Tennis Shoes for Wide Feet: Which Models to Choose?

For tennis shoes that suit wide feet, try the Nike GP Challenge Pro first: its widened base works for many broad forefeet, for around €97. If it still pinches, you need a true width. The Asics Gel-Resolution X comes in 2E, as do the New Balance 996v6 and CT-Rally v2, and the Babolat SFX 4 fits wide as standard.

You cannot make up for width by going up a size. This guide covers the models that really exist in a wide version, the ones to avoid, and how long each one lasts.

Which tennis shoes for wide feet, in short?

Eight models, three of them to rule out. The Nikes open the list, with their limits spelled out.

The scores come from our editorial ratings, compiled from the tests published by RunRepeat, Tennis Warehouse and Tennisnerd. I have not worn any of these pairs. The widths come from the Tennis Warehouse wide shoes page and from each model's product page.

How do you know if you have wide feet?

Your current shoe is already telling you. Look at it.

Three signs come up again and again: mesh that bulges or tears on the side, level with the little toe; a foot that spills over the insole when you take it out and stand on it; laces loosened as far as they go over the forefoot without the pressure going away. One is enough to try the next width up.

The letters describe the width of the last, not the size. In men's shoes, D is standard and 2E is wide; 4E, wider still, is rare in tennis. Women's models are built on their own last, with a narrower heel and a lower instep, which limits heel slippage.

Sizes vary from one brand to another. Check each brand's size guide, width included, and note that Tennis Warehouse Europe lets you filter its catalogue by width: narrow, standard or wide.

Are Nike tennis shoes good for wide feet?

Some are, some are not, and none comes in a dedicated width.

The GP Challenge Pro is the Nike to try first. Its widened base, designed for stability, gives the forefoot a broader platform, and its rounded sole rolls the foot from heel to toe. It scores 8.8/10 for comfort and 8.2/10 for durability for around €97. One caveat matters for this profile: according to the reviews collected by RunRepeat, its mesh damages easily. And a wide foot presses on the upper.

The GP Challenge 1.5 has a standard fit with a locked-in hold. It works on a slightly wide foot, not on a properly wide one. Its 9.4/10 for comfort still makes it worth trying on in a shop.

Two Nikes are best ruled out. The Vapor 12 is true to size in length but rather snug in width, with a low arch: it is a speed shoe, built to hug the foot. And RunRepeat says in plain terms that the Vapor Lite 3 is not for wide feet, which is a pity at €70.

The details are in the Nike GP Challenge Pro review and the Nike Vapor 12 review.

Nike, Asics, Adidas or New Balance: which brand fits widest?

New Balance, then Asics and Adidas. Nike comes last on this criterion.

• Nike: no 2E width found on its tennis shoes. The GP Challenge Pro partly makes up for it with its widened base.
• Asics: the Gel-Resolution X is sold in standard and 2E. The Solution Speed FF 4 has a standard fit, more forgiving than the Vapor 12's, with no wide version.
• Adidas: the Barricade 14 comes in a Wide version at Tennis Warehouse.
• New Balance: the best-stocked brand. FuelCell 996v6 and Fresh Foam X CT-Rally v2 in D and 2E, and the 806 in 2E and 4E.
• Babolat: no letter, but the SFX 4 is built wide as standard (Superior Fit eXperience), with a roomy forefoot.

Then you have to find these versions. 2E widths are mostly listed by specialist retailers; in Belgium, check for "Wide" or "2E" on the product page before ordering, because the same colourway often exists in both widths.

Which wide tennis shoe lasts longest?

The Asics Gel-Resolution X in 2E, with 9.0/10 for durability. No pair is judged without the lifespan of its outsole, and on that point the wide versions are not equal.

The Gel-Resolution X has full-length AHAR Plus rubber. RunRepeat reports below-average wear in its abrasion test. The price shows on the scales: 456 g in a US 10.5 for the 2E version, one of the heaviest shoes on the market. The Asics Gel-Resolution X review goes through its measurements.

