Shoe Sizes and Widths, Explained

The short answer

A shoe size has two parts. The number is the length, and the letter is the width. When a listing shows only a number, the shoe is usually the standard (medium) width.

Length and width are both read against a chart, and charts differ a little from brand to brand. Measure your feet, then compare the result with the chart of the brand you are buying.

How to measure your feet

Nike's size guide describes a simple method you can do at home:

1. Tape a sheet of paper to a hard floor.
2. Stand on it with your weight even, one foot on the paper.
3. Have someone mark the tip of your big toe and the back of your heel, holding the pen straight up and down.
4. Measure between the two marks, then repeat with the other foot.
5. Use the longer foot. If it falls between two sizes, Nike suggests the larger one.

US shoe size chart

These rows come from Nike's men's footwear chart. Women's sizes in the same row are 1.5 higher, so a men's 9 sits beside a women's 10.5.

On this chart, each full size adds 5/16 or 3/8 inch of foot length. Other brands may round differently, which is why one brand's 9 can feel like another's 9.5.

Width letters: what 2E means

Width runs on a letter ladder. Letters toward A (and more A's) mean narrower; more E's mean wider. The catch is that the ladder starts at a different point for men and women, as Samuel Hubbard's width guide explains:

So 2E means wide in a men's shoe and extra wide in a women's shoe. A "D" is the everyday width for men but already a wide for women. Not every brand makes every step; 2E and 4E are the most common wide sizes.

Wide vs regular width

A wide shoe keeps the same length and adds room around the ball of the foot and the toes. Nike puts the difference at about 1/4 inch more girth in the toe box for its wide shoes and about 1/2 inch for extra wide, compared with its regular width.

Signs you may need a wider size:

• The length feels right, but the shoe pinches across the widest part of your foot.
• Your foot spills over the edge of the insole.
• Going up half a size fixes the pinch but leaves a gap at the toe.

Shopping by size on Wiki Shopping

Store listings do not always state a width, so read the size options on the store page before you buy. You can start from all shoes or narrow the list to women's shoes, shoes under $100 or shoes under $75. For running, our guide to running shoe types covers cushioning, support and heel drop.

Shop by spec

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Sources

1. nike.com: mens footwear
2. samuelhubbard.com: wide width shoe sizes explained