Shoe Width Chart: What B, D, 2E and 4E Mean for Men and Women

Shoe width letters run from narrow to wide, and they shift between men and women. For women, B is standard, D is wide and 2E is extra wide. For men, D is standard, 2E is wide and 4E is extra wide. New Balance goes further, with 4E for women and 6E for men.

Shoe width chart for men and women

The table uses the labels on the makers’ own width charts. Brooks and ASICS use the same four steps. New Balance adds more widths for men at both ends and a 4E for women.

The pattern is simple once you see it. Every women’s label sits one row above the matching men’s label. That is why a women’s D, the wide width, uses the same letter as a men’s standard shoe.

How do width letters differ by maker?

The letters are shared, but makers do not all show them the same way or measure them the same way.

• New Balance lists the longest run of widths: 2A to 6E for men and 2A to 4E for women.
• Brooks names four widths, narrow, medium, wide and extra wide, and maps them to the letters in the table.
• ASICS says its narrow, standard, wide and extra wide steps differ by a couple of millimeters and scale with the size of the shoe. On its US site, wide styles carry WIDE or EXTRA WIDE in the product name.
• Nike says a wide shoe is usually about one centimeter wider than the regular version, and extra wide about one centimeter wider again. It notes that most brands use D as the men’s standard and B as the women’s.
• Topo Athletic gives two letters per shoe: its standard men’s shoe is E in the toe box and D in the midfoot and heel, and its wide men’s shoe is 2E in the toe box and E in the midfoot and heel.

Because the steps are not identical, a 2E from one maker may not match a 2E from another. Treat the letter as a starting point, then check the fit.

Can you cross over between men’s and women’s widths?

Yes, and makers say so. ASICS notes that men can wear women’s styles to get a narrow fit and women can wear men’s styles to get a wide one. A women’s foot that needs a D can try a men’s shoe in the standard width, converted to the right length.

The length conversion is its own step; see men’s to women’s shoe sizes. Women who would rather stay in women’s styles will find options in wide shoes for women.

Men's sneakers in 2E and 4E widths

Shop men's wide-width sneakers→

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns.

• 2E wide sneakersBrowse →
• 4E extra wide sneakersBrowse →
• Wide slip-on sneakersBrowse →

How do you find your own width?

Start with a measurement, then use the maker’s chart. AAOS says to stand while your feet are measured, because body weight spreads the foot, and notes that one foot may be slightly larger than the other. Fit the larger foot.

Measure in the evening when you can. ASICS recommends the late afternoon or evening, when feet have swelled and are at their widest. The foot measuring guide walks through length and width step by step.

If your measurement puts you at the top of a maker’s chart, read extra wide shoes for 4E and 6E options. Men looking for 2E and 4E by brand can go straight to wide shoes for men, and the wide feet guide covers the rest.