Finding the best mountain bike shoes for wide feet depends greatly on you and your style of riding. Your comfort is the number one defining factor when it comes to choosing a pair of reliable, long-lasting cycling shoes. It also makes the ride a more enjoyable if your feet aren’t crammed into poorly fitting shoes!
As with any other purchase, it is wise to first do thorough research about what the shoe offers before buying it. With mountain bike shoes, there are also a number of factors to consider when deciding which product is right for you.
If you need more help knowing what to look for when purchasing mountain bike shoes, check out the latter half of this article.
Best Wide Mountain Bike Shoes for Flat Pedals
Those looking for flat mountain bike shoes have been struggling for the past while. To say there is a limited selection of shoes is an understatement. However, a few new players have entered the space in recent times, such as Ride Concept. This is great news for those who love the freedom that flat pedals offer.
Although there is more choice in shoes, it sadly hasn’t trickled down into some specific wide shoes, as you can get in the clipless variety. Thankfully there are a few options out there that will suit those with wide feet much better.
We’ve picked out the three shoes that suit those with wide feet best, so you have a bit of choice in shoes depending on how you like to ride and your budget.
Specialized 2FO Roost
The latest iteration of Specialized 2FO mountain bike shoes has turned a few heads in the industry. The new shoe known as the Specialized 2FO Roost is a great shoe that gives the long-reigning benchmark of the Fiveten Freerider Pros a run for their money.
The new sole with Specialized new Slipknot ST compound is super grippy. This combined with the wider sole means with a good set of pedals you won’t be short on grip.
Yes, that’s right the shoe has a wider sole than most particularly in the toe box which means they make the cut for this list. The extra width gives those with wide feet a bit more room which I am sure will be much appreciated. On top of this, they are very comfortable shoes striking a great balance between flex and stiffness.
One of the shoe’s downsides is its attraction to mud. The suede-like uppers seem to attract and hold onto mud. Although nice to look at when new perhaps a smoother material would have been a better choice.
Giro Riddance Shoe
The Giro Riddance is one of Giro’s top flat pedal shoes. It features a Vibram sole with its mega grip rubber compound and EVA midsole. The Riddance has built up a name for itself for superb durability and power transfer through the pedals. The stiff sole and water-resistant microfibre upper are to thank for this.
Those with wide feet will appreciate the shoe’s wider shape along with its molded EVA footbed with arch support. When the trail gets rough, the EVA midsole’s damping will be much appreciated and reduce foot fatigue.
The Riddance keeps your foot secure on the pedals with good grip from the rubber compound and stiffness provided from the sole.
If you are looking for a comfortable, durable flat pedal mountain bike shoe, this is a good option. The stiffer sole suits those that rack up the km’s pedaling and don’t tend to walk in their MTB shoes that much.
Ride Concept Powerline
Ride concept are the new kids on the block but backed by knowledge from FiveTen they are putting out some great shoes. The Powerline is no different and features their DST 4.0 rubber sole for grip and D30 collar and insole to absorb impacts and reduce fatigue on those long descents.
The shoe tends to run on the small size so you are best to go with half a size up than normal. These shoes have plenty of volume to accommodate those with wider feet.
They are a little pricier than the others on the list but the shoe is packed with features and will handle some gnarly riding. A good durable shoe particularly focused on the enduro/gravity rider.
Five Ten Freerider Shoes
Now it wouldn’t be a MTB shoe article without mentioning the absolute benchmark in shoe the Five Ten Freerider shoes. These have long been the staple for grippy, durable and comfortable shoes.
The renowned Stealth S1 grip will keep you glued to your pedals and the EVA midsole helps to soak up the bumps from the trail keeping your feet fresh on those long descents.
If you have a super wide foot these may not be quite the right fit but they do feature a wider fit than most so they make the tail end of the list. They fit true to size and with a background in Vans Shoes, you are best to order your regular street size.
Best Clipless Shoes for Wide Feet
Whether you have been a mountain bike enthusiast for a while or you are just starting out, this guide is for you! We know how hard it is to find the perfect mountain bike shoes for wide feet. With this in mind, we have come up with this list of the top mountain bike shoe brands that offer enough room for your feet!
Sidi Trace 2 Mega
Sidi has been creating high-quality shoes since the 1960s, and are one of the top brands for mountain bike shoes. They are known for making long lasting, durable mountain bike shoes. The key to their design is the stitching in all the areas that typically fail in shoes. Additionally, the Sidi shoes have a durable politex upper.
The politex upper on their shoes is tough, which is great for when the trail gets rough. Sidi also has their unique heel cup design which keeps the foot in the optimal position, which is great for those longer rides.
Alongside Sidis regular MTB shoes they have the Sidi Mega fit. These are the range of wide shoes that Sidi offer which have an extra 4mm of width across the ball of the feet that allows the forefoot to expand out for those with wide feet.
