Hiking Shoes With a Wide Toe Box: 6 Picks for Wide Feet
Five hiking shoes and one 4-inch hiking boot sold in a wide fitting, with the widths and sizes each maker lists for men and women, up to 5E and 4E, plus prices.
Two miles into a descent, your toes are jammed against the front of the shoe and the outside of your forefoot is rubbing raw. Going up half a size bought you length, not width, and the laces still sit tight across the widest part of your foot. Below are six picks, five low hiking shoes and one 4-inch hiking boot, sold in a proper wide fitting, with the width letters and sizes each maker lists for men and for women, and which one to buy for your measurements.
The short answer
| Pick | Best for | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propét Ridge Walker Low (men’s) | Men who need 3E or 5E | $129.99 | Four widths from D to 5E, sizes 8 to 16 |
| Propét Conni (women’s) | Women who need 2E or 4E | $142.49 | Four widths from B to 4E, sizes 6 to 12; a 4-inch boot |
| KEEN Targhee IV Waterproof Wide | A waterproof hiker at EE (men) or D (women) | $180 | KEEN’s FAQ labels its wide EE for men, D for women |
| Oboz Sawtooth X Low Waterproof | A wide forefoot with a narrower heel | $185 | Men’s Wide is EE at the forefoot, C at the heel |
| Merrell Moab 3 Wide Width (women’s) | A suede-and-mesh hiker in one Wide fitting | $145 | The women’s page cites a roomier toe box |
| Altra Lone Peak 9 | Toes that need room to spread | $145 | Foot-shaped toe box, plus a Wide the size chart calls 2E against a traditional D |
A wide toe box is not the same as a wide shoe
Two different things get sold under the same words. A wide toe box is a shape: the front of the shoe is rounder, so the toes can spread. A wide fitting is a width: the whole forefoot is cut broader, and the shoe carries a letter such as EE. Altra’s Lone Peak page keeps the two apart in so many words: “A shoe with FootShape™ Fit is not a ‘wide’ shoe.” The Lone Peak 9 page lists its fit as Original FootShape, Altra’s roomiest toe box, and sells a separate Wide on top.
Oboz shows the other side. Its Wide Sawtooth X Low leaves the heel at the standard letter and widens the forefoot: C at the heel and EE at the forefoot for men, against C and D in its standard width, and B and D for women, against B and C. If the heel slips in the wide shoes you have tried, that split is the one to look for (our reading).
The letters also shift between men and women. KEEN’s width labels put men’s regular at D and wide at EE, and women’s regular at B and wide at D. Propét’s fit guide runs further: women’s Wide (D), X-Wide (2E) and XX-Wide (4E), and men’s Wide (E), X-Wide (3E) and XX-Wide (5E). Our guide to shoe width sizes has the full letter chart.
The six picks
Propét Ridge Walker Low (men's)
If you are a man who measures past EE, start here. Of the six picks, it is the only men’s shoe sold in more than one wide fitting: Wide (E), X Wide (3E) and XX Wide (5E), plus a Medium (D), in sizes 8 to 16. The upper is suede and mesh around a waterproof bootie, with a padded collar and tongue and a rubber toe cap, over an EVA midsole. Propét lists it as true to size and orthotic friendly, and $129.99 is the lowest price quoted among the six picks.
Drawbacks: Size and width are separate menus on the page, so pick both before adding it to the cart. The heel drop is 12 mm, and Propét files it under boots, though the page calls it the low-cut version of its hiker.
Propét Conni (women's)
The women’s counterpart, and the only women’s pick of the six sold in more than one wide fitting: Wide (D), X Wide (2E) and XX Wide (4E), plus Medium (B), in sizes 6 to 12. Propét describes the Conni as a 4-inch hiker with an extra spacious fit, with a TPU toe cap, a gusseted tongue, an EVA midsole and a high-traction rubber outsole. It is listed as true to size, with a removable 3 mm insole spacer for adjusting depth, and the heel drop is 10 mm.
Drawbacks: It is a 4-inch hiking boot, not a low shoe, and the knit mesh is sold as water resistant rather than waterproof. Sizes start at 6 and stop at 12, with no half sizes above 9.5.
KEEN Targhee IV Waterproof Wide
KEEN’s FAQ says its shoes run fairly wide to begin with, and that the Targhee IV keeps plenty of room in the toe box for the toes to spread out and splay. The Wide version adds width on top of that. The product page calls the fitting only Wide; KEEN’s own labels put men’s wide at EE and women’s at D. The men’s shoe is listed in sizes 7 to 15 and the women’s in 5 to 12, both at $180, both waterproof, with a glue-free fused bond between upper and sole.
Drawbacks: One wide fitting only, and KEEN's FAQ says EE is the widest it makes. At $180 it is the second-highest price of the six picks.
Oboz Sawtooth X Low Waterproof
The pick for a foot that is wide at the front and ordinary at the back. Oboz’s fit notes describe a form-hugging heel cup, a sculpted midfoot and a generous forefoot and toe box, and the Wide keeps that heel while widening the forefoot from D to EE for men and from C to D for women. The women’s version runs 5 to 12 and the men’s 7 to 15, both at $185, in Regular and Wide in both listed colours. Oboz lists it for day hikes and long treks, with B-DRY waterproofing and an 8 mm heel drop.
Drawbacks: The highest price of the six picks, and one wide fitting only. The heel stays at the standard letter, which suits a narrow heel but not a foot that is broad all the way back.
