Shoes with foot shaped toe box??

Jbmgh

New User
I’ve read through all the threads I can find on the subject, but nothing recent so I’m hoping for some new info.

I’ve developed a bunion on my left foot at the base of my big toe over years of wearing tight fitting football boots etc.

Day to day I wear barefoot shoes which have stopped it getting any worse, but my ASICS tennis shoes (resolution 7, court ff2 and solution speed 3) all leave me with pain during and after tennis. Length wise they are fine. There’s plenty of room in front of my toes, it’s just the shape of the toe box that pushes my big toe inward.

So I’m after some narrow fitting shoes but with a wide toe box or at least a less pronounced round at the toe on the inside.

Any leads?

Thanks
 
I’m in the same boat. I’ve also developed bunion and I never understood why until recently. For me it was not the width of the shoe that was causing the problem but the length. I’m in between sizes and I can’t stand the loose feeling when the shoe is a bit too big. So I always went for the smaller size. My toe was touching the front of the shoe and got jammed back, causing my joint to pop outwards because it had nowhere to go. Sometimes it hurt so much I could hardly walk the day after a match. Recently I started wearing slightly bigger shoes and lo and behold, no more pain.

For me the Adidas Solematch Control has been working great. Toe box is nice and roomy, giving my toes plenty of wiggle room to spread out.
 

Jbmgh

New User
Thanks for the reply. Yep, my feet are really narrow, so for sports I’ve always had to size down to stop my foot sloshing around. Unfortunately this has mangled my toes! Like you, these days I just live with looser footwear and less painful feet.

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll try to track down a pair of those adidas.

I’m in the same boat. I’ve also developed bunion and I never understood why until recently. For me it was not the width of the shoe that was causing the problem but the length. I’m in between sizes and I can’t stand the loose feeling when the shoe is a bit too big. So I always went for the smaller size. My toe was touching the front of the shoe and got jammed back, causing my joint to pop outwards because it had nowhere to go. Sometimes it hurt so much I could hardly walk the day after a match. Recently I started wearing slightly bigger shoes and lo and behold, no more pain.

For me the Adidas Solematch Control has been working great. Toe box is nice and roomy, giving my toes plenty of wiggle room to spread out.
 

WillisAU

New User
I've been told the asics solution swift is wider in the toebox than the solution speed. might be worth trying a pair on?
 

Jbmgh

New User
Got a pair of babolat Jet Mach III on the way. Read somewhere that they’re slim but with a generous toe box…
 

WildVolley

Legend
Back in the day, Prince shoes used to offer a few models with a straight big-toe line that were marketed under the NFS (natural food shape) last. Unfortunately, these were grandpa shoes, heavy and very stiff, and they became progressively narrower over time. I asked a Prince rep on here if they'd consider making a match day shoe in the last and he assured me they wouldn't. I assume only older players who cared about foot health were buying them. The heavy and pointed toe Prince T22 was apparently a much better seller.

In general, people don't like the aesthetics of the human foot, which is why they prefer shoes that are pointed, even though only a a minority of the population have pointed feet (the Morton's toe).

One of the shoes I wear is the SFX 3. The toe box isn't particularly wide, but the big-toe line is fairly straight and the outer side is soft, at least how it fits with my duck feet. My little toe eventually rips out the side of the shoe, but I can play without toe pain.
 

WildVolley

Legend
Many people here were advocating that Altra make a pair of tennis shoes. Not only does that seem unlikely, but the Altra brand has been making most of their shoes these days with much narrower toe boxes. These shoes probably work well for those with narrow feet who need toe box room, but they're too narrow for those of us with slightly wide to wide feet.
 

Jbmgh

New User
Weird how so few shoes are foot shaped… I’ll stick SFX on my list too. Thanks.

Back in the day, Prince shoes used to offer a few models with a straight big-toe line that were marketed under the NFS (natural food shape) last. Unfortunately, these were grandpa shoes, heavy and very stiff, and they became progressively narrower over time. I asked a Prince rep on here if they'd consider making a match day shoe in the last and he assured me they wouldn't. I assume only older players who cared about foot health were buying them. The heavy and pointed toe Prince T22 was apparently a much better seller.

In general, people don't like the aesthetics of the human foot, which is why they prefer shoes that are pointed, even though only a a minority of the population have pointed feet (the Morton's toe).

One of the shoes I wear is the SFX 3. The toe box isn't particularly wide, but the big-toe line is fairly straight and the outer side is soft, at least how it fits with my duck feet. My little toe eventually rips out the side of the shoe, but I can play without toe pain.
 

Slicehand

Hall of Fame
we need a true minimal tennis shoe, i only wear barefoot shoes except for tennis, cant play good without lateral support, im very agressive in my movements
 

Jbmgh

New User
I’d definitely buy it. Tennis shoes feel sooo clunky and slow after barefoot shoes. Played for a bit in Vapor gloves, they didn’t last long, but I was quick around the court!
 

Jbmgh

New User
So the babolat jet Mach iii have arrived and I think it’s going to be the same story. Sized up half a size as recommended somewhere on here.

The length is good, but as soon I’ve pulled them on I’m aware of pressure on the outside of my big toes on both feet which I’m pretty sure will lead to pain.

I’ll wear them around the house the next couple of evenings and see how it goes, but I can’t imagine they’ll soften up much.
 
That’s a bummer. From my research, most websites suggested kswiss shoes. Haven’t tried them but they look ok.

And yeah we need Altra or similar to make tennis shoes.
 

Jbmgh

New User
KSwiss Hypercourt express are on my list too. But for now I’m seeing if I can make a bit more space for my big toe in my ASICS ff using some shaped bits of wood and hair dryer!
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
Back in the day, Prince shoes used to offer a few models with a straight big-toe line that were marketed under the NFS (natural food shape) last. Unfortunately, these were grandpa shoes, heavy and very stiff, and they became progressively narrower over time. I asked a Prince rep on here if they'd consider making a match day shoe in the last and he assured me they wouldn't. I assume only older players who cared about foot health were buying them. The heavy and pointed toe Prince T22 was apparently a much better seller.

In general, people don't like the aesthetics of the human foot, which is why they prefer shoes that are pointed, even though only a a minority of the population have pointed feet (the Morton's toe).

One of the shoes I wear is the SFX 3. The toe box isn't particularly wide, but the big-toe line is fairly straight and the outer side is soft, at least how it fits with my duck feet. My little toe eventually rips out the side of the shoe, but I can play without toe pain.
The Prince T22 also seemed to get even narrower a few years ago when their changed manufacturing countries.
 

Hawks9451

Rookie
Tennis shoes are hellish to pick out. I have a normal-width heel and midfoot, but my forefoot is on the wider side (slight tailor's bunion). I also have a low-volume foot, which means not a lot of mass measuring from the floor to the top of my foot. Most width-friendly shoes like the Diadora Torneo or the Hypercourt Express make my heel slip out, so I end up buying shoes on the narrower side to avoid calf pain. My small toe suffers so my legs can live. It's a crazy life.

I love Altra trail shoes because they have a wide forefoot, narrower heel, and low volume fit. Wish they made a proper tennis shoe, but they can't even make a running shoe that doesn't fall apart ahead of schedule, so I don't see that happening.

One of the best-fitting tennis shoes I've had was the Asics Court Speed FF half-size up. Slightly too long, but not that bad. Kind of ugly though.
 
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