Soma Earth Black

These shoes are the closest thing to perfect that exist for my husband's extra wide duck feet!

These shoes are the closest thing to perfect that exist! My husband has weirdly-shaped, extremely wide feet (like duck feet, but wider) and we have tried so many "wide" shoes. None of them have actually been wide enough for his feet. The only shoes that have worked in the past are custom made. Well, custom shoes don't have any sort of athletic cushioning options. Enter Wyde Soma shoes. THESE ARE GREAT! They are wide enough for his toe box! AND they have a cushioned sole! It's a miracle! AND they don't cost $600+. Even better! I am so grateful for Wyde. We have the Novas as well, and are waiting for the sandals to be in stock in his size. Anyway, can't say enough good about Wyde shoes! Thank you so much for providing these shoes for people with crazy wide feet!

Comfy, spacious and stylish.

Love these shoes, they’re so incredibly comfortable. I finally have enough room for my toes to wiggle and splay while my narrow heel still gets locked. No more sensory overload because my feet feel constricted. The mesh panels are very breathable and the sole is quite cushy while still having some ground feel. I did add a different and thicker insole because the stitching in the stock insole was too prominent underneath the balls of my feet and hurt. I’m also a little sceptical about the “grounding technology”, because it’s just some stitching and a piece of conductive cloth inside the shoe while you’re still walking on a slab of EVA and rubber. I do feel a huge relief with my chronic plantar fasciitis, I think that’s because my feet can move freely and have room to strengthen naturally. Would definitely buy these again if my current pair is done for.

On the fence...

I'll start off by saying I very much like the width of the toe box and surprisingly, I quite liked the thicker inner cushion lining of the upper heel part. Design-wise, I'd say there are improvements to be had. The midfoot could be a bit wider. As it is now, it's pretty tight on the inner side. It can pinch quite a lot if I'm not careful. The toe box height could be increased a bit. Right now, especially my big toe, not uncommonly will get caught on the lip of where the mesh meets the leather. I'm neutral about the zero drop. I like it, but it's not a huge draw for me. Now, the sole's foam is very soft. That has pros and cons. Not sure if it has zones or is multilayered. In my opinion, while i do like the softness, there is room for improvement in the foam department. I'd also think about maybe adding a very thin tougher sole to the bottom of the foam. The one thing I absolutely did not like was the insole. Not only did it feel cheaper than even some of the most bargain bin footbeds i've come across, the stitching in the middle of the ball of foot area was uncomfortable, and slightly abrasive to some of my socks. Overall, I'm very much on the fence about this pair of shoes. With my shoe width, it's incredibly hard to find shoes that aren't specialty orthopedic or made for people with really swollen feet. Something I don't need, I just have wide feet. Or doesn't bend the big toe inwards while not being a barefoot shoe. So, finding another brand I can wear is great. But, as mentioned, it is a bit painful in the middle, which i think would be alleviated with a bit more width in a future iteration, and aside from the very disappointing footbed, the rest is less important.