At the other end, the New Balance FuelCell 996v6 only scores 6.4/10. Its NDurance rubber is solid, but RunRepeat points to the poor durability of the upper and toe guard. For a wide foot, that is the wrong place to be fragile. The Barricade 14 tops out at 7.0/10 since its switch to lighter Lighttraxion rubber. The CT-Rally v2 and the SFX 4 score 7.2/10.

The cushioning runs on the same clock everywhere: 45 to 60 hours of tennis before the midsole is worn out, according to the AAPSM. At two hours a week, that is five to seven months.

The price that matters is the price per hour of play. On that basis of 45 to 60 hours:

That calculation assumes the pair reaches 45 hours. On hard courts, rubber rated 6.4/10 can give out sooner; rubber rated 9.0/10 will go the distance.

Why does a shoe that is too narrow wear out faster?

Because the foot pushes the upper outwards on every lateral step. The rubber has nothing to do with it.

In tennis, the classic wear zones are the toe and the inner forefoot, because of serving and braking. A wide foot adds a third: the outer side of the upper, level with the little toe, where the mesh is under constant tension. The fabric ends up tearing while the outsole still has all its tread.

It is also an area no warranty covers. The six-month outsole guarantee from the US retailer Tennis Warehouse, which applies to the Gel-Resolution X including the wide version, only concerns the rubber: the upper and toe guard are excluded, and it is only valid in the United States anyway. In Belgium, the two-year legal guarantee covers defects, not wear.

How do you try on tennis shoes when you have wide feet?

At the end of the day, in your tennis socks, standing up.

Feet swell as the hours go by: a shoe tried on in the morning pinches in the evening. Keep about a thumb's width, 0.9 to 1.3 cm, between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, as Vionic points out. If you have to go up a full size to stop feeling the sides, you do not need a longer shoe. You need a wider one.

Then run two tests. A firm side shuffle: your little toe should not hit the wall of the shoe. Then a forward stop: your foot should not slide to the end. An orthotic insole takes up volume; remove the original insole and try the shoe with yours in place.

On clay, pick the clay version of the model you choose. The Gel-Resolution X, the Barricade 14, the 996v6 and the SFX 4 have one; the CT-Rally v2 only comes as an all-court shoe.

Which shoe for which wide foot?

• Slightly wide foot, set on Nike: Nike GP Challenge Pro, widened base, around €97. Keep an eye on the mesh.
• Wide foot and fast-wearing outsoles: Asics Gel-Resolution X in 2E, 9.0/10 for durability and 9.3/10 for stability, but 456 g.
• Wide foot and a fast game: New Balance FuelCell 996v6 in 2E, lighter, if you accept a fragile upper.
• Wide foot and comfort above all: New Balance CT-Rally v2 in 2E, 8.8/10 for comfort, with a high 13.1 mm drop.
• Wide foot and a small budget: Babolat SFX 4, wide as standard, around €95.
• Very wide foot: New Balance 806 in 4E, the only one on this list to offer that width.

The senior profile often overlaps with this one: the article on which tennis shoes to choose as a senior deals with cushioning and knees. The comfortable tennis shoes ranking and the overall ranking set these models against the rest. To sort by criterion, use the comparison tool, the buying guide or the quiz. The six basic criteria are in how to choose tennis shoes.

Sources

• Tennis Warehouse, wide tennis shoes
• Tennis Warehouse Europe, how to choose the right tennis shoe
• RunRepeat, Nike GP Challenge Pro
• RunRepeat, Nike Vapor Lite 3
• RunRepeat, Nike Vapor 12
• RunRepeat, Asics Gel-Resolution X
• RunRepeat, New Balance FuelCell 996v6
• Tennis Warehouse, New Balance 996v6 in 2E
• RunRepeat, New Balance Fresh Foam X CT-Rally v2
• Tennis Warehouse, Babolat SFX 4
• Tennis Warehouse, Adidas Barricade 14
• Tennis Warehouse, 6-month outsole guarantee
• Vionic, how sneakers should fit
• Tennis Gear, tennis shoe fit guide
• Victor, a guide to shoe lasts
• AAPSM, when to replace athletic shoes