Having wide feet is one of the most common conditions in the world today and if your feet are a bit wider than normal, you are not alone.
In fact, millions of people all over the world today suffer from the condition.
What is the best way to lace running shoes for wide feet? This is a commonly searched term across not just fitness forums but search engines such as Google and Bing as well.
The solution to this problem continues to evade not just beginner fitness enthusiasts but lots of dedicated buffs with years of workouts behind them as well.
Before we outline the necessary steps, let’s take a look at what having wide feet means.
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What is Wide Feet?
This is simply defined as feet that come with larger with than normal width.
Most people only think about their size when going shoe shopping. However, this can be a huge mistake because shoes are not just measured in size but in width as well.
If you have wide feet then there is a high probability that you have come across many shoes in your correct size that fits too tight around the edges for your comfort.
Who Gets Wide Feet?
Wide feet can affect both men and women. However, research has shown that women are more likely to have wider than normal feet compared to men.
With most women endowed with well defined hips wider than men, there’s a high tendency of overpronation of their feet.
The condition can also be hereditary meaning if one or both of your parents has wide feet then there’s a high probability that you could be born with it too.
Even people born with narrow feet begin to notice it widening over time as they pile on the pounds. This comes about as a result of excessive pressure being placed on the ligaments to force them into complete flatness.
Wider feet are also common in senior citizens and middle aged persons. As part of the natural ageing process, the feet muscles and ligaments tend to stretch and relax like never before.
Noticed women usually pile on some extra weight during pregnancy? Yes you guessed it right! Most pregnant women experience significant widening of their feet depending on how much weight they have gained.
The excess weight gained alters the structure of women’s feet which can cause significant widening within the 9 month period. Sure, some new mothers see their feet going back to their normal pre-pregnancy widths but that may only be a small fraction.
Unfortunately, the widened feet become permanent in most of them. No wonder men remain a minority when it comes to wide feet.
How to Lace Running Shoes For Wide Feet
Having wide feet shouldn’t stand in your way of getting fit and this is why getting the right type and size of shoes is critical. Once that is checked, the next step is to ensure that your shoes are laced to give your wide feet as much comfort as possible.
Remember, there are two main types of lacing techniques i.e. Straight Lacing and Crisscross Lacing. Here are the steps to lacing your running shoes to fit wide feet and make you as comfortable as possible.
METHOD 1
For those with a high instep and wider than normal feet, this method of lacing running shoes could do the trick. Most runners experience more room for their feet without the laces being overly loose.
- Start from the bottom and lace through the eyelets that come first
- On the second eyelets, lace across
- Lace straight on the third eyelets
- Cross the laces again on the fourth eyelets
- Lace straight on the fifth eyelets
- Cross lace on the sixth eyelets
- Follow this cycle until you get to the last set of eyelets, which should be left empty without any lacing
Test your shoes on a few long distance runs to see how comfortable it fits before going for a marathon in it.
METHOD 2
This is another popular lacing method that can transform the comfort levels gained in your running shoes for those with wider feet.
- Start from the forefoot region and lace straight on the first eyelets
- Follow the trend by lacing straight on the second eyelets
- The third eyelets will also require straight lacing
- Switch to cross lacing on the fourth eyelets
- Keep the trend on the fifth eyelets too
- Crisscross again on the 6th eyelets
- Keep lacing with the cross method until it gets to a level you are comfortable with
- Tie the knot and get ready for your first test run