How to make wide shoes fit tighter

Ever bought a pair of shoes, only to find they’re a little wider than you thought? This is surprisingly common even if you’ve tried the shoes on before you bought them. That’s because your feet tend to swell as the day wears on, due to the pressure of carrying your body around. If you tried your shoes on in the evening, your feet will have been more swollen than earlier in the day – which means that when you then put them on in the morning, they can feel a little loose.

It’s also important to remember that standardised sizes might not always be the perfect width for your feet. While you should always aim to get the closest possible size, it’s not unusual for there to be a little extra room in your shoes – as it’s better to get a slightly wider size shoe than what you need instead of slightly narrowed.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make wide shoes fit tighter.

How to make wide shoes fit narrow feet

Below are our top tips for what to do if you find your shoes are a little too wide for your feet. These are simple things you can do at home to make your feet more comfortable but bear in mind that they’ll only work for shoes that are only slightly too big or too wide. The larger the discrepancy between your shoe size and the size of your feet, the harder it is to overcome – and the solution is usually to measure your feet again and choose a different size of shoe.

For those shoes that are slightly too wide, though, the following tips may help.

Adjust the fastenings

Slip-on shoes that have no fastenings aren’t adjustable, so if these are the shoes you’re working with, skip to the next section to find applicable tips. Zips and button fastenings aren’t typically adjustable either, as their main purpose is to keep the shoe closed rather than to alter the fit. If, however, your shoes have laces or buckles, then how you fasten them can make a difference to how well the shoes fit you.

Buckles are usually simple in that you have a range of eyes to choose from to fasten the buckle and tighten the shoe. You’ll probably find there are a number of different eyes already present in the buckle to allow for a range of fits, but if you need something a little more customised, you may be able to get a cobbler or similar professional to add additional holes for you. Getting a professional to do this instead of doing it yourself helps to ensure the quality of the shoe is maintained without aesthetic or structural damage.

As for laces, you need only look online to see there are infinite ways to tie your laces for different purposes. Some help to prevent the foot slipping around inside running shoes, others are purely for aesthetic enjoyment, and others help to customise the fit of the shoe to your feet.

Trial and error can be a good way to find a lacing method that suits you. We recommend that you go for short test walks with new lacing methods to make sure you’re completely happy with them before setting off on a longer excursion.

Consider insoles

Another option to consider is using insoles or other shoe inserts to cushion your feet within the shoe and provide a snugger fit. This should work with any shoes that have basic around-the-foot coverage – i.e. most shoes except flip flops, heels or sandals which are mostly open and show the foot.

As well as full size insoles, you can also get heel pads, toe pads and other smaller options, which can be especially useful if your shoes fit well in one area but are a little wide in another. Wearing insoles and shoe inserts may also help to protect your feet against blisters and other unpleasant foot conditions.

Try thicker socks

When we think of our shoes not fitting as well as we’d like them to, we often think it’s a problem with the shoe, but it’s also the case that changing your socks may help to resolve the issue. Depending on the shoe, you may be able to wear thicker socks to help pad out that slight gap and make the shoes fit better. We say depending on the shoe because thick socks can look a little odd when worn with summery shoes such as sandals or trainers – but you may be fine with that! Alternatively, you may be able to hide the socks beneath full-length trousers or similar clothing.

A thick pair of socks can do wonders to change the apparent size of your feet, which is why it’s a good idea to wear the appropriate kind of socks when you measure your feet for a new pair of shoes. For example, here are some recommendations: 

• Wear thick socks when measuring for boots or hiking shoes 
• Wear thin socks when measuring for casual shoes like trainers or loafers 
• Wear tights or no socks at all when measuring for sandals, flip flops or high heels.

Check the fit

Finally, our last suggestion is to check the size of your shoes again. Mistakes can happen, and there’s no sense in walking around in the wrong size of shoes without reason. Whether you’ve accidentally bought the wrong size or realised your feet aren’t as big as you thought, checking the size can help you to find a pair that fits you well again.

Although you might be loath to give up on a wide-fitting pair of shoes trying to save money, it’s worth considering that wearing a pair of shoes that simply don’t fit is likely to cause problems with your feet and gait. This can lead to serious health issues in time if left unchecked. So while saving money is a good notion, it’s also important to save yourself that pain and discomfort that can come from wearing the wrong size of shoes.