Table of Contents
Are you looking for the best zero drop shoes with a wide toe box? Shopping for shoes can be a fun experience. It may seem very simple and can easily be mistaken for picking out the pair that looks good.
However, there is much more to it than looks. Shoes serve a greater purpose and have continued to do so since people began making the earliest versions.
Zero-Drop-Shoes-with-Wide-Toe-Box
Shoes are used for protecting your feet as you walk. In the early days, man would walk around barefoot.
However, the rough terrain got people thinking about how best they could keep their feet safe from being pricked by different sticks, stones, and various objects.
It all came down to protection. Today shoes have taken on a whole new shape, however, they now have so many different purposes, even though the basic reasons remain fundamentally the same.
With more people looking for shoes, more companies have had to pop up over the years to meet the various demands. This also means that there has been a variation in designs and styles.
Colors, materials have changed greatly and so has the heel height. They are now made with different people in mind. If you have a foot health problem, you can find the right shoe for you.
Comfort is one of the biggest deciding factors in picking out the right pair for the activity you want to wear them for. In this article, we take a look at the best zero drop shoes with a wide toe box.
Zero drop shoes are those whose heels are parallel to the ground, which means they are flat. A wide toe box is ideal for people with wide feet or if you want more space for your toes.
In a Hurry
Are you in a hurry? Do you quickly need to know what you should be looking for in a good zero drop shoe with a wide toe box? There are a few things that you will need to keep in mind.
You must know what you need to use the shoes for. This will determine whether you head on over to the sports section or the women’s section or the teenager’s section.
The age, gender, and purpose count a great deal in the shoe choice that you will make. In each shoe category, you can then begin to look for zero drop shoes and also for a specific width.
You want to make sure that you look for flat shoes. Most manufacturers now include the width of the shoes on the label, make sure that you read it.
Our Top Pick
We have taken a deeper look at all the shoes on the market that are made with a zero drop and with a wide toe box. We have found our favorite to be the Inov-8 Bare-XF 210 V2 Sneaker. This shoe is one of the most stripped back. It is close to the ground and gives the wearer a feeling of being as close to the ground as possible.
The shoe also gives you a natural fit, your toes will not be squashed and forced into an unnatural shape. They have great grip and they are very durable. This makes them a favorite for athletes with wide feet.
Product Reviews of Zero Drop Shoes with Wide Toe Box
Vivobarefoot Gobi II Classic Desert Boot
Not many shoes carry the versatility that the Gobi II comes with. These are original minimalist desert boots. They are designed to be worn daily. Perhaps not daily, rather than day today.
The key material used in manufacturing these shoes is scarred leather. This is taken from free-roaming cattle. If you guessed that this makes the sutures strong, then you would be right.
The versatility that we mentioned is such that these shoes can be worn in casual as well as in semi-formal settings. In some cases, they could do well in formal settings as well. They are lace-up shoes which offer you the flexibility of adjusting to your desired fit.
These shoes are fairly lightweight. They are key distinguishing features are the fact that they are zero drop barefoot shoes.
These are shoes that you can feel the ground as you walk in. They provide you with sufficient protection on the underfoot to ensure that the sensory stimulation and your foot does not lead to any injuries.
Within the shoes is a 3 mm form that has a top layer antibacterial cock. Such is the insole that these shoes come with. By nature of being antibacterial, they keep your feet healthy. The soles of the shoes are very flexible.
This allows your feet to maintain their natural motion with no hindrance. There is a lot of room in the toe box region of the shoes. This gives you additional space as well as freedom for comfort.
Pros
- They have an antibacterial cork.
- They are zero drop shoes.
- They have a roomy toe box.
- They are quite stylish.
- They are made out of leather.
- The soles are very flexible.
Cons
- The product is inconsistent.
- Not much arch support.
Merrell Trail Glove 4 Runner
The trail glove is one of Merrell’s top line shoes. They do not have other brands that can compete in the barefoot sector as well as these do. These shoes are made out of textile and synthetic materials.