Merrell Moab 3 Wide Width
The women’s Moab 3 Wide Width lists “Wide width construction for a roomier toe box” among its features, so this is a wide fitting that its maker ties to toe room, on a pig suede and mesh upper with a Vibram TC5+ outsole, an 11.5 mm heel drop and 5 mm lugs. The women’s version comes in sizes 5 to 12 across all three of its colours, and the men’s version in 7 to 15; both are $145.
Drawbacks: The pages give the width as Wide (W), not as a letter on a width chart, so try it next to a shoe whose letter you know. One wide fitting only.
Altra Lone Peak 9
This is the one for toes that need to spread flat. Altra calls the fit on the Lone Peak 9 its roomiest toe box, with space through the midfoot, and the size chart says the Lone Peak is available in Wide, “2E width compared to our traditional D width”. The women’s size chart carries the same sentence word for word, 2E against a “traditional D”; on KEEN’s and Propét’s charts D is already the women’s wide, so the letters don’t line up across brands. Try it beside a women’s shoe whose letter you know. The men’s Wide is listed in 7 to 16, the women’s up to 12, and Altra lists the shoe as best for trail running, hiking and thru hiking.
Drawbacks: Zero drop: the heel sits level with the forefoot, unlike the 8 to 12 mm drops on the Oboz, Merrell and Propét pages. Wide is offered in only some of the colours, so choose Wide first, then the colour. The upper is ripstop mesh.
Side by side
| Shoe | Men’s wide widths | Men’s sizes | Women’s wide widths | Women’s sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Propét Ridge Walker Low | E, 3E, 5E | 8 to 16 | Men’s only | $129.99 | |
| Propét Conni (4 in boot) | Women’s only | D, 2E, 4E | 6 to 12 | $142.49 | |
| KEEN Targhee IV Waterproof Wide | Wide (EE on KEEN’s labels) | 7 to 15 | Wide (D on KEEN’s labels) | 5 to 12 | $180 |
| Oboz Sawtooth X Low Waterproof | Wide: C heel, EE forefoot | 7 to 15 | Wide: B heel, D forefoot | 5 to 12 | $185 |
| Merrell Moab 3 Wide Width | Wide (W) | 7 to 15 | Wide (W) | 5 to 12 | $145 |
| Altra Lone Peak 9 | Wide; size chart says 2E against a traditional D | 7 to 16 | Wide; same size chart sentence, 2E against a traditional D | Up to 12 | $145 |
The Merrell women’s range is the one all three of its colours list.
How to choose
- Measure the ball of your foot first. Trace your foot on paper, measure across the widest part, and look up the letter for your length; our guide on how to measure foot size at home covers the tracing.
- Men at 3E or wider, women at 2E or wider: of the six picks, only the two Propét picks offer those letters in the width menu; Altra’s women’s size chart text also says 2E, but its width menu reads Regular and Wide.
- Men at EE: KEEN and Oboz both put their men’s Wide at EE, and Altra’s chart calls its Wide 2E. Women at D: KEEN and Oboz both put their women’s Wide at D. The Merrell is a Wide without a letter, so try it beside one of the others.
- Toes pinched but the heel slips: the Oboz Wide, with its standard heel, or the Altra in its regular width, for the toe box without the extra width (our reading).
- Wet trails: the KEEN, the Oboz and the Ridge Walker Low are sold as waterproof. The Conni is water resistant, and the Merrell and Altra listed here have suede-and-mesh (Merrell) and ripstop mesh (Altra) uppers.
Before you order
- Pick the width before the colour. On the Altra pages, Wide is offered in only some of the colours, so choose Wide first; on the Propét pages, size and width are separate menus, so pick both before you add a pair to the cart.
- If your hikes are mostly paved paths and park loops, a walking shoe may do the job: see our wide womens walking shoes picks and the best walking sneakers for wide feet.
- Wear them indoors first, and read the return terms before the first trail.
Where these numbers come from
Widths, sizes, prices and fit descriptions are from each maker’s own product pages, read on 30 September 2026; the width labels are from KEEN’s FAQ on its European store and Propét’s fit guide. The size ranges are ours, read from each store’s size menus and product data.
Frequently asked questions
Which hiking shoes come in 4E or 5E?
Of the six picks, only the two Propét picks list those widths: the men's Ridge Walker Low in Wide (E), X Wide (3E) and XX Wide (5E), and the women's Conni hiking boot in Wide (D), X Wide (2E) and XX Wide (4E). The KEEN, Oboz, Merrell and Altra shoes each come in one wide fitting.
Is a wide toe box the same as a wide width?
No. A wide toe box is a rounder front that lets the toes spread; a wide width is a broader shoe with its own letter, such as EE. Altra's own product page says its foot-shaped fit is not a wide shoe, and sells the Lone Peak in a separate Wide. Oboz's Wide Sawtooth X Low widens the forefoot to EE for men while the heel stays at C.
What width is a women's wide hiking shoe?
D, on KEEN's width labels and Propét's fit guide; Oboz's women's Wide is B at the heel and D at the forefoot. Propét also sells women's 2E and 4E. Altra's women's size chart calls its Wide a 2E against a traditional D, and Merrell's women's Moab 3 page names its width only as Wide (W), so the letters do not line up across brands.
Can a woman buy a men's hiking shoe for more width?
KEEN's FAQ suggests it: it says a men's size will fit as a women's wide, and puts a women's 8.5 as comparable to a men's 7. That conversion is KEEN's; check the size chart of whichever brand you buy.
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