Wide Shoes For Wide Feet

If there is one feature a lot of brands misuse when selling shoes, it is a wide toe box. 

Be it legacy running brands, or even new age brands. Every company has a wide toe box variant for folks with wide feet (or so they market it.)

On a closer look however it all comes to light.

Most wide toe box shoes are not actually wide near the toes. Our feet are the widest at the extremities of our toes, the absolute front portion of our feet. However, most wide shoes are wide only in the forefoot region before our toes begin giving that illusion of it being wide. Now of course the shoe should be wide there, but the purpose gets defeated if the toes still all come squished together in the shoe. 

This false marketing not only leads to disappointed customers but also leads to the larger question of what healthy shoes should look like, and why do these brands not work on making something truly foot shaped.

The answer has more to do with fashion than function here. Wide shoes just are not pretty to look at. But the thing to note here is that neither are feet. 

It only makes sense to make shoes that are foot shaped given they’re going to be worn on one’s feet, but customs and fashion suggest otherwise and brands just follow suit.

Barefoot shoes are truly wide shoes that may not look symmetrical and beautiful in that way, but that is the only way shoes should be. Wide and flat, just like our feet are. This ensures healthy foot function and also makes sure we don’t suffer in the long run with issues like bunions, plantar fasciitis and flat foot. 

If you are looking for wide toe box shoes that are actually truly wide and give your toes to function and breathe, look no further - Zen Barefoot shoes are just that.