Dress Shoes for Wide Feet: D vs EE Width, and How to Choose

Updated October 2026

Most men should order dress shoes in the standard D width. If you worry a shoe will feel tight, go half a size up in D rather than wider. Order EE only if you know your feet are wide, because you have measured them or D has pinched you again and again. Cobbler Union's EE adds 0.35 inches of girth at the same length.

That order matters because the most common mistake with width runs the other way: buying wide "just in case". On a foot of normal width, an EE shoe is loose across the ball, the vamp creases early and the heel lifts. A wide fitting solves a wide foot. It does not solve a worry.

This guide explains how to find out whether your feet are wide, what an EE fitting changes and what it leaves alone, how insoles give you margin either way, and which oxfords, derbies, loafers, monk straps and dress boots come in EE. Cobbler Union makes those shoes in Almansa, Spain, so the examples are ours, and every measurement in the guide comes from our published size charts.

D or EE at a Glance

How Do I Know If I Have Wide Feet?

Measure the girth of your foot at its widest point and compare it with the ball girth the maker publishes for your size. That is the only test that settles the question. "My shoes feel tight" can mean a short shoe, a low instep or the wrong last as easily as a wide foot.

Cobbler Union's size chart lists, for every US size, the foot length the shoe is built for and the ball girth it fits in D and in EE, in centimeters or inches. To measure yourself the way the chart expects:

1. Put on the socks you will wear with the shoes, stand on a sheet of paper and trace the outline of your foot with a pencil.
2. Mark the back of the heel and the tip of the longest toe, then measure the distance between the two marks. That is your foot length.
3. Wrap a soft measuring tape around the widest part of your foot, across the ball, where the big toe and little toe joints sit. That is your ball girth.
4. Do both feet and use the larger one. Most people have one foot slightly bigger than the other.

Then read across the chart. If your girth sits at or below the D figure for your length, you are a D. If it reaches the EE figure, you have a wide foot and EE is built for you. If it falls between the two, start with D, half a size up if you are concerned about tightness, and keep the insoles in mind.

The second test is experience. A man who has worn D-width dress shoes for years and felt them press on the sides of the forefoot every time, in different brands and different styles, has a wide foot whether or not he owns a tape measure.

D or EE: Which Width Should I Order?

D, for most men. EE, for the man who knows his foot is wide. The order below is the one we give every customer who asks.

1. Start with D. It is the standard width in US men's sizing and fits the majority of feet.
2. Afraid it will be tight? Go half a size up in D, not EE. Half a size gives you a little more room everywhere without changing the width of the shoe.
3. Still unsure? Add the Extra Insole Set. Two pairs of insoles cut to the last let you close up any extra room, so the half size up never ends up loose.
4. Order EE if you know your feet are wide. You have measured them against the chart, or D has pinched you repeatedly. On a wide foot, EE is the fit that is comfortable from the first day.
5. Every EE pair ships with a free set of insoles, so the fit can be fine-tuned on that side too.

The mistake to avoid is ordering EE "so it won't be tight". On a foot of average width, EE leaves room across the ball that the laces cannot fully take up. A worry about tightness is solved by half a size up in D, which adds a little length and a little girth together.

The numbers show why the two fixes are different. On our 722 last, going from a US 9 to a US 9.5 in D adds about 3 mm of length and 2 mm of ball girth. Going from D to EE at the same US 9 adds 9 mm of girth and no length at all. Half a size up is a small adjustment in every direction. EE is a large adjustment in one.

What Does an EE Width Change, and What Stays the Same?

EE changes the girth of the shoe and nothing else. On every Cobbler Union model that comes in EE, the EE fitting adds 9 mm, or 0.35 inches, to the perimeter of the shoe, measured around the ball.

What stays the same:

• Length. A US 10 in EE is exactly as long as a US 10 in D.
• The toe shape and the line of the shoe. The 722 keeps its chisel toe and the 675 keeps its almond toe. An EE shoe does not look wider from above.
• The list price. D and EE carry the same price on every model that offers both.
• The available sizes. EE comes in the same 15 sizes as D, US 7 to 14 including half sizes.

