The last couple weeks we have been getting a lot of questions about wide wrestling shoes.
There are only two pairs of wrestling shoes available in wide widths. And to be honest they go up to about a 3E foot. We have had customers in the store that can fit a 4E into the shoe, but it was pretty tight. So if you are looking for wide shoes just know that you have a limited selection.
In general, I have a 3E in a dress shoe and my foot can fit into just about any shoe without a zipper lace guard mechanism. So my first recommendation is if your son does not have to buy Wide Gym shoes and or is only a 2E or less, just stay away from shoes with a zipper.
Another issue parents run into is now a days, kids wear their gym shoes wide. With fashion or skateboard shoes as what they are comparing wrestling shoes to, all shoes are going to feel narrow. It’s just the way wrestling shoes are suppossed to fit. Chances are you don’t need wide shoes, you just need to tell your wrestler – this is the way your shoes are suppossed to fit.
A final note on sizing of gym shoes. For kids that are young just starting out, I try to size them perfectly. Maybe a thumbs width or less in the toe. This is for say kids maybe four years old to about 7 or 8 years old. You don’t want to get shoes too big for these little wrestlers. They will be tripping and falling over them if they are too big. For kids maybe 9 to 14 or 15, we say if you want to try to get a little more time out of them (e.g. a whole season), buy a thumbs width or a little larger in the toe. Usually, these kids are grownig pretty quickly and can tolertate a little bigger shoe. For kids that are say 15 to 18, just size them like we recommend. Try to get a thumbs width or less in the toe.
Every wrestling shoe we have has sizing recommendations on them. Follow the link above at the start of this blog post to start shopping. Post any questions or comments under our blog here.
Our next post will discuss, Nike,adidas, and Asics wrestling shoes and tell you which models are cut a little wider…
Jeff Pape
Owner
Jeff,
Read your note on wide shoes but my question is: “Which is the widest?”. My son has very wide feet. He currently wears size 9 with a width of 4E New Balance shoes for his other sports (New Balance makes great wide shoes). Thanks….Bruce
Bruce – sorry I did not replay quicker. Most of the shoes we have in wides are about a 3E. If your wrestler is a 4E he is going to have to cram his foot in the 3E and make them stretch out over time. We have had some customers come in the store that were 4E and understood when they tried them on that they would be tight until they broke them in a little bit.
Call me at the store if you have any questions 800-565-0095.
Jeff Pape
dude i have major wide feet and i want those white john smiths good choise?
I would stay away of anything with a zipper. Try these two wide wrestling shoes available at WrestlingGear.Com Right now they have the wide shoes in most sizes…this is not always the case. Many times, the selection of wide shoes is very limited.
Jeff Pape