Why doesn’t size-inclusive fashion include women with wide feet?

Walk into most retailers that sell shoes and, chances are, you won’t find many wide-width options for women, if any at all. At one point, Payless was a reliable store where you could find women’s shoes in wide and extra-wide widths for everyday use or special occasions. However, all of its brick-and-mortar locations are now closed.

Why Isn’t Size-Inclusive Fashion Supporting Women with Wide Feet?

The fashion industry has made strides in embracing body inclusivity, but one area still lags behind — footwear for women with wide feet. Despite claims of progress, the reality reveals a frustrating lack of options.

Promises of Inclusive Footwear

The demand for wide-width shoes isn’t new. In 2020, Khloe Kardashian’s brand Good American made headlines by showcasing wide-width shoes on the runway. The brand’s size-inclusive footwear was paired with plus-size models wearing Good American clothing, reinforcing its commitment to diversity.

At the time, Footwear News highlighted the brand’s bold claim: “Every pair of Good American shoes is available in regular and extended widths around feet, calves and thighs to fit all body types.”

Yet a few years later, those promises seem hollow. Browsing Good American’s website today reveals just two shoes available when filtering for extended width sizes — far fewer than the 75 styles originally promised for women with wider feet.

The Growing Need for Wide Shoes

The shortage of wide-width options isn’t just anecdotal — research supports the demand. A study published in the journal Nature examined 3D foot scans from over 1 million individuals across North America, Europe, and Asia. The findings showed that people generally require at least three different shoe widths to achieve a proper fit.

The study further revealed that footwear offered in a single width caters to only 40% of customers, leaving the remaining 60% — many of whom are women — with limited options.

The Disappearing Shoe Specialists

In the past, local shoe stores specializing in hard-to-fit feet helped fill this gap. However, with the rapid growth of online giants like Zappos and Amazon, many independent retailers — once lifelines for those with wider feet — have struggled to survive. Major chains such as Payless have also disappeared, further reducing access to size-diverse footwear.

The Result? A Compromise in Comfort

As a result, “many women with wide feet have become used to squeezing their feet into shoes which are too narrow for them,” says Susannah Davda, a footwear consultant based in London who runs The Shoe Consultant.

While fashion brands are taking steps toward size inclusivity, the continued oversight of wide-width footwear leaves a significant gap in the industry — one that countless women are still waiting for brands to address.

It hurts to wear shoes that are too narrow

It seems many people are doing just this — wearing shoes that do not fit. A 2018 study in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research found that between 63% and 72% of participants were wearing shoes that did not accommodate the width or length dimensions of their feet. What happens when you don’t wear properly fitting shoes? You can legit hurt yourself.

That’s what happened to Sharon Rhodes, who writes The Honour System blog. “My doctor diagnosed me with Morton’s neuroma because my toes were compressed from wearing narrow hiking boots,” Rhodes explained. “My podiatrist suggested I look for shoes with a wide-toe box.”

Finding fashionable, wide-width shoes

Rhodes faces a similar challenge as other wide-footed women. “My issue is finding cute shoes that have a wide-toe bed,” she explained, “and don’t look like nursing shoes.” Or granny shoes. Or shoes you wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear to a high school reunion or on a date.

“Women should have the right to wear shoes which are wide enough for their feet,” Davda, The Shoe Consultant, added. She recommended encouraging retailers to stock a wider variety — pun intended — of shoe widths. How can customers do this? 

Simple, Davda suggested. Stop buying narrow shoes and shopping in stores that don’t cater to wide feet. At the same time, let the store manager or customer service department know why you will no longer be a customer and that you won’t be back until they stock wider shoes.

At one time, Nordstrom stocked double-wide shoes in their brick-and-mortar department stores. Now you’ll find significantly fewer on their website or at the Nordstrom outlet store called Nordstrom Rack. Davda said that when looking at the Nordstrom website as well as Zappos, it’s easy to see real-time examples of these width discrepancies. She provided these stats:

• Nordstrom offered just 1,492 wider-fitting women’s options compared to 18,300 standard-width shoes.
• Zappos had a higher percentage of wider products, with 3,173 styles, compared to 23,124 standard-width items.

Since Nordstrom prides itself on providing great customer service, why not start by asking them for a better selection of wide and extra wide-width shoes. Use the Nordstrom website to find your local store. Then, call and ask to speak with the store manager. You can also reach out to Nordstrom customer service to relay your concerns about how the store’s size inclusivity hasn’t expanded to include women with wide feet.

Another option for those with a higher disposable income — custom-made wide shoes. The Alexander Noel Design Lab utilizes 3D scans of clients’ feet to create custom-made shoes. They offer expanded width sizes in women’s stiletto and high-heel collections. Prices start at $299.

More than wide calves

There is some movement in the right direction. Women with wide calves are having less trouble finding boots. More brands offer wide-calf boots for women, including designer Vince Camuto. Also, plus-size retailer Torrid and national retailer DSW tend to stock wide-calf boots, including cowboy boots. 

Ironically, though, wide-calf boots don’t always come in wide widths. Maybe that will change in the future, if more women ask for a better selection of shoe widths.

“Expanding their shoe lines to incorporate a broader spectrum of sizes isn’t just a matter of wider calves,” said Kara Harms, CEO of Whimsy Soul in San Francisco, California. “It’s time for brands to acknowledge this gap and make a genuine commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that every aspect of the body is considered when catering to their diverse customer base.”

Leah Ingram is the author of 15 books, including “Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less.” She shares shopping advice for getting the most value for your time and money at Leah Ingram Real Sophisticated Consumer.

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