Shoes ... Large toe box

[JeffP]

I am searching for a new trail shoe this year. I have walked the Frances for two years in Hoka Speed Goat 5s. The toe box is too narrow for my foot, and I get blisters on my pinky toes. My shoe size is 14, and I usually purchase a 15 for the Camino. This year, I am planning on starting in Le Puy and walking to Finisterre. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[C clearly]

I wear women's shoes, but the Brooks Ghost Max has a roomy forefoot - volume as well as width. Maybe they are worth trying.

 

[Turga]

You could take look at the Topo Athletic trail runners. They have a wide toe box, they are well cushioned and are quite comfortable.

 

[phook]

Altra's have a wide toe box. But be aware they are zero drop - there is no heel raise, which can cause injury if your legs don't like them.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I'm another Altra (Lone Peak) convert. LOVE the wide toe box.
But you do need to take time to get used to the zero drop. I was pre-warned, so eased into it gradually and have been wearing them for two years now - absolutely love them. My older shoes are worn practically daily, there's always a new pair in the cupboard for the next Camino. I loved the sixes, disliked the sevens ( don't know what had changed but something did) but was fortunate to find additional sixes online. The eights are every bit as good if not better than the sixes were.
Not a great fan of their inserts, but as I wear orthotics it's not really an issue. A friend of mine wears aftermarket inserts.
We both have the originals in our packs to wear around town in the afternoon.

But as always with shoes this is very individual of course, and purely my personal opinion.

 

[JustOneGuy]

My partner has feet with a wide sole and a valgus thumb, and recently in a sports shop they suggested Topo shoes to her, a brand I did not know about. This shoe has literally changed her life. She walks a lot (10-20 km a day) and before it was a problem, also because she hates waste and buying 150 euro shoes seemed like a capital crime . I literally forced her and it changed her life.

However, if I can give you some REAL advice (and if you haven't done so yet...), rather than taking... advice from me or others you should go to a reliable runner's sports shop and get some expert advice. That was essential for me too and changed my life when I started running seriously years ago.

 

[francesbe]

Topos are very comfortable, but the soles totally wore out before the end of my camino (SJPP-->Finisterre-->Muxia). I wore them until the end, but the tread was smooth by Sarria.

 

[JustOneGuy]

That's right, Topo apparently do not last very long also in my wife's experience. However, did you use the trial model with "Vibram" sole or the running model?

However, I want to add how to recognise a ‘good’ seller of hiking or running shoes. Not easy, but this is my experience.

I bought my first running shoes in London. Super-luxury shop. A slender, athletic salesman like ‘I just ran the Boston marathon in less than 3 hours’.

Result: A DISASTER. Soles too thin and unsuitable for my less than graceful weight and a lumbar back pain that lasted me several months.

So I turned to an Italian running forum where I had some friends. They told me to go to a shop for runners near San Giovanni in Rome, my town, where I returned time by time.

I got there and there was a rather old and haggard guy standing at the door, with a belly and a cigarette in his mouth. Not very convinced, I asked him if he could recommend me some good running shoes (I don't exactly have a champion's physique, especially without a deforming mirror... in the right direction). He looked at me from head to toe with a slightly disgusted air, looked in another direction, turned around and went to get a box. Now it is not possible to imitate the typical Roman slang but without taking the cigarette out of his mouth he said to me ‘try these. Go for a walk and come back'. I was less and less convinced and beginning to think I got in the wrong shop, but anyway I wore them and went for a walk. I ran along the Aurelian Walls and they actually looked pretty good, but I am not very sensitive so I came back and shyly asked to try some more... who knows... just to be sure.

The fat guy told me ‘No, no. These are good for you.' Intimidated by Big Belly, I was a bit surprised by the harsh reply, but he said, ‘Look: I'll write the date and my signature on the box and I'll tell you that if they don't suit you, you can come back within 15 days and I'll give you your money back, understood?"

He really did it. But I never returned. And I've never changed running shoes model since then!!!

Even here where I live now I found through friends a similar guy who found me perfect trail shoes.

Moral of the story (at least in my experience): the less athletic they are, the more expert seller they are!

