What negative consequences can result from having too much toe room in a shoe

I hiked all of the Pacific Crest Trail (~4000km) and the Continental Divide Trail (~4200km) wearing shoes 1.5 sizes too large and 2-4 widths too wide (i.e. normally size 11.5D but wore 12.5EEEE). The main advantage was no blisters. I sometimes slipped around a bit on weird terrain, but overall did not notice any downside major to this setup.

posted almost 13 years ago

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Ryley‭

84 reputation 2 42 8 0

I've had this issue too - my feet are small but wide and I often have too much length in order to get the width.

The main downside I've found is that I initially tend to trip or stub my toes on difficult ground, because I'm used to something shorter I guess. After an hour or two the mind seems to adjust, but just be alert at the start in case you end up falling.

posted over 8 years ago

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Tullochgorum‭

471 reputation 2 113 48 0

When talking about boots, what you absolutely have to be careful about are those that have too much room on the "backside" (i.e., heel, ankle, midfoot). That leads to your feet slipping around each step and can give you very bad blisters plus blue toenails when you hit the front.

In this case, it can be worthwhile to try shoes that seem small(ish) for your size (around the ankle area); they should really keep your feet in place (without hurting, of course).. Then your foot won't move around and you don't need that much extra (empty) space for your toes.

On the other hand, if in doubt I'd chose rather more space for the toes, for additional "wiggle room", I hate it when my toes are confined too much.

Also, be sure to draw your laces tighter when going downhill than when going uphill to prevent nicking your toes against the front which each step.

posted over 8 years ago

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AnoE‭

51 reputation 0 15 5 0

Too much toe room is only a problem if you have too much movement in the shoe due to the size. That can cause blisters. If you have to have a bigger toe box, then a larger shoe could be a good solution along with something like a heel lock lace to help prevent excess movement of your foot in the shoe.

posted almost 13 years ago

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Timothy Strimple‭

146 reputation 1 33 15 0

I think it depends on how rigid your soles are.

If you're wearing flexible soles, and you need to edge your toes on a ledge, then that gap at the front of your shoe can cause the sole to bend and you would slip. A rigid sole wouldn't have the same problem.

You shouldn't really be moving around all that much in the shoe if it is tightly laced - so if a longer shoe means you're more comfortable width-ways then you should go with it.

posted almost 13 years ago

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HorusKol‭

91 reputation 1 20 9 0