break how your feet feel. You can often tell if it’s a wider or more narrow fit by the shape and the amount of space your toes have to spread out.
Reminder a wide shoe is not the same as a wide toe box. And a wide toe box isn’t just for people who have wider feet.
- Best Zero Drop Option: Altra Torin
- Best Overall Wide: Topo Atmos
- Max Cushioned Option: NB Fresh Foam More
- Standing All Day: Hoka Bondi
- Traditional Walking Shoe: Ghost Max 2
- All Day Shoe (might help Plantar Fasciitis): Kuru Atom 2
Are Wide Toe Box Shoe Better for Our Feet?
This is certainly part of the argument that lead to a crazy of barefoot running. And there is indeed some truth to the idea that with more room your foot can better grip the ground and push off through that big toe. Mostly though, unless you’re having issues, a large toe box is about being comfortable!
A wide tox box is designed to give extra space for the widest part of your foot, known as the ball of your foot. While wide foot walking shoes have more room throughout the width of the shoe.
Since our feet naturally swell the longer we’re on them, maybe that extra space in a toe box isn’t such a bad idea.
7 Best Wide Toe Box Walking Shoes
If you’re looking for a pair of wide toe box walking shoes, you’ll often find they’re also running shoes. The difference in our recommendations often comes down to usage, cushion and support!
We’ve tested some of the best brands and shoes so that you can be sure that your feet will be happy no matter how much time you spend walking or standing around. And you won’t find barefoot shoes here, we enjoy cushion!
Best Zero Drop Walking Shoe (Footshaped Toe Box)- Altra Torin
Let’s be honest, there’s nothing worse than when your feet start to get sore and achy and the day is far from over! If you are on your feet all day long, you’re really going to love this shoe.
When you first put on the Torin, you might not even notice that it’s a zero-drop shoe. That’s thanks to the EGO™ MAX foam in the midsole, plus the cushioned tongue and FootShape toe box its a winning combo for all day comfort.
One of the biggest benefits to Altra shoes is their foot shaped design, which is going to mean a lot more room in the toebox to accommodate any issues like bunions. It also means your foot can spread out to grip the ground.
- Weight: 10.15 oz men’s, 8.4 oz women’s
- Heel drop: zero drop
- Stack height: 30 mm
- 7 colors
- Wide only available in black/white
- Available at Altra Running and retail stores for $150
- Read our full review of the Altra Torin 7 here >>
Overall Best Wide Toe Box Walking Shoe – Topo Atmos
A great example of a wide toe box shoe that’s not a wide fit through the midfoot and heel. You’ll get ALL the toe room as Topos are known for their wider toe fit, but not too loose if you don’t have an overall wide foot.
This was considered Topo’s first max cushioned shoe and boy oh boy does it feel good.
This shoe makes you think about Goldilocks, it’s not too soft, or too firm, it’s not too clunky with the 38mm height and it’s not too heavy. It’s just right especially for those longer walks.
This is going to be a shoe that you’re absolutely going to want to grab for daily walks. Plus, since the colorways aren’t too loud it could become an everyday shoe for errands and even at work if your dress code allows!
- Weight: 9.7 oz Men’s, 7.9 oz Women’s
- Heel drop: 5 mm
- Stack height: 38 mm
- 5 colors
- Not available in wide
- Available from Zappos.com for $160
Best Max Cushioned Walking Shoe – New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5
If you want a walking shoe that just feels fabulous, look no more. This shoe is going to be your #1 power walking companion. I love that NB has a great selection of wide shoes and this is one that often comes back as a favorite.
With a roomy area for your mid-foot, it still has a good heel cupping to help prevent your foot from sliding out. This is a maximal shoe, meaning it has a higher stack height from toe to heel. If you’ve never worn a shoe like that, trust me within a few minutes you don’t notice anything different (except the great cushion here!).
That taller stack height provides a slightly wider base and more stability without in any way being a stability shoe.
- Weight: 11 oz Men’s, 8.6 oz Women’s
- Heel Drop: 4 mm
- Stack height: 44 mm
- 6 colors
- Available in regular, wide and extra wide
- Available on the New Balance website for $155
Best for Long Days on Your Feet – Hoka Bondi
The Bondi is always one of our go-to options for a solid walking shoe. The recent update has kept this one at the top of our lists because it’s a shoe that’s going to feel good from start to finish.
We have to admit the last model broke our hearts a little but we absolutely love the Bondi 9’s firmer and smoother feel. You aren’t going to feel like you’re sinking into the shoe, especially if you plan to wear it for a long time. Which is good news for your lower back!!
Even with all that cushioning, the Bondi 9 still manages to feel lightweight, which is a huge win for a shoe this plush.
The Bondi also comes in wide and extra wide so there are plenty of options available.
- Weight: 10.5 oz Men’s, 9.3 oz Women’s
- Heel Drop: 5 mm
- Stack Height: 43mm
- Available in 6 colors
- Available in wide and extra wide (in limited colors)
- Available on Hoka.com for $170
- Read our full review of the Hoka Bondi 9 here >>
Best Traditional Walking Shoe – Brooks Ghost Max 2
The Brooks Ghost is one of the brand’s flagship shoes. Runners and walkers have loved it for years and so it’s not a surprise they didn’t mess with that working formula and instead tried to branch out to meet the new growing demand for max shoes.