We can probably tell from the image that they are designed to be minimalist. This is to say that there are no unnecessary features placed on the shoes outside of the purpose of the function.
They are lace-up shoes that allow you to adjust the fit to what you would like. At the front-end of the shoes is a protective toe cap.
This ensures that your feet have a little bit of buffer in the toe region if you are to strike them against a hard surface.
For the soles, Merrell used the top of the line now famous Vibram soles. These are soles that are known to provide ample protection without completely doing away with foot sensory needs. The top of the shoe comprises mesh and TPU.
For those who are wondering. The shoes are vegan-friendly. This means that no animals were harmed in the manufacturing. No animal products or derivatives were used to be better this product either.
The outside of the shoes is designed to provide you with great traction no matter what surface you find yourself taking on.
Inside the shoes is the Trail protection pad. These are designed to provide you with underfoot protection.
The insoles of the shoes are 3 mm thick as are the lugs. To keep your feet smelling fresh and healthy you have the M select fresh lining. These shoes have a wide toe box.
Pros
- They are vegan-friendly.
- They come with removable insoles.
- A great brand makes them.
- They provide great underfoot protection.
- They are very comfortable.
Cons
- The tongue design could be better.
OLUKAI Nohea Moku Shoes
If you’re on the market for lightweight shoes you cannot do much better than canvas shoes. These shoes are made out of a mix of canvas, mesh, microfibre and rubber.
The brand is one that we cannot say we are familiar with. They do come highly recommended which is always a great place to start. The soles of the shoes are made out of rubber. It is not particularly thick but adequate.
The mesh upper of the shoes is what makes them lightweight and breathable. This feature is enhanced by the presence of a stretch mesh tongue and gusset.
You also have the elastic leasing system that makes issues easy to get in and out of. If you like me and do not fancy wasting your time doing laces, then this is another reason that you should consider the zones.
Issues come with medial water drainage ports. You might never need these but if you want to find yourself caught up in the rain you will be happy to know that it will not take too long to clear out and allow the shoes to dry.
They are lined up with soft breathable microfibre. This is done to keep them fresh and largely bacteria-free.
The footbed and issues are made out of a jaw density anatomical PU. This is the material that is soft and dries up quite quickly. It gives you incredible support and with ability.
You can also remove it and wash it. The outsoles of the shoes are designed to take on all sorts of weather. Finally, these shoes have a fairly large toolbox as you can probably tell from the image.
Pros
- These shoes are very comfortable.
- They are quite good-looking.
- They are well ventilated.
- They are well made.
- They run true to size.
Cons
- Durability could be much better.
- Arch support can be hit and miss.
Inov-8 Bare-XF 210 V2 Sneaker
You will have without a doubt come across value shoes on the market that looks something like this. There has been an increase in the popularity of this design which is why manufacturers tend to oblige.
This particular one comes from a brand that we are familiar with. They are made out of a combination of textual and synthetic material.
The soles of the shoes are made out of rubber. They’re designed to provide you with incredible traction on all sorts of terrain that you may take on while wearing the shoes. It’s after the shoes are on about low-top from the arches.
As you can probably tell from the design these shoes are made for those who were looking to be active. As such, the design is kept at an incredibly low weight.
There is an incredible emphasis on keeping the material both light and breathable. It is with this aim that the manufacturers have also allowed more room in the toe box region.
In other words, they have allowed more room for toe splay and pure feel.
Another feature that makes the issues special is their flexibility. They come with meta flex technology. It is a technology that allows your feet to maintain their natural movement without any restriction.
They’ve also introduced the adapter web cradle lacing system. This is the system that keeps your feet secure thereby reducing the chances of injury when working out.
The outsoles of the shoes are 3 mm thick. They are made out of Innov8 put into the sticky rubber compound.
It provides you with maximum service every area coverage and maintains a minimal disjuncture between the foot and the surface. There is also a rubber toe bumper on the front end of the shoes to protect you.
