Forums >Gears and Wears>Shoes for narrow, low-volume feet
Good morning, all!
New member here... thanks for having me!
Just a little about myself. I'm not new to running, having run track while I was in school and maintained fitness with running into my late twenties. I'm now in my mid thirties and getting back into running after a 6-year hiatus due to a lower back injury. I'm 6'8" and around 210 lbs. That takes some effort for me to maintain, but I feel the best thing for my back is to stay as light as possible.
For someone my size, my feet are a bit of an anomaly. Depending on brand, I wear an 11 1/2 or 12 narrow, and I usually need auxiliary arch support. So yeah... high arches, narrow, low-volume, small feet.
For years, my go-to shoes have been New Balance 990s in a B width. It's hard to find shoes narrow enough, and these have always been available. But I'm wondering if there are other options that work well with my circumstances. While the NB feel good, they are relatively heavy, and the last two pair I have had weren't up to the quality I'm used to (maybe just Covid related compromises in manufacturing, this is not an attempt to bash NB!).
I would welcome any suggestions/input/advice!
Thank you all!
Matthew
runktrun
Try some different NB styles. Their light weight trainers have a snug fit around heel and midfoot and a curved last (template for the sole of the shoe), so the shoe is relatively narrow in the heel and midfoot. You might be able to lace them tight enough to not slip around, however, the toe box is average width.
Nike is traditionally a narrower cut, but after running in NBs, I suggest you thoroughly test them out at a store before committing.
You could try two approaches:
Buy a neutral shoe and add your own arch support (NB880 or 840), or
Buy a stability shoe to see if the firmer foam under your arch provides enough support without an insert (NB860, or NB1500 for a lighter and narrower lightweight trainer).
Either way, I think your best bet is to go a specialty running shoe store and let the staff help you. They can also order narrow width shoes if you find a model you like in regular width.
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
Thanks! I had already contemplated the NB860, but I wanted to get some outside opinions before I decided. I feel like my limited in my knowledge base of brands other than NB. I used to live in DE, and Wilmington had a NB store with a really knowledgeable staff, so I haven't really contemplated other brands until now, and from what you've said, I may not need to.
The closest legitimate running shoe store to where I live now is over an hour away, but it could be worth the trip.
Thanks again!
You're welcome!
You could call and ask what brands and styles they have before making the drive. Brooks and Saucony tend to be a little wider and softer, but that's not to say they won't have anything that works for you. Another player is On, but it has weird treads.
anything by Hoka. They all run narrow.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
This is honestly really great. I've had them for a while and I'm never looking back.
I'm 17, and I'm 174 cm tall. I have a size 41 foot, and the problem is that my feet are very narrow. Even when I find sizes that fit me, they are all too broad for me. This has to do with the fact that I've had a deformed foot since childhood. I've been running for eight years, and I used to order custom sneakers. This happened in the following way. For example, the master who was doing it took Asics, and using a homemade machine, heated and narrowed the shoes. During the quarantine, he went bankrupt and sold his machine. So I have nowhere else to order shoes. An acquaintance of mine advised me to go to this store https://www.tennisshoez.com/marking-vs-non-marking/. I have not been there yet, but it is often praised. I hope to be able to find this is what I need. Maybe someone else knows where to make individual shoes? Share, please.