The shoe that I recommend for most mountain bikers with wide feet in Sidis lineup is the Sidi Mega Trace 2. In my opinion, the Sidi Trace 2 is one of the best value MTB shoes on the market as it is Sidis entry-level model, but they have not skimped on any of the features. It means that you can get Sidis excellent build quality for a very reasonable price.
The Trace 2 is targeted at the cross-country rider but will handle the more enduro style descents also.
Northwave Rockit Plus MTB Shoe
Northwave make a range of mountain bike shoes now and the Rockit Plus fits in as the general all-rounder.
The Vibram Wolftrax Sole provides plenty of grip on and off the bike and the PU and ripstop upper enhances the durability of the shie. Northwave Rockit still features an EVA midsole to provide support from rough trails.
If you’re looking for a comfortable all-rounder that can be worn off the bike with relative comfort then the Rockit Plus maybe for you.
Shimano XC502
When it comes to cycling, Shimano is among the top brands that we all love. They have a vast selection of carefully and intelligently designed mountain bike shoes for wide feet. For many years, they have been the market leaders in anything and everything cycling-related.
Through the use of the latest technology in footwear, they provide mountain bike shoes that you can rely on whatever the season is. With Shimano, you can be sure that you have reliable footwear that will last for many years.
The Shimano XC502 wide MTB Shoe is a cross-country mountain bike shoe that caters specifically to those with wide feet. This shoe does what it says on the tin being a mid-range sturdy reliable cross-country mountain bike shoe. It does tend to run small so go for half a size up than normal.
Lake MX238 Wide
Lake are very well known in the road cycling community but are not as common to hear about with mountain bikers. Despite this, they do in fact have a range of mountain bike shoes with options of regular, wide, and extra-wide.
Lake have separated themselves as one of the major players in catering for those with wide feet. They have plenty of options in their line-up which will suit most types of riders.
Lake is one of the few MTB shoe companies that have a chart that can help you decide both which type of shoe is right for your type of riding, and which of these shoes are offered in wide and extra wide. You can check out Lakes fitting chart here.
The Lake MX238 Wide is specifically made for those with wide feet and so is a safe bet. They are also a very high quality shoe featuring a carbon sole and a full-grain leather upper that will mold to your feet for comfort.
They are a very durable shoe that caters nicely to your adventure/cross-country rider. They have some aggressive lugs on them so hiking a bike in muddy conditions will be a breeze in these.
What are Mountain Bike Shoes?
There are different types of cycling shoes on the market today, namely: road cycling shoes, triathlon cycling shoes, and mountain bike shoes. Mountain bike shoes differ from the other two types of cycling shoes because of its function and appearance.
Mountain bike shoes are designed with grips and lugs on the sole, which enable the wearer to walk or run whenever he is forced to dismount and walk on unsafe terrains. Another defining feature of mountain bike shoes is that they are manufactured with a different cleat system compared to the other two cycling shoes.
Lastly, mountain bike shoes are made of sturdier and more water-resistant materials.
Benefits of Using Mountain Bike Shoes
Less Cycling-related Injuries
The right-sized mountain bike shoes must distribute pedaling power efficiently all throughout the pedal surface. It must have a sole that is stiff enough to not fold around the pedal and put too much stress on the balls of the feet.
More Efficient Pedaling
Most cycling shoes are designed to clip onto the pedals for more powerful pedaling. With the right mountain bike shoes, you can actually add around 20% more power on your pedaling because you are able to exert force both during push down and upstroke of the pedal.
The Difference Between High Volume and Wide Shoes
It seems strange but there is actually a big difference between wide shoes and high volume shoes.
Wide shoes are shoes that have a wider than standard sole, which allows for forefoot width and expansion while riding. This type of shoe is less common as it requires manufacturers to create shoes other than the standard shape, which is not cost-effective.
The only companies who are designing for this are both Lake and Bont. These specially designed shoes do come at an extra cost to standard shoes though.
High volume shoes are shoes where companies take their regular model of the shoe and add more material to the sole of the shoe. This is done by companies like Giro and Sidi, where they offer a high volume version of their popular shoes.
Which type will suit you depends on your arches and instep shape. For wide feet in the high volume shoes, they can tend to spill over the edge of the shoe which the extra material is there to encourage.
Whereas those with a high instep and arches or just a larger volume shoe will benefit more from the high volume shoe where the extra material will give your feet more room and will ultimately be more comfortable.
Conclusion
All in all, the choice still rests upon the wearer and his/her preferences. These major brands have been the top manufacturers of mountain bike shoes for years. Each of them offers many choices that you can choose from. The key is knowing and the dimensions of your feet. Seems simple, but it is an often neglected step to get on the right track to finding the best mountain bike shoes.
In our opinion, the best shoes on a budget are the Giro Cylinder HV MTB Shoe. It is a great value shoe that will not break the bank, but still offer more comfort for those with wider feet.
The best for those who have a little more to spend, the Sidi Mega Trace 2 is the way to go. They are specifically designed for wide feet so your feet won’t be crammed against the edges, providing long-lasting comfort. If you’re looking for pedals, check out our top picks for those with big feet.