That last point about the line matters most in dress shoes. A shoe made wide by changing the last outline reads wide: a broad, blunt toe and a heavy profile. An EE fitting built into the girth keeps the silhouette of the D, which is why a wide foot does not have to mean a clumpy shoe.

How Big Is the Difference? The Size Chart in Numbers

These figures are copied from the size charts on our product pages for the two lasts that come in D and EE. Each last has its own chart, so always check the one on the product you are buying.

Ball girth is the measurement around the widest part of the foot that each size and width is built to fit. This is the full chart for both lasts, US 7 to 14 including half sizes.

The table shows a second thing worth knowing: the 675 last is 5 to 6 mm roomier at the ball than the 722 in every size, in the same width. Width and last shape are two separate choices. A foot that feels slightly cramped in a 722 can often be solved by the 675 in D, before EE comes into it.

The full chart lives in the Size Guide button in the size selector on every product page, with a How to Measure tab next to it.

Can Insoles Fix a Shoe That Feels Roomy?

Yes, within a few millimeters, and that is exactly the margin a dress shoe needs. Cobbler Union's Extra Insole Set is two pairs of insoles cut to the pattern of the last, in your size and width: a blue pair, 3.3 mm (0.13″) thick, and a brown pair, 4.8 mm (0.19″). They lie flat from heel to toe without glue or trimming.

Use them in three situations:

• You went half a size up in D and the shoe feels a touch long or loose. Start with the blue pair.
• You ordered EE and want to fine-tune the fit. The set comes free with every EE pair.
• The shoe has settled. A Goodyear welted shoe sits on a cork bed that molds to the foot over the first weeks of wear, and the fit opens slightly as it does.

On a loafer, where there are no laces to take up slack, an insole is the main way to adjust the fit. The set is $15, cut separately for the 675 and the 722 lasts.

Which Oxfords and Derbies Come in Wide Widths?

On Cobbler Union's 675 and 722 lasts, every oxford and derby model comes in D and EE, from $495 list:

• Oxfords: the Ashford cap toe, the Arthur full brogue, the Martin saddle oxford and the Vincent wholecut.
• Derbies: the Marco plain derby, the Alex wingtip derby and the Norwegian split-toe derby.

Oxford or derby for wide feet? The derby is the easier fit. On a derby, the lacing panels are stitched on top of the vamp and open outward, so the shoe can spread over a wide forefoot or a high instep. On an oxford, the panels are stitched underneath the vamp and close into a V, which leaves less room to adjust. If your foot is wide and you want an oxford anyway, EE is the way to do it, because the lacing alone cannot make up the difference. The full comparison of the two is in our guide to oxford vs derby shoes.

Browse: oxfords · derbies.

Which Loafers Come in Wide Widths?

The Smith penny loafer and the Thomas tassel loafer come in D and EE on the 675 and 722 lasts, at $465 list in most colors.

Width matters more in a loafer than in any lace-up, because a loafer has no laces to tighten or loosen. The vamp has to hold the foot on its own: too narrow and it presses on the sides, too wide and the heel slips out with every step. That makes the D-or-EE decision more important here, and the Extra Insole Set the main adjustment once the shoe is on your foot.

Our loafers on other lasts come in a single width. Among them, the 435 is our roomiest loafer last, with a full oval toe and more volume across the sides. It makes no claim to being a dress loafer. For loafer styles and how each one fits, see the men's leather loafer guide and penny vs tassel vs horsebit loafers.

Browse: loafers.

Which Dress Boots Come in Wide Widths?

Seven of our dress boots come in D and EE, from $515 list:

Dress boots for wide feet without the bulky look come down to the same point as the shoes: an EE built into the girth keeps the toe and the profile of the D. The boot is roomier where the foot is wide and looks the same from the outside.

