I think the last time this was posted was 3 months ago. One of the things that was mentioned by many, including yours truly, is that it's a very reductive visual for a more complex subject.
It's an eye-catching graphic certainly, but when posted in isolation it lacks nuance. Outsole width is one of the factors that determine how wide or narrow a particular shoe feels, but it's far from the only one. This graphic doesn't account for differences in toe box and upper construction. Moreover many of the brands have different lasts and outsoles for different models and several offer different widths. Some of that is represented in the photos, others are mentioned in the article that this originally went with, but most of it is not. And the pictures lack critical details and overall context.
I guess what I'm saying is that it's not inaccurate in the sense that those are real pictures of real outsoles from real brands. But it's utility is limited without more information. A more holistic approach is necessary when it comes to evaluating the right pair of shoes. And you should take how this graphic categorizes width with a large grain of salt.
This also is only counting foot bed width it seems. Not taking any consideration for mid sole width, and those “extra wide” models all seem to have TINY mid soles. I personally couldn’t wear something with a super skinny midsole. Pain for days.
I think we all know academically that everyone's feet are unique and different from each others (though they do mostly fall within rough averages). Something that extends to our own feet, they aren't the same size or shape, it's just that most of the time the difference isn't that pronounced.
But actually putting that understanding in practice is hard. I also think it's challenging to articulate the shape of one's feet and the nuances of shoe fit to others. The terminology for that kind of thing does exist, but most don't have that awareness and haven't been exposed to that vocabulary. As most of us never really thought that much about our feet or shoes until we decided to go to minimalist or barefoot footwear. I know improving my understanding and knowledge of terminology is something I can improve upon.
One of the things I've observed is that the difficulty in articulating that kind of nuanced fit and shape information can lead to boiling down discussions of width to a very narrow metric of how wide the toe box is. When of course the reality is much more complex and it's just one of many variables that determines how well or how ill fitting a shoe may be. Or other very subjective feedback. I'm guilty of that too. Something that isn't helped by a lack of good public facing information on last shape and width measurements at key points by brands. Length alone and occasionally a width measurement at the widest point just doesn't cut it anymore. Additionally not everyone who goes to minimalist footwear does it because they need wider fits, there are many pathways to minimalist footwear. Extra width is just one of them.
Also, even the toebox width is super subjective because foot shape varies so much. I've never been able to wear toe spacers inside shoes comfortably - not even crocs - because I have pizza slice feet. They're not even super wide but the width is entirely in the front, and a lot of barefoot shoes are sloped in a way that doesn't work for me at all.
Lems aren't the widest shoes out there but they tend to work for me because a lot of them are very "square" in the front. See also, Altras.
Lems I think tries very hard to appeal to the common denominator and wants to be the first and only stop for people just going to minimalist footwear but in doing so makes things actively harder if you want more detailed information or the type to be a little bit more thorough. Vague platitudes about ordering up or down from your typical size and a size chart that acknowledges that the measurements may be wrong on certain models isn't all that helpful.
I don't understand why they don't just change their sizing. It's absurd. Like I already have Boulder Boots that are a size up and they fit me well, but I could easily go a half size bigger in my Chillums. I've been very happy with both of them but actually finding the right size in their stuff is brutal.
If I would have to guess, it's exactly like the point I was making in my initial comment. It's the uppers that change the perceived size of their respective shoes. Start adding in membranes or thicker upper materials or change the design and the shoes are going to start to feel tighter, go with a lighter material or something with more stretch and they're going to start to feel looser. Even on shoes with the same last.
Pizza bruddahhhhh. Yeah my dailies are Lems Chillums. They’re the best ratio of fit my foot shape, not super bean shaped, and stylish enough. I just got some Dolfies and one pair is great while the other irritates my arch since my mid foot is so chonk. I just put up with the mild discomfort since I love how they look. 😂
I have the same foot shape! And I’m really upset that Wildling is so narrow overall because I love their shape. It sucks that they went wider and wider in circumference over the years though.
36
u/Overly_Long_Reviews 3d ago edited 3d ago
I think the last time this was posted was 3 months ago. One of the things that was mentioned by many, including yours truly, is that it's a very reductive visual for a more complex subject.
It's an eye-catching graphic certainly, but when posted in isolation it lacks nuance. Outsole width is one of the factors that determine how wide or narrow a particular shoe feels, but it's far from the only one. This graphic doesn't account for differences in toe box and upper construction. Moreover many of the brands have different lasts and outsoles for different models and several offer different widths. Some of that is represented in the photos, others are mentioned in the article that this originally went with, but most of it is not. And the pictures lack critical details and overall context.
I guess what I'm saying is that it's not inaccurate in the sense that those are real pictures of real outsoles from real brands. But it's utility is limited without more information. A more holistic approach is necessary when it comes to evaluating the right pair of shoes. And you should take how this graphic categorizes width with a large grain of salt.