I really like the look of vintage-styled canvas sneakers and deck shoes like Doek, Novesta, Converse, Wakouwa, Reproduction of Found etc. However, I find most all of them to be an absolute nightmare for wider-footed guys! Let's take the Novesta low-tops, which are a cheap-ish, popular alternative here in Europe. While they are advertised to be rather wide, I found them much too narrow: having a UK10 foot, I tried them in 44 and 45, but both were at least 1.5cm too narrow for my feet. In size 44, the insole was just over 9cm in its widest part, which seems very narrow to me. Doek was even narrower, and Converse is notorious for its narrow forefoot. Every model by reproduction of Found I've tried has had the same issue.
It's not that my feet are even -that- wide – Alden Barrie in US10.5D is pretty spot on for me, if just a tiny bit too narrow for my forefoot (but perfectly okay once broken in), so I don't even need any of the EEE models. If I'm having difficulties, I can't imagine what it is like for truly wide-footed guys! The reason for my wider feet is that I have walked with barefoot shoes for years, and my feet and toes have gotten used to being free to wiggle around and grip the floor.
So, does anyone know any good brands or models with wider toeboxes and the styling I am looking for? If these kind of shoes just don't exist, how about wider 70's-80's "retro running sneakers"? I have tried on the RoF French Army Sneakers in EU44, and they seemed quite narrow, but it might just be that I didn't pick the right size. The "retro sneaker" look isn't my favourite, but I guess it would do. I need some footwear for the summer, as loafers don't fit my wide forefoot + low foot volume + small hell combo.
It's not that my feet are even -that- wide – Alden Barrie in US10.5D is pretty spot on for me, if just a tiny bit too narrow for my forefoot (but perfectly okay once broken in), so I don't even need any of the EEE models. If I'm having difficulties, I can't imagine what it is like for truly wide-footed guys! The reason for my wider feet is that I have walked with barefoot shoes for years, and my feet and toes have gotten used to being free to wiggle around and grip the floor.
So, does anyone know any good brands or models with wider toeboxes and the styling I am looking for? If these kind of shoes just don't exist, how about wider 70's-80's "retro running sneakers"? I have tried on the RoF French Army Sneakers in EU44, and they seemed quite narrow, but it might just be that I didn't pick the right size. The "retro sneaker" look isn't my favourite, but I guess it would do. I need some footwear for the summer, as loafers don't fit my wide forefoot + low foot volume + small hell combo.