Guides / Shoes / Conversions
Shoe widths: what B, D, 2E and 4E mean for women and men
Updated . 4 minute read.
The short answer
Women's shoes are made in B and men's in D unless marked otherwise. So D is wide for women and standard for men, and 2E is extra wide for women and wide for men.
The letters are one scale for both. A men's medium is about a women's wide at the same foot length.
Women's and men's widths
Women's 9 D (wide) is about
Men's 7.5 D
Called standard in men's shoes.
Length uses the common rule (women's = men's + 1.5). A few brands use + 1; check the brand's own chart.
Width letters, women's and men's
| Letter | Women's | Men's |
|---|---|---|
| 2A | Narrow | Rarely labelled |
| A | Rarely labelled | Rarely labelled |
| B | Standard | Narrow |
| C | Rarely labelled | Rarely labelled |
| D | Wide | Standard |
| E | Rarely labelled | Rarely labelled |
| 2E | Extra wide | Wide |
| 3E | Rarely labelled | Rarely labelled |
| 4E | Extra extra wide | Extra wide |
Why a women's wide is a men's medium
US width letters come from the Brannock device, which reads foot length and width together, and it uses one width scale for everyone. What differs is the default: shoe makers build women's shoes in B and men's in D. So a men's shoe that is the right length for you is already two letters wider than the women's standard.
That is why people with wide feet often do well in men's running shoes: convert the length (at most brands a women's size is the men's plus 1.5; see men's to women's sizes) and keep the letter. The heel and the shape of the toe box can still differ between a brand's men's and women's lasts.
Width and brands that run long or short
A size chart only publishes length, so width is the part no chart can settle. A brand whose chart runs long can still feel short on a wide foot if its toe box is narrow, which is why which brands run small says to stay with your usual size, or go wide, if your feet are wide.
- Toes pressed at the sides, length fine: go one width up, not one size up.
- No wide version of the model: half a size up gives some width too, at the cost of a longer shoe.
- Between widths: a thinner sock or a wider lacing pattern closes a small gap; a full letter is a bigger step than it looks.
Common questions
What does D width mean in women's shoes?
Wide. Women's shoes are made in B unless marked otherwise, so a women's D is two letters wider than standard. In men's shoes D is the standard width.
Is a men's D the same as a women's D?
At the same foot length, yes: men's and women's shoes use one width scale. A men's 8 D is about a women's 9.5 D, which in women's sizing is called wide.
What is 2E in shoes?
In men's shoes 2E (EE) is wide, one step past the standard D. In women's shoes 2E is extra wide. 4E is extra wide in men's sizing.
Can women with wide feet wear men's shoes?
Often, for running and walking shoes: a men's medium is about a women's wide at the same length. Convert the length (women's minus 1.5 at most brands) and keep the letter. The shoe may still be shaped differently at the heel.
Sources
Checked on 19 September 2026. Brand charts change: the linked page is the authority, not this one.
- Wikipedia: Shoe sizeUsed for: US width letters and the men's and women's length scales.
- Brannock Device CompanyUsed for: the measuring device US width letters are read from.
Skip the conversion table
Tell us one item you own and how it fits. TrueToSize reads the brand's own chart and gives you your size at other brands, with a confidence level on every answer.