Are you having the hardest time finding a pair of flat shoes that are comfortable and capable of accommodating your wide feet? Do you have a specific foot condition (bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis) or a “complicated” foot shape (wide forefoot/narrow heel combination) that makes it a lot more challenging to find shoes that fit? I have been fitting women’s shoes for many years and after having tested many different shoe brands and styles, I ended up becoming familiar with the best flat shoes for women with wide feet.
We don’t carry every single shoe brand at the shoe store where I work, but I have tested many different shoe brands and styles. I also did some extensive research online to find which flat shoes work best for women with wide feet, so keep on reading to find which pair of ballet flats is right for you.
What are the Best Flat Shoes for Women with Wide Feet?
Take a look at the description below each flat shoe to find out whether it’s available in wide (W) or extra wide widths (X-Wide). You will also find other important information such as the features that the shoes provide, the materials that the shoes are made of, and what shoe size you should order to prevent your longest toe from rubbing against the front part of the shoes.
Keep in mind that while most of these flat shoes provide EVA footbeds with good support, they will never compare to the support that you will get from your sneakers or Mary Jane shoes.
- Available in wide widths (W)
- 100% leather
- Removable microfiber covered EVA footbed
- Ideal for women who need extra support from their shoes
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide widths (W)
- Soft leather and suede lining
- Lightly padded footbed
- Ideal for women who need extra support from their shoes
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide widths (W)
- Upper made with rich leather
- Cushioned footbed offers added support
- Ideal for women who need extra support from their shoes
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide widths (W)
- Crafted in full grain leather
- Lightweight
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide withs (W)
- Leather upper
- Elastic collar helps keep your heels from slipping and secures the shoe to your foot
- Covered EVA footbed
- Soft satin elastic top line and crossover help keep your feet in place
- Removable footbed
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide widths (W)
- 100% leather
- Padded insole featuring leather overlay with button at toe box
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
- Available in wide widths (W)
- Ideal for women with a wide forefoot and narrow heels
- Lightly padded footbed
- Order this ballet flat a half size larger than your current foot size
Keep in mind that everyone’s feet are different, and what might work best for some women with wide feet might not work as well for others. Some women have wide feet and high insteps, while some others might have wide feet and narrow heels. It doesn’t matter how “complicated” your foot shape is, I am here to help you find the perfect pair of shoes for your feet!
Do You Have a Wide Forefoot but Narrow Heels?
Some women have wide feet and high insteps but very narrow heels, which makes it a lot more challenging to find shoes that fit. If you can relate to this, I suggest that you choose the Carroll by Vionic or the Flexy by Naturalizer.
The Carroll comes with an elastic collar that helps keep your heels from slipping and secures the shoe to your foot. The Flexy has been tested by several women with a wide forefoot and narrow heels and has worked really well for them.
Are You Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?
Take a look at the description below each flat shoe that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order. Keep in mind that if you don’t know your exact foot size, you won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online. To prevent you from having to return the shoes back and forth I created a great and free resource that helps women determine their current foot length and shape:
How to Measure Your Foot Shoe Size – The Most Simple and Effective Way!
Are Any Other Ballet Shoes Available for Women with Wide Feet?
I am sure that there are! However, these are the styles that I feel the most comfortable recommending as I have fitted them previously, so I am familiar with how they fit and how they hold up.
Do not hesitate to contact me via the comments section below or via email if you are unsure about which specific flat will work best for your wide feet:
comfortablewomenshoes@gmail.com
Have you found a flat shoe that worked well for your wide feet? Share your findings in the comments section below so other women can benefit from your experiences!
These look promising—thank you!
Thank you Deborah! I look forward to your feedback!
Hi, thank you so much. I’m not sure if you have a lot of readers or what, but I had two tentative pairs of the Naturalizer in my cart at Peltz, and they had sold out before I returned to them just half an hour later. I literally checked more than a dozen other stores for what I had determined to be my likely size and could not find any in a color useful to me (only two more stores had anything at all in my size, and I think that’s down to only one store now with a high price and poor return policy), After research I had eliminated the Vionic as prone to causing some problems that I am prone to. I might continue to keep an eye out for the Naturalizer, although that model seems to be on its way out. Fwiw, the SAS Traveler Oxford moccasin (or rather its identical fit predecessor, Whisper, that I ebayed) was a disaster. It did indeed have a wider forefoot and fairly narrow heel (as reviewers had promised) relative to other SAS walking oxfords, and the super soft suede meant that the heel slippage did not require padding. However those reviewers’ ideas of a high instep had nothing on the actual depth of my instep, which was cut into badly by the stitching before the tongue even when I inserted orthotics that were thinner than the original orthotics (!). And the base of the shoe was not quite as supportively wide as the flexible suede upper (I would have needed to go from a 6.5W to a 7W for that), creating a weird and very damaging rolling pinch (even though it was wide enough) for one pinky toe. And the sole of the shoe was way too thin, IMO, for a shoe that bills itself as suitable for a walking vacation. If the sole were thicker, the shoe deeper (I had intended to put a thicker insole into it, not one thinner than the original!), and the stitching where the tongue joins less intrusive, I absolutely would have tried a 7W because the forefoot to heel ratio was on target, and I fell in love with the feel of the soft suede against my sensitive feet. Alas, 8 hours later I’m still nursing significant pain and burning from one hour of wearing.
Hello Deborah,
Thank you for your feedback and sharing your experiences! I am sorry to hear about the shoes selling out so fast.
I did tell you to be careful about reading other people’s reviews as it’s unclear whether these people knew their exact foot size and shape to begin with.
I am sorry to hear you are having such a hard time finding a pair of comfortable shoes!
It’s not a problem. Seven years ago I had a high instep but could wear a lot more shoes than I can now that my instep is more swollen. All things are relative, although clearly some reviewers are less than knowledgeable or think the instep is the arch. Thanks for your help. My niece with wide feet will probably be getting the flexy shoes.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!