Pros
- They are quite stylish.
- They are lightweight.
- They are available in various colours.
- They are quite flexible.
- They provide great traction.
Cons
Xero Shoes Vienna Canvas Ankle Boots
If you watch television all catch up on your YouTube viewing you will likely have encountered this brand on the US program Shark Tank. But, that is a story for another time. The Vienna or shoes that are designed to be lightweight and comfortable.
They are barefoot inspired shoes. This is to say that the aim of the design is to keep the material under your feet to a minimum while giving you as much protection as possible.
The design, of course, delivers on the brand promise to allow optimal natural foot movement. For this reason, the soles of the shoes are very flexible.
The shoes themselves are a natural fit. This means they will allow your toes to spread and relax within the white toe box. There are no constraints that you would associate with the shoes.
This is to say that the soles are perfect for those who are looking to work on better posture balance and of course agility. The very easy to get in and out of. This is courtesy of the elastic panels that stretch to let your foot in and out with ease.
The soles of these shoes are described as being natural feel or FeelTrue. They are designed to give just the right amount of protection while letting your feet feel the world and get as much feedback as possible at the same time.
There is, of course, an emphasis on natural motion with these shoes. They are designed to be flexible enough to allow for your foot to bend, move and to flex.
For the most part, you will be surprised how easy it is to forget that you still have his shoes on due to the account foot and lightweight nature.
Pros
- The shoes are lightweight.
- They have a wide toe box.
- They are quite flexible.
- They have slim soles.
- They are vegan shoes.
Cons
- They can be difficult to get in and out of.
- Not suitable for those with wide feet.
Buyer’s Guide
Should I switch to zero drop shoes?
If you are looking to switch to zero drop shoes, it is important to know why you are doing it and what they will do for you. Zero drop shoes allow your feet to be in a natural state that imitates walking barefoot.
Our feet are made flat and not on a pedestal. This means that shoes that have an elevated heel of any sort, are not natural. Zero drop shoes have your heel and toes, being the same distance from the ground.
Zero drop shoes are great in that they can help take away the pain that may otherwise slow you down considerably. Zero drop shoes allow your feet to move freely and this is great for your feet muscles.
You should choose to switch to zero-drop if you know that your knees have been taking the strain and also if you would like to give your feet more freedom.
What are zero drop shoes good for?
Zero drop shoes are great for relieving pain and strain on your knees. They help take the strain off your knees by providing your feet with a flat surface.
They are also great at giving you the feeling of walking barefoot. This makes them great for trail running. Shoes with a zero drop, also help reduce the risk of injury especially when you are running on rugged terrain.
What does a wide toe box mean?
A shoe with a wide toe box has a width that is wider than other shoes. It means that your toes can splay and be as free as you want them to be.
A wide toe box will let your feet breathe and you decrease the risk of injuries. A shoe with a wide toe box has more available room for your toes.
Are wide shoes wider in the toe box?
Wide shoes generally have a wider toe box than narrow or regular shoes. They do keep the general shape of shoes, where they tend to get narrower towards the shoe’s heel. This is the shape of the natural foot.
How much wider is a wide boot?
Shoe size and width size usually have corresponding widths. Usually, they are marked by a letter. It is difficult to put an exact digit to how much wider a wide shoe is because it varies from one size to another.
What may be considered a regular width on a size 6 may be wide for a size 3. The average size of 6 UK women’s shoes, is about 9cm wide. A wide fit will be about 11 cm wide.
Conclusion
Shoes come in various shapes and sizes. It is up to you to get the pair that you need for what you want to do. Some purposes require appearance over comfort.
Whatever choice you make, just make sure that your feet do not pay the price for it. Stick to comfort and quality that will do your feet good. Happy shopping!
- How wide should the toe box of a shoe be? - January 7, 2022
- Can you run a marathon in trail shoes? - January 7, 2022
- What running shoes do ultra runners use? - January 7, 2022