Shoe width
chart

Shoe width chart by size

Width letters scale with length, so the chart goes size by size. New Balance prints the foot width each of its fittings is for, across the ball of the foot, for every men’s and women’s size, and Birkenstock for children’s; these are their figures. Find your length, then the column nearest your own width.

What each letter means

• BMen’s narrow: 100 mm across the ball for a men’s US 9, 4 mm narrower than standard.
• DMen’s standard: 104 mm across the ball for a men’s US 9, the standard width.
• 2EMen’s wide: 107 mm across the ball for a men’s US 9, 3 mm wider than standard.
• 4EMen’s x-wide: 110 mm across the ball for a men’s US 9, 6 mm wider than standard.
• 2AWomen’s narrow: 84 mm across the ball for a women’s US 8, 4 mm narrower than standard.
• BWomen’s standard: 88 mm across the ball for a women’s US 8, the standard width.
• DWomen’s wide: 92 mm across the ball for a women’s US 8, 4 mm wider than standard.
• 2EWomen’s x-wide: 95 mm across the ball for a women’s US 8, 7 mm wider than standard.

New Balance’s is the one brand chart we have with foot widths for four letters at every size; other brands’ widths differ. The letter scales below cover every system.

Why width matters

Two feet the same length can be very different widths, and a shoe that’s long enough can still pinch. If your shoes fit lengthwise but you get any of these, width is the problem, not size:

• pressure or rubbing along the sides, especially at the little toe or the big-toe joint;
• the upper bulging over the sole, or laces that won’t meet in the middle;
• numbness or tingling in the toes after an hour or two;
• you’ve been buying a size up “for comfort”, and your heel now slips.

Measure your width

1. Step 01

   Stand on the paper

   Same set-up as for length: paper on a hard floor, heel to the wall, weight on the foot, in your usual socks.

2. Step 02

   Mark both sides of the ball

   With the pen upright, mark the widest point on each side, usually across the ball of the foot behind the toes.

3. Step 03

   Measure across

   Step off and measure straight across between the two marks, at right angles to the foot’s length.

4. Step 04

   Or measure around (girth)

   Some charts, including Japan’s, use girth: a soft tape around the ball of the foot, snug but not tight.

Width letters explained

In US sizing, the letters run from narrow to wide: 4A, 3A (AAA), 2A (AA), A, B, C, D, E, 2E (EE), 3E (EEE), 4E (EEEE), 5E, 6E. On Brannock’s scale each letter is 3/16 in (4.8 mm) of foot width from the next. Brands set their own fittings: New Balance’s are 3–4 mm apart, two letters at a time (men’s B, D, 2E, 4E). Shoes without a width on the label are the standard width: D for men, B for women.

• 2E is the same as EE, 3E as EEE, and so on: a number in front counts the letters.
• E and 2E are different: E is one step wider than D, 2E two steps.
• Brands often label widths in words instead: narrow, regular or medium, wide, extra wide. On their charts, “wide” for men is usually 2E and for women D.

Every width scale

Different systems use different letters for the same idea. Steps count letters from each scale’s standard width.

Japan uses girth letters, A, B, C, D, E, EE, EEE, EEEE, F, G, from narrow to wide, indexed by foot length in JIS S 5037. Widths vary by manufacturer; brand charts give the exact figures.

Men’s and women’s widths

The same letter doesn’t mean the same fit in men’s and women’s shoes. Women’s standard is B; men’s is D, which on the women’s scale is 2 steps wider than standard. So a women’s D is a wide fit, and a men’s B a narrow one.

Finding a wide fit

Brands that publish widths

These brands give width information on their own charts (as of 2026-10-23). Their pages show the charts we use, linked to the source:

• Birkenstock
• Clarks
• Dr. Martens
• HOKA
• New Balance
• Salomon
• UGG

Questions