Wide running shoes are sized by width code rather than length alone: D, 2E and 4E for men, B, D and 2E for women, with each step up adding room across the ball of the foot and through the toe box. If you have been buying a half size longer to stop your foot feeling squeezed, a wide is probably what you needed. Fitness Sports stocks wide and extra wide shoes in our Iowa stores, on the shelf rather than by special order, and we measure every foot before a box comes out.
What D, 2E and 4E actually mean
Length tells you how far your foot reaches. Width tells you how much room it needs across the forefoot. They are separate measurements. In men's shoes, D is the standard width, 2E is wide and 4E is extra wide. In women's shoes, B is standard, D is wide and 2E is extra wide, which is why the same letter can mean different things depending on which wall you are shopping.
Every foot is different, and each one needs to be measured to tell whether it is narrow, medium, wide or extra wide. We use a heat sensitive board to read your foot and get that measurement right rather than eyeball it. Two people with the same length can need different widths, and one person often needs a different width on each foot.
Signs you need width, not length
Most people who need a wide shoe have been compensating for years without realizing it. These are the signs we see most.
- The insole, pulled out and stood on, is narrower than your foot.
- Hard creasing or a visible bulge across the ball of the foot.
- Seam marks or redness along the outside edge of your foot.
- Numbness or hot spots on longer walks and runs.
- Buying a half size up just to get room up front, then sliding around in the heel.
That last one is the most common trade people make. Going longer buys forefoot room at the cost of heel hold, so the foot slides and you get blisters instead of pressure. Going wider gives room where you need it and keeps the heel locked in place.
Brands that run in widths
Not every brand offers every model in every width, which is why the selection you find in a store beats a filter on a website. We keep New Balance, HOKA, Saucony and Brooks in wide widths in stock, along with other brands we carry.
New Balance has the deepest width range of the group and is often where we start for a foot that needs 4E, so it is worth browsing the New Balance models we carry. Brooks and HOKA cover their core cushioned and stability models in wide, and Saucony rounds out the group. If your width need comes with pressure at the big toe joint, our guide to picking shoes when you have bunions covers what to look for in a toe box.
We stock wide, we do not just order it
A lot of stores will order a wide in for you. That means waiting, and committing to a shoe you have never stood in. Width is not something you settle from a size chart: you learn it by lacing the shoe up and walking a lap of the floor.
So we keep wides on the shelf across the categories people ask for: running shoes, walking shoes, athletic shoes, work shoes and everyday shoes. You can try a 2E and a 4E of the same model back to back, compare two brands in your width in one visit, and leave with the pair that felt right rather than the one that was available.
How we fit for width in store
Fitting is free at every store and no appointment is needed. We measure length, width and arch height on both feet, check how you walk, and ask what you need the shoe for, because a warehouse shift, a daily walk and a training block put pressure in different places. Then we bring out a few options in your width. You can read more about how our fitting process works before you come in.
Our stores are in Ames, Ankeny, Clive, Coralville, Des Moines, Marion and North Liberty, which puts a fitting within reach of the Des Moines metro, the Iowa City and Coralville area, and Cedar Rapids. Hours and directions are on the Fitness Sports store locations page. If the pair does not work out, bring it back within 30 days with the receipt for a refit, exchange or refund. Online orders ship free over $70, and store pickup is normally ready within an hour.
Questions we get asked
What do D, 2E and 4E mean in shoe sizing?
They are width codes, not lengths. In men's shoes D is the standard width, 2E is wide and 4E is extra wide. In women's shoes B is standard, D is wide and 2E is extra wide. Each step up adds room across the ball of the foot and through the toe box while the length stays the same, which is why a wide often fits better than sizing up.
How do I know if I need a wide shoe?
Take the insole out and stand on it. If your foot hangs over the edges, you need width rather than length. Other giveaways are hard creasing across the ball of the foot, red marks or seam lines on your skin at the end of the day, numbness in the toes on longer walks, and a habit of buying a half size up to get room up front.
Which brands make wide running shoes?
New Balance has the deepest width range and is where we start for a lot of wide feet. Brooks, HOKA and Saucony also produce wide versions of their core models. Coverage varies by model and by color, which is part of why it pays to come in: we can tell you which shoes exist in your width right now instead of leaving you to guess online.
Do you stock wide shoes or order them in?
We stock them. Wide and extra wide sit on the shelf in our Iowa stores across running, walking, athletic, work and everyday shoes, so you can try several pairs side by side the same day. That matters, because width fit is judged by standing and walking in the shoe, not by reading a size chart.
Can insoles make a narrow shoe fit a wide foot?
No, and an insole usually makes it tighter, since it takes up volume inside the shoe. Insoles are there for support under the arch, not for width. If a shoe squeezes across the ball of your foot, the answer is a wider last. Once you are in the right width, an insole can be a good addition, and we match one to your arch height.
If you have spent years in shoes that pinch, come into any Fitness Sports store and let us measure your width properly, or start with the wide and extra wide collection and pick your pair up at the store nearest you.