Ted

You received some bad sizing on the KSO's. My foot measures out as a 8.5 EEEE with a high arch, high instep, and narrow heel. I have never been able to get any Keen's on because of this.

I do wear a KSO all the time, a size 43 so there is no way that a 44 is the right size for you. You would need to be in a much larger size.

If I remember right, when I first tried a pair on, according to some of the sizing charts, I should have been in a 41, which didn't work, but I just kept doing up a size at a time until I found the one that fit. It was the best thing I did! I love them and wear them every day as my only shoe.

Don't give up on FiveFingers - find the right size. You will be very glad you did.

Going by the chart on the VFF website the measurements had me at 44. I really wanted to give them a try. But I couldn't even get my toes inside the shoes.

The design/price of the KSO was why I wanted to try them first. If they turned out well I probably would have given the Flow, KSO Trek, Trek Sport, or Komodo Sport a try later on. I even had Injinji Toe Socks to go with the KSO if I needed them.

Would I have the same problems with the Classic or Sprint designs?

I would appreciate it if guy with 13wide shoe size with VFF let me know which size they are using. At least that would be a guide for me.

I typically wear a 9.5/10 shoe, and a VFF KSO 43 fits me really well. I would say a 44 is definitely going to be too small for you.

Another shoe you might want to check out is Soft Star. They have a whole bunch of different models, and I think they can make them custom sized to your foot.

I've done some extensive searching about VFF sizes. From what I can gather, I'll need to try them on in-store for a good fit. I will need to try on sizes 45-48 to accomplish this task. Sadly it will be a pita, but worth it. At least I will save money on shipping.

Sorry but those Soft Star shoes aren't for me.

It kind of blows my mind that wide minimalist shoes and sandals are so hard to find- the longer I've worn unrestrictive sandals and walked barefoot, the wider my feet have gotten- and by a considerable amount. I've heard a lot of people say the same thing.

Looks like Golite has a few neat new models of shoes and sandals, though they don't come a wide per se. I have 3-4E feet which they fit well enough, mostly because they're high volume. Not the most minimalist, but they are zero drop, and the sandals and Tara Lites aren't any less minimalist than Keen's sandals.

Good luck!

I have been looking for wide minimalist shoes to no avail. I was dying for the minimus series to come out and they are way too narrow. I ended up going with Vibrams, but ultimately, I think I want a bit more padding for long distance running.

Are any wider shoes on the horizon?

Also, I wore NB 9.5 2e shoes (probably could have gone wider there)...now wearing size 42 bikila ls. I am thinking of picking up a pair of Should I try for the same size with KSO's or go up a size to 43? The bikilas fit pretty well, though there is extra room in the toes (nothing fatal).

I tried several pairs of KSO, CLASSIC, FLOW, Trek VFFs in store.

None of them really fit my feet that great. The toe length of most VFF were longer than my toes. That was if I managed to get the shoe on. Others were just too tight or narrow in spots.

For now I will have to wait on VFF. Hopefully they will get a better sizing system in place for future designs. A system like the one used to order custom insoles would work great.

Does anyone know of any other minimalist shoes I could try? Remember they need to fit size 13W feet.

I gave up trying to find wide sizes. I even have to get wide Chacos, the regular don't fit me. So I started making my own shoes. It's actually not that hard, but it is hard to make them nice and there's always something I wish I could do better so I keep making them.

Just got in a pair of Altra Instincts. I know they are not minimalist, but they are zero drop and I thought it would be helpful to have shoes with some cushion to add to the mix with my bikila ls (especially as I start into marathon training next month).

Long story short, they were almost wide enough...but they pressed on my bunions like mad and are going to have to go back (unless someone has a suggestion...I already am using their lacing technique).

how do you make your own shoes? I'm bumming big time...someone needs to step up with some wide sizes already.

Making your own shoes is not easy. I started by making a pair of fisherman sandals following the confusing instructions on http://www.simpleshoemaking.com. Then I bought patterns from the same site and used the same fisherman sandals construction method with whichever patterns I could figure out. Those were the two-piece casual and the bellows tongue patterns mostly. The bellows tongue pattern seems to give my feet the most room. The two-piece pattern required me to make a lot of modifications to be wide enough and even then they kind of press down on my toes until the leather softens up. For the patterns, she has instructions on a different site for how to set the xerox to resize them.

For leather I have used scraps from the local Tandy store or from a local store that sells junk. I've also cut up thrift store leather garments and purses and even used fabric from swim trunks. For tools I have a Tandy stitching awl, artificial sinew, a good craft knife and if I like the shoes, I use my boyfriend's belt-sander to smooth off the sole edge.

I have made dozens of pairs and many have turned out good enough to wear to work and to hike in (I don't run, I hike). It has been worth it to learn how to do it. It's really addictive though. I keep making more and more. That moment when you put them on and go for a walk is a great moment.