Recommendations for wide sailing sneakers?

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by jimp1234

...........Any sailing sneakers (or trainers) that tend to run wide?.............

I wear a size 14 EXTRA WIDE. Just purchased a pair from Skechers, albeit there are other places to source extra wide shoes. Suggest doing an internet search on "extra wide boat shoes".

[Phyrcooler]

I can’t speak to width, but trying to provide some more varied sources that function well as “boat shoes” - I wanted to echo the recommendation of “skateboard” shoes. I’ve worn these for years - looking for light colored soles. I have seen them in wider widths.

However, for the last few years, I’ve used “water shoes” on deck - especially when they’re wet, such as when washing her down. The ones I currently use have a super grippy, white, gum-style sole that just does not slip.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Couple options for you.

[MV Caroline]

Originally Posted by jimp1234

I've been sailing the last few years with Helly Hansen Hh 5.5 which had a wide last. However, I ordered the replacement model but HH has gone to a narrower shoe. Any sailing sneakers (or trainers) that tend to run wide?


Thanx

SAS (San Antonio Shoe Co.) makes very comfortable and high quality shoes. SAS shoes are handmade in Texas I have very wide (3E) feet and the SAS boat shoe is my daily footwear. A pair worn daily usually lasts about 2 years and is still comfortable. Also LL Bean has some wide shoes and I also have a pair of Docksiders that are wide (3E). best bet is to go Google "wide boat shoe" or "wide sports shoes"

[sepharad]

Hoka One One's and Altra have a naturally shaped toe box.


I find he Hoka's last longer but both break down at the join between sole and nylon upper.


Both have a neutral heel and the primary difference is the sole thickness. The trail models are super thick and soft soles, minor platforms honestly. I used them on concrete in an airport sized prison.


Not all of them have the super wide box and they have a line of wide models as well.


At the Hoka site you can open the various models and they have a toebox view so you can see which are wide toes.


No pointy toes that do not exist in nature.

[Secondshift]

With my 4E foot the only shoes I could stand to wear were NB.

Sketchers and Nike have wide offerings and I have both for comfort shoes.

I prefer the NB "trail running shoes" for deck work. They have a lot of grip, good arch support and a fair amount of mesh for drainage/ventilation .

Been using NB for shoes for years but find some width variation from model to model.

Best Luck

[Kd9truck]

Sketchers, they have a hole line white souls and all

[garyfdl]

I have feet like a duck; short, really wide in front (US 9 1/2 EEEE) and narrow heels. New Balance (NB) gets my vote as well. But they've lost their size 'consistency'. Used to be any 9 1/2 EEEE would fit. regardless of model/style; now i have to try them on as some seem to run small. I've had luck with some wide Columbia's, but have to go a size or size and a half bigger (10 1/2 - 11). Still, they aren't too big length wise, so go figure.

I've also had success buying the widest pair of leather 'moccasin' style deck shoes (re: Sperry Topsiders), Neatsfoot oiling the snot out of them, and wearing them for progressively longer periods to break them in. Seems the oiling allows the leather to stretch more than it would normally. But it takes a while before your feet feel like they are no longer in a vice.

[Cliffhanger]

Bare feet works best for me. Better grip than any shoe. (And you only kick that cleat once before you know it is there.)

Probably not ideal for winter in the higher latitudes though but for tropics/sub tropics, perfect! Cheap too!

[Leee]

Re boat shoes:


I have been through many pairs of Sperry's and finally gave up on them as they do not last through one season before becoming skates which of course makes them too dangerous. And I'm only 140 lbs. Can't see that they'd last a month if one weighs in over 180. I have been using Solomon hiking shoes on warm days and non marking wellies in the wet stuff. Much better. Sperry and Helly Hansen gear seems more style than substance now although I have some old HH gear that just won't give up. I'll follow this thread with interest to see if anyone finds a great deck shoe that lasts a reasonable amount of time.

[KP44]

I have worn Sperry Top Siders for fifty years, since I was 18. I highly recommend Sperrys because they have dependable traction on slick surfaces. I worked in logging and wore Sperrys whenever I was not required to wear caulk boots. Sperry has wide sizes available.

[MIRELOS]

btw.....did mention I now use Sketchers; they have wide and extra wide, however most of the time aboard I use my Crocks, ugly as hell but best grip even on a soapy deck and they are super wide

[sophiedaisey]

Been wearing Keens for 20 yrs on the boat. They run wide and sell a wide

[Nord Sal]

I wear these all summer. Not sneakers, but comfy, relatively inexpensive and have a very good, squeegee-like tread for boat use. I like the slip on clogs but also use the fully enclosed shoe version. You can get them in EEE widths too.

https://www.seamar.com/item/COF2970E...EATHER-MEDIUM/

https://www.seamar.com/item/COF2623-...LEATHER-BROWN/

[Buckhorn]

I have had good luck with Astral and OluKai brands for my 8.5 E feet. Both have wide toe boxes.

[hukilaumike]

Unfortunately, I have some sad experience with this problem too. I have 9EEEE feet (that's four E's), and almost nothing fits. The Sperry extra wides will do, but they occasionally need a little stretching. I bought a shoe tree specifically made to stretch out shoes; to my horror, it didn't push out my shoes wide enough. I have to put a really thick sock on it to make it work. Some shoe stretch oil and three days of stretching will usually do the trick.

Like others here, I have been less than impressed with the gripping power of Sperrys. But once I started leaving the shoes on the boat and not wearing them anywhere else, I've found the soles stay sticky. And one more vote for the Soft Science shoes. They are wider than normal, but I still had to stretch them out. They are however, coyote ugly. I like them that way, but my kids and my wife look away whenever I wear them.

New Balance are the way to go. I'd stay away from the running/walking shoes and go for a basketball or tennis sneaker. I agree with whoever said that NB shoes aren't consistent with their widths anymore; I think that's a function of how their product line has expanded over the years. Nevertheless, you can go on their website and the page for each shoe describes how "wide" it really is, and how the fit compares to other NB models. They can tell you "if size y of model x fits you, order this size of this model". Very handy. Or feety. Whatever.