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Width

When the word width is used in the shoe industry, it is usually referring to one of two things:

• The width of a particular shoe
• The width of a particular foot

In order to determine the width of a particular foot, you would measure the widest part of the foot, which is the area from the outside of the big toe to the outside of the little toe. To measure the width of a shoe, you would measure the toe box area of the shoe, which is the part that encloses the toes. The Brannock device is perfect for determining the width of a foot while the shoe manufacturer predetermines the width of a shoe before it becomes available to the public. Shoe manufacturers intentionally manufacture shoes to fit different widths in order to accommodate their customers.

The width of your foot actually does a lot to determine which shoes will best accommodate your feet. Most athletic shoes and some shoe styles such as loafers and slip-ons will advertise the available widths. This becomes important because you don't want to feel as though the shoe it too tight or that it will slip off of your foot. If a shoe is too wide for your foot you will have a lot of extra room, which can become uncomfortable especially for activities such as running. The same goes for if a shoe fits too tightly. Width sizes are denoted in letters such as: AAA, B or C.