SOLE RUNNER® Barefoot Shoes for Extra- Wide Feet 

Since 2010, we have been developing our SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes in Germany.

Are you familiar with the feeling of your feet literally wanting to escape from your shoes after a long day? Pressure marks on your toes, aching balls of your feet, and a constant sensation of tightness – for people with wide feet, the search for suitable shoes is often a frustrating challenge.

At SOLE RUNNER®, we have the solution: As one of the few barefoot shoe manufacturers worldwide, we offer our handcrafted shoes in three different widths – perfectly matched to your individual foot shape.

There are feet for which even "Wide" is not enough. Very wide feet, a high instep, sensitive feet, or feet that swell noticeably over the course of the day – all of these are reasons why a conventional fit fails. It is precisely for these feet that we have developed the Extra Wide shoe width. Together with the Normal and Wide widths, it forms the complete fit concept of our SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes: three widths, one goal – shoes that adapt to the foot and not the other way around.

Who needs barefoot shoes in Extra Wide? The answer is simpler than many people think: anyone whose foot width is significantly above the standard measurement. In practice, this becomes apparent with shoes that fit in length but press at the ball of the foot, constrict the instep, or can only be closed with effort. People with very wide feet know the feeling of having to make compromises when buying shoes for years – choosing lengths that are too large so that the width fits. The Extra Wide shoe width puts an end to exactly this compromise: you choose your regular length and get the width your foot truly needs.

Why is this space so important for foot health? Your toes are not a decorative element. They stabilize you with every step, maintain balance, and, together with the foot muscles, enable natural rolling motion. If they are pressed into tight shoes, this mechanism cannot work fully. Walking barefoot demonstrates every day how feet behave when you let them: toes spread, the foot works, the gait becomes calmer. A good barefoot shoe should not support the foot, but rather protect it and enable as much natural movement as possible. Our Extra Wide models implement this principle for feet that are too wide for most shoes.

In doing so, we deliberately forgo everything that unnecessarily constricts the foot: rigid soles, unnecessary weight, and narrowly cut zones. Instead, you get a particularly generous toe box, flexible soles, a low weight, and a stable heel fit so that the shoe holds securely despite its width. The range extends from comfortable everyday shoes to sneakers to hard-wearing hiking models or winter shoes – all in Extra Wide, without you having to compromise on toe freedom or design.

A note on honesty: even the best shoe cannot heal foot problems, and we do not promise that either. What we promise are fit, quality, and a construction that lets your feet work instead of immobilizing them. Scientific evidence and biomechanical considerations suggest that free toe movement and flexible rolling can activate the foot muscles – a plausible reason to reconsider your shoe habits.

Our SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes are produced sustainably and fairly and support a healthy way of walking. You do not know whether Wide or Extra Wide fits? Measure your feet in the evening in terms of length and width, compare the inner dimensions of the models – or write to us.

We take time for you and your feet.

Why do conventional shoes harm wide feet?

Our feet are complex masterpieces of nature: 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments work together perfectly. Yet conventional shoes squeeze this three-dimensional structure into tight, inflexible shapes – with far-reaching consequences:

Crooked toes due to insufficient space in the forefoot area
Weakened foot muscles due to a lack of freedom of movement
Hallux valgus and other deformities
Chain reaction in the musculoskeletal system: when the big toe cannot provide adequate support, the ankles, knees, hips, and back suffer

People with wide feet or a high instep in particular feel these restrictions daily. The standard widths of most shoe brands do not do justice to their natural foot shape.

What speaks in favor of our SOLE RUNNER® barefoot shoes for wide feet?

Developed according to orthopedic principles, award-winning

Our shoes are developed according to orthopedic principles and take into account the three-dimensional shape of the foot. The result has been awarded the IGR quality seal for ergonomics (Institut für Gesundheit und Ergonomie e.V.) multiple times.

Handcrafted in the highest quality

German Engineering – Developed and designed at Lake Ammersee in Bavaria
Handcrafted production – Every shoe is made with the utmost care
Premium materials – High-quality leather, breathable textiles, vegan alternatives
Ultra-flexible soles – From 3.5 mm to 6 mm

The perfect toe box for wide feet

The anatomically shaped toe box gives your toes the room they need:

Natural spreading possible – Your toes can unfold in their natural position
No pressure marks – Finally no more pressing against the shoe wall
Relief for hallux valgus – The wide toe box works preventively and provides relief
Complete freedom of movement – For a natural rolling motion