I have never had to by wide shoes, but my feet are wider across the top and very narrow at the ankle. These fit perfectly in the length, and fit just a tad big at top width, not as tight as other shoes (so I am going to say these are wider than average shoes) but the backs are really wide and big (almost like 2 different shoes), I am used to shoes sliding off my ankle a little and know I have to live with it with most shoes, but my ankles aren't even touching the sides. So I come right out of the shoe, even with a strap. So if you have wide feet, these may be perfect for you, but otherwise probably not a shoe for narrow or normal feet.