Among the styles, lace-up boots (chukka, jumper, brogue and balmoral) are the more forgiving fit, because the laces adjust across the instep. A Chelsea or a jodhpur boot has no laces, so it depends on the right girth from the start. For a wide foot in a Chelsea, the Bennett in EE is the safer order. More on choosing boots in our dress boot guide and Chelsea boot guide.

Browse: boots · Chelsea boots.

Which Monk Straps Come in Wide Widths?

The Chris single monk and the Francis double monk come in D and EE, at $495 list. The buckled strap adjusts across the instep the way laces do, which makes a monk strap a comfortable choice on a wide or high foot once the girth is right. More on the style in our monk strap guide.

Browse: monk straps.

Which Cobbler Union Shoes Do Not Come in EE?

EE exists only on our 675 and 722 lasts. Everything else comes in a single width:

• The shoes on our City, Louvre, Ritz, 357, 358 and 780 lasts. The City and the Louvre are cut with a generous fit in that single width; our guide to choosing a last explains how each one fits.
• The Henry penny loafer, and the loafers on the 435, 750 and Monaco lasts, including the Smith in Museum calf on the 750.
• Our dress sneakers.

If a model you like is not on the 675 or 722, check the fit notes on its product page before ordering.

Buying European-Made Shoes in the US: Returns, Exchanges and Duties

A wide-fitting order is easier to get right when a wrong size is easy to send back. Cobbler Union ships US orders from stock held in the United States, and returns and exchanges are handled in the US as well. You send the pair to a US address, not back to Spain, and there are no customs forms in either direction. Import duties are already included in the price on the product page.

The details, from our return policy:

• 30 days from delivery to request an exchange or a return, with the shoes unworn. Try them on indoors, on carpet, so the soles stay clean.
• An exchange for a different size or width carries no restocking fee. A return for a refund carries a $15 restocking fee.
• With the returns and exchange protection added at checkout, the return label is prepaid and the exchange costs nothing.
• Outlet and final-sale items cannot be returned.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between wide and extra-wide shoes?

In US men's sizing, D is the standard width. Most makers label E or EE as wide and EEE as extra wide, but the size of each step is not standardized between brands. That is why the girth in millimeters is the number to compare. Cobbler Union's EE adds 9 mm (0.35 inches) of girth over its D at the same length.

Should I size up or buy a wide width?

If you only worry that a shoe will be tight, go half a size up in D. If you have measured a wide foot or D shoes pinch you every time, order your usual size in EE. Sizing up a full size to gain width gives you a shoe that is too long before it is wide enough.

Does an EE width make the shoe longer?

No. An EE fitting adds girth around the ball of the foot and leaves the length unchanged. A US 10 in EE is the same length as a US 10 in D, with the same toe shape and the same price.

Do Goodyear welted shoes stretch to fit a wide foot?

A little. The cork bed under the insole molds to the foot over the first weeks of wear, and the leather upper relaxes slightly across the ball. That settles a shoe that was right from the start. It does not turn a shoe that is too narrow into one that fits.

Where is the Cobbler Union size guide?

In the size selector on every product page, under the Size Guide button. Each last has its own chart with foot length and ball girth in D and EE for every US size, in centimeters or inches, plus a How to Measure tab.

Is the EE width more expensive?

No. On every Cobbler Union model offered in D and EE, both widths carry the same list price, and every EE pair ships with a free set of insoles.

Do all Cobbler Union shoes come in EE?

No. EE is available on the models built on the 675 and 722 lasts: oxfords, derbies, the Smith and Thomas loafers, the Chris and Francis monk straps and seven dress boots. The other lasts come in a single width.

What if I need a narrow width or a size above US 14?

Cobbler Union makes D and EE in US 7 to 14, which covers standard and wide feet but not narrow ones. For a narrow foot or an extended size, a maker with a broader width range, such as Allen Edmonds, is the better choice. We compare the two brands in Cobbler Union vs Allen Edmonds.

Every Cobbler Union shoe on the 675 and 722 lasts is built in our workshop in Almansa, Spain, from top-grade European calfskin, and Goodyear welted by our artisans, one pair at a time. Find your fit.