When it comes to buying shoes for narrow feet, finding the perfect fit can be challenging if you don't know what you’re looking for. If your feet are a little (or a lot) narrower than average, you might find that you’re constantly slipping out of shoes or having to grip your toes when you walk to keep them on. To help you navigate the ins and outs of shopping for your foot type, we checked with our in-house foot expert Amanda Lau to get to grips with what exactly you should be looking for when it comes to finding the best women’s shoes for narrow feet.
NARROW FEET SHOE RECOMMENDATIONS
What are the best shoes for narrow feet?
- Making sure you know your foot width and length is the first step to finding the right shoes for your narrow feet. Once you’ve got your measurements, you'll have a reliable reference point for shopping online, giving you a broader range of choice when shopping for the best shoes for narrow feet. If you find a brand that consistently fits your measurements, it becomes so much easier to shop online without needing to try everything on in-store first. If you’re not sure how to measure your feet, use the Each x Every Measurement Guide.
- Try to find brands that fit both the length and width of your feet as it’s not a good idea to compromise one for the other. Getting both of these dimensions right can be tricky but brands like Each x Every that offer multiple width fittings and half sizes should have you covered. If the brand has a sizing chart to help you work out your foot width and length, that’s a bonus as you'll be confident that you’ve bought the right size before trying them on (see Each x Every’s sizing guide on each product page).
- When trying on shoes, you don’t want to be able to pinch any excess material from the sides. Make sure your foot is comfortable without feeling like you have space on either side to move around. If your foot is secure, you shouldn't able to pinch the shoe at the sides.
- Being able to secure your feet is key to long-lasting comfort when you have narrow feet. Consider shoes with flexible openings like laces or buckle-ups where you can tighten the shoe as much as you need across the band of your foot to suit your needs.
- Summer sandals can be difficult to find the right fit for because a narrow foot can slip through the open front, particularly if the sandal has a higher heel. That doesn’t mean that heeled sandals are completely out of the equation though, simply make sure your choice has larger straps across the front and adjustable straps around the ankle to hold your foot in place.
- Narrow and pointy toe box designs will be more suited to your foot shape. Try an almond shape design if you don’t want to get too pointy or want to avoid appearing too lengthy.
- When looking for closed-toe styles, think about upper materials that won't give too much, as over time, choosing a very forgiving material may lead to the shoe expanding. If you find a shoe that you really like but it’s still too wide, look for designs which can accommodate an extra footbed (or consider inserting your own insole) to prevent your foot from slipping forward into the toe box. If you're still finding it hard to get the balance right for your particular foot (a pinched or cramped feeling might be caused by overfilling the shoe), try a heel grip to stop slipping instead.
Ask the expert
Amanda Lau
Podiatrist
Amanda is a Specialist Musculoskeletal and Sports Podiatrist who’s worked with the likes of Nike and the RAF. After treating everyone from professional athletes to busy working mums, she knows first hand how crucial your footwear is for avoiding daily discomfort or even damage to your feet.
How do I know if I have narrow feet?
If you regularly feel like you ‘slip out’ of your shoes, it might be because your feet are narrower than the average foot. Measuring your foot width is the first step to understanding whether you have narrow feet. Your foot width is measured across the band of your foot (the widest part), where the metatarsals, the bones that run all the way to your toes, bend (for a complete guide on how to measure your feet, check out ExE’s foot measurement guide). Once you know your measurements you can then look at shoe widths that would be appropriate for you.
A recent study actually found that 63-72% of participants were wearing shoes that didn’t fit properly.
Knowing your measurements is particularly useful when the brand you are buying from can guide you to the right size using that information. There are a few brands, like Each x Every, that help their customers find their correct size and width fittings (see more on the Each x Every width fitting guide) but if the brands you are buying from do not offer that information it’s likely that you’ll need to try them on first (particularly if you’ve not bought from them before).
No matter which method you use of finding the right width of shoes for your feet, its crucial to get well-fitting shoes as you might unwittingly be wearing shoes that are working against your foot rather than with it. And this could lead to a number of problems down the road.
What to look out for when trying on narrow fit shoes?
One of the most common ways people get around having narrow feet is to buy a smaller size. While the width might seem more comfortable for you at the time, this is rarely the best approach when buying shoes for narrow feet. By losing valuable space in the toe box you can leave yourself open to uncomfortable toe scrunching, painful blisters and a whole host of long-term issues.
Ultimately, if your toes are repeatedly boxed into a shoe that’s too small, it’s not uncommon for them to curl up into the shoe, causing friction that could lead to calluses and corns. A Hammertoe occurs when the end toe joint bends up into an unnatural shape and can be caused by a number of reasons, from wearing shoes that are too small to genetic predisposition or foot type. Once developed, hammertoes can cause permanent changes to the joint line and potentially have negative ripple effects throughout the body-like a skeletal chain reaction. Taking the time to find specifically constructed shoes for narrow feet is crucial in making sure you don’t develop any foot injuries or long term structural issues to your feet.