 

[dbier]

Not even all Hokas have the same toe box, even within the same model. I used Hoka Kaha boots until they wore out, then switched to Hoka Challengers. Both in wide.

But the best advice I can give is go get re- fitted, preferably by an older overweight employee ( no, seriously, they get it), and get them from a store with a return policy.

 

[Joynz]

I am searching for a new trail shoe this year. I have walked the Frances for two years in Hoka Speed Goat 5s. The toe box is too narrow for my foot, and I get blisters on my pinky toes. My shoe size is 14, and I usually purchase a 15 for the Camino. This year, I am planning on starting in Le Puy and walking to Finisterre. Do you have any suggestions?

Altras. I highly recommend the Altra Olympus for the best cushioning. And make sure you allow a thumb’s width of room in front of your longest toe. And add good arch supports as Altras are flat inside.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

Agree with everyone above that Topos are great, so long as you are willing to replace them more frequently than you might intend do. (My issue wasn't the soles, however -- it was the inside lining of the shoe that became frayed and worn down).

I've just started wearing On trail runners. They aren't as wide toe-box as Topos but definitely wider than Hokas and so far have given my feet room to breath after two 13 mile walks. They may be my keepers going forward.

 

[KFH]

I have narrow feet but tried the Altra and Topo (I forget the models) just to see if my feet preferred the wide box and zero drop.

I liked the wide box more than the zero drop but was willing to train in them for a long while before decision time. But the Altra seemed like zero cushion and as a bigger guy I didn't think I wanted to spend 500 miles pounding into those thin bottoms.

The Topo was even roomier and they felt pretty good cushion-wise, but I realized I had forgotten to size up in preparation and when I got a pair of Speedgoats I quickly settled into those instead of getting another pair of Topos.

But recently the Topo Ultraventure has caught my eye. I haven't purchased them, but it has a wide toe box, and, unlike some of their other models, isn't zero drop but rather has the same 5mm drop as the Speedgoats. And they come in the 15s you are looking for.

Personally, for Le Puy to the ocean, I would plan on two pairs regardless of which brand and model you end up with. Or perhaps carry two different brands/models to relieve the feet from the monotony of the same pressure points each day for two plus months.

 

[phook]

Note that running shops only recommend the shoes they have in stock. They're out to make money. Nothing wrong with that, but a shop that doesn't stock brand X is not going to recommend them.

 

[Joynz]

I have narrow feet but tried the Altra and Topo (I forget the models) just to see if my feet preferred the wide box and zero drop.

I liked the wide box more than the zero drop but was willing to train in them for a long while before decision time. But the Altra seemed like zero cushion and as a bigger guy I didn't think I wanted to spend 500 miles pounding into those thin bottoms.

The Topo was even roomier and they felt pretty good cushion-wise, but I realized I had forgotten to size up in preparation and when I got a pair of Speedgoats I quickly settled into those instead of getting another pair of Topos.

But recently the Topo Ultraventure has caught my eye. I haven't purchased them, but it has a wide toe box, and, unlike some of their other models, isn't zero drop but rather has the same 5mm drop as the Speedgoats. And they come in the 15s you are looking for.

Personally, for Le Puy to the ocean, I would plan on two pairs regardless of which brand and model you end up with. Or perhaps carry two different brands/models to relieve the feet from the monotony of the same pressure points each day for two plus months.

No cushion in Altras. You must not have tried the Altra Olympus!

 

[dreaming]

I had great trouble getting a pair of running shoes to fit my wide feet. I used to wear 4E mens New balance but now they are too narrow. I am female .Finally, I have a pair to fit. Asics GT 2000 4E. I love them. I need cushioning and arch support. I lost a toenail on last year's CF.

 

[VNwalking]

Keens.

And a related question: anyone out there need a very wide toe box as well as a roomy forefoot height-wise? I hopefully tried on the Altras and hokas but they were too snug on top of metatarsal and big toe tarsal-metatarsal joint (old injury, long story - suffice it to say I have one foot that is getting less and less normally-shaped with age as the consequence of old injury.