How to Size Wide Shoes

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Artem Kononenko/Demand Media

Every foot is different, which can sometimes make buying comfortable shoes seem impossible. Some feet are wider than others, meaning they won't fit comfortably into regular-fit shoes. Measuring your feet before shoe shopping will help you determine whether you need to buy wide-width shoes. Measuring your feet and converting the measurement for width, which is determined by letter rather than number, is easy and will ensure that you find a comfortable fit.

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Artem Kononenko/Demand Media

Slip into a pair of medium-thickness socks. The thickness of your socks will effect the comfort of your shoes, so it is important that you measure with socks on unless you are buying sandals.

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Artem Kononenko/Demand Media

Lay your foot on top of a piece of paper and trace the outline of your foot.

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Artem Kononenko/Demand Media

Measure the outline of your foot with a tape measure or ruler at the widest spot to get your width in inches.

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Artem Kononenko/Demand Media

Compare your measurement to size chart and convert the inches to the the appropriate letter to determine your shoe width. Foot width between 4 7/8 inches to 5 5/8 inches are wide-width measurement 2E. Double wide-width is labeled 4E and fits foot width 5 1/4 inches to 6 inches. Six-E shoes are for triple wide feet that measure between 5 5/8 and 6 3/4 inches. The longer your feet are, the wider width shoe you will require.

Check wide-width shoe boxes while trying on shoes for the correct letter correspondence for your foot width to ensure maximum comfort.