Max generally means we’re getting a bigger stack height so they can shove in a lot more cushion and it will feel softer underfoot. Even though they shifted to a “softer” foam, we still felt that it was like a rock.
Even though our team didn’t love this shoe, lots of folks have raved about the shoe because there’s a slightly firmer feel unlike so many shoes now with really soft foams. If you’re doing a lot of walking and need that extra toe box space, try this one for yourself!
While this is not a stability shoe, if you’re looking for something that has a stable ride with moderate cushion and you like the fit of Brooks this would be a good choice.
- Weight: 10.3oz Men’s, 9.5 oz Women’s
- Heel Drop: 6mm
- Stack Height: 39mm
- 7 Colors
- Available in Wide (extra wide in men’s)
- Available on Brooksrunning.com and retail stores for $150
- Read our full Brooks Ghost Max 2 Review here>>
Runner-up Traditional Walking Shoe- Ryka Pod Walking Sneaker
This is the only shoe on our list that our team of testers hasn’t had the chance to try. But it’s well known as wide toe box walking shoe, so we feel really good recommending it.
This brand was made for women which we thought is pretty unique. Let us know if you give it a try!
- Weight: 8.3oz Women’s
- Heel Drop: 10mm
- Stack Height: 31 mm
- 4 Colors
- Available in Wide
- Available on Zappos.com for $90
Best Stability Walking Shoe – On Cloudflyer Wide
If you’re looking for a wide toe box shoe with some additional stability features or arch support this is going to be a solid option.
The wide version of a Cloudflyer shoe still has all the luxuries but is constructed 4mm wider than the regular fit. It might sound like a small amount of difference, but your toes will thank you the very first time you go for a walk in them!
If you’re someone who deals with Plantar Fasciitis, this could be a good shoe everyday shoe to wear to help avoid that discomfort from lingering throughout the day.
I do have to say that the feel of this is a little stiff, especially for the On line-up but a newer model is coming soon that we hope will feel a little softer. Stay tuned for our review.
- Weight: 10.5 oz Men’s, 9 oz Women’s
- Heel drop: 11 mm
- Stack height: 31 mm
- 5 colors
- Not available in wide
- Available from on.com for $170
Best All Day Walking Shoe- Kuru Atom 2
Kuru shoes are designed with a heel-hugging KURUSOLE. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time on their feet and deals with plantar fasciitis, this shoe was designed specifically for you!
Once you put the shoe on, the curved, heel-cupping design will give your heel pad a little extra support and form to your foot. They are meant to follow your foots natural biomechanics and sorta mold to your needs.
The foam uses the EVA shock absorbing cushion, so there is going to have a more plush, bouncy feel. Perfect for those super long days on your feet!
Our team will be testing this in the coming weeks to give our full feedback! Stay tuned!
- Weight: 13.1 oz Men’s, 11.4 oz Women’s
- Heel drop: 10 mm
- Stack height: 28 mm
- 4 colors
- Available in wide
- Available from kurufootwear.com for $165
Best Hiking Shoe- Merrell Moab Speed
Our tester, Coach Laura who typically wears Altra, thought that these had a super roomy toebox and overall comfy fit which says a lot!
If you’re heading out to the trails for a hike, these will keep your feet supported, dry and comfy all day long.
The firm sole will excellent stability on unstable, shifting rocks, and the Vibram traction lugs will provide outstanding grip throughout any hike.
While some folks are going to love running in this, we think it’s better suited for long hikes and technical trail days.
- Weight: 12.34 oz Men’s, 9.7 oz Women’s
- Heel drop: 10 mm
- Stack height: 34-24mm women’s, 34-24mm men’s
- 9 colors
- Available in wide
- Available at merrell.com for $140
- Read our full review of the Merrell Moabm Speed 2 here >>
What Brands Have Wide Toe Boxes?
We could have done a round up of just these two brands since they are the most well known for truly WIDE toeboxes, but we think it’s important to see a variety of brands. Because not everyone wants a zero drop or loves the look of these.
Altra Shoes
The first thing that should come to mind when thinking about Altra shoes is their unique FootShape toe box. The design is meant to mimic your barefoot, allowing your toes to lay in a more natural position vs. squished together.
All of their shoes are zero-drop, designed so that your heel and forefoot are at the same distance from the ground. If you’re not used to a zero-drop you may need to give your body a little more time to adjust.
Topo Shoes
Topo shoes are great for anyone looking for a roomy toe box. They are going to have a foot-shaped design that’s going to help give more room in the width of the shoe.
While some models have a zero drop, most Topo shoes have a 4mm heel drop making their shoes more universal.
Here’s a little breakdown of Altra Vs Topo as they are the top two options.
Do You Need a Wide Toe Box Walking Shoe?
Most of us could get some benefits out of having more space for our toes. But there are a few clear signs that you really should be looking into a wide toe box shoes.
- Running with bunions
- Running with flat feet or fallen arches which cause foot to splay upon landing
- Consistently getting blisters on the sides of your feet or toes
- Feet going numb when you run from too much pressure
- Frequently getting black toenails or runner’s toe
- Corns, hammertoes or other problems with your feet
If you’re not sure whether or not you need a wide toe box shoe, it’s always best to consult with a doctor or podiatrist. They’ll be able to help you figure out if you have any problems with your feet that require a wider shoe.
Hopefully, this helped provide you with more understanding about wide toe box waking shoes. They really can be more comfortable for many walkers and are just worth seeking out.
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