Yes, COOPS work for wide feet. Order one letter up from your usual size. The knit upper has no stiff panels, so it opens up across the ball of your foot, and the bigger letter gives it room so it doesn’t press.
If you have wide feet you already know the routine. Order the shoe, feel the pinch across the little toe by lunchtime, start the return. Plenty of sneakers come in one standard width, and wide versions, when they exist, often come in fewer colors. So when people ask us whether COOPS fit wide feet, the honest answer is yes, as long as you size the way we describe below.
Why are so many shoes too narrow?
Feet vary a lot more in width than shoe boxes suggest. Research on how people actually fit their shoes keeps finding the same thing. A review of 18 studies found that most of the people studied, between 63% and 72%, were wearing shoes that didn’t match the width or length of their feet, and too-narrow shoes were especially common among older adults.1 In one study of older adults, shoes much narrower than the foot went along with corns, bunions and foot pain.2 Those studies are mostly of older people, but nobody of any age enjoys a shoe that squeezes.
A typical sneaker makes this worse because the shape is fixed. The toe box is stitched and glued around a last, and the upper is reinforced with overlays that don’t give. If your foot is wider than that shape, the shoe wins.
How do COOPS fit a wide foot?
A COOPS upper is knit from bamboo, merino wool and a cooling yarn, and it stretches in every direction. There are no rigid panels across the forefoot, so when your foot spreads, the knit spreads with it. Underneath is a contoured footbed with built-in arch support and a real rubber outsole.
That stretch is the reason we tell wide-footed customers to go up one letter. In your usual letter the knit will still fit, but it has to work harder across the widest part of your foot and you may feel it pressing on the little toe after a few hours. One letter up gives the knit room, and because it hugs the rest of your foot, the shoe doesn’t feel long or sloppy.
Which letter should I order?
- Find your usual US size on the COOPS size chart.
- Note the letter it maps to. A men’s US 10, for example, is an M.
- Order the next letter up. In that example, an L.
If you’re between two letters and your feet are wide, go up from the larger letter. If you’re unsure, measure your feet in the evening, when they tend to be largest. Our sizing guide walks through how.
High Top or Low Top for wide feet?
Both use the same sole and the same knit, so the width across your forefoot is identical. The difference is the height. The Low Top sits below the ankle, so it’s the easier of the two to slip on. The High Top hugs the ankle, which some people like for a closer, cozier feel. If getting shoes on is ever a struggle, start with the Low Top.
How should they feel after a week?
Snug, not tight. The knit relaxes a little over the first few wears and then holds its shape. You should be able to spread your toes inside the shoe. If you still feel pressure on the sides after a week of normal wear, exchange for the next letter up.
What if they don’t work?
Wear them around the house on a clean floor for a few days before you take them outside. If the fit is wrong, you can return or exchange within 30 days of delivery, and in the US the return label is free. Pairs worn outdoors can’t be returned, which is why we suggest the indoor test first. Everything is on our shipping and returns page.
