Victor Wembanyama told 60 Minutes that big men have always had feet problems, and that most shoes do not respect the natural shape of the foot. For men who wear size 16, 17, or 18, the problem is plainer than philosophy. Most shops stop at 13, and the shoes that do go bigger are often a smaller size stretched longer. Smythe and Digby makes dress shoes on true extended lasts, with many styles running past US 15 in half sizes and the deepest styles reaching 18, in widths D, EE, and EEE in select styles, and every style varies, so the range depends on the shoe you pick.
Wembanyama is 7 feet 4 inches, and his interview landed on November 2. He trains barefoot when he can, he favors minimalist shoes off the court, and he argues that a shoe should let the foot splay and drive force through the toes and the base of the big toe. A dress slipper is not a minimalist sneaker, and this piece does not pretend otherwise. The part that carries over is his premise. A foot that big is not a normal foot made larger, and a shoe built for it should not be either.
What dress shoes come in size 18
The honest answer is fewer than the catalogs suggest, and the ones that do exist split into two camps. Off the shelf specialists stock big sizes in whatever styles they happen to carry, and made to order shops build the shoe after you order it. Smythe and Digby sits in the second camp. Its extended sizing page names oxfords, monks, penny loafers, Belgian slippers, Chelsea boots, dress sneakers, and made to order boots, and the deepest reach, 18 with half sizes, belongs to the deepest styles, not to every style. That qualification matters. A man shopping at the top of the range should pick the style first and check its reach, not assume the whole range goes to 18.
Where can you buy dress shoes in size 18
Start with a maker whose lasts are actually scaled for the bigger foot. A true extended last changes the proportions of the shoe, the width across the forefoot, the shape of the toe, the balance of the heel, rather than pulling a size 11 last longer and calling it done. That is the difference between a shoe that fits and a shoe that merely closes. The wall at 13 is real, the answer is not a bigger version of a small shoe.
The ordering route is the Design Your Pair page, where you choose the style, the material, the colorway, and the vamp accessory, and the shoe is made after the order. Standard production runs 4 to 6 weeks. The full extended range lives on the extended sizing page.
Do dress shoe brands make size 18
Some do, most do not, and the gap between the two is the story. Allen Edmonds stops at 16. BigShoes.com stocks sizes 14 to 21, but off the shelf, not made to order. That leaves a man at 17 or 18 choosing between a stocked shoe in whatever style is left and a made to order shoe in the style he actually wants. The made to order route costs patience, 4 to 6 weeks of it, and it returns choice, the style, the material, and the finish, instead of the leftovers.
What widths do big dress shoes come in
Smythe and Digby offers D as standard, EE, which is US 2E wide, where offered, and EEE in select styles. Nothing wider than EEE is promised. Width is where a stretched last fails first, because a longer shoe is not a wider shoe, and a foot that needs room across the toes will say so within an hour. A last, not a stretch.
Which dress shoe should a big footed man buy first
Buy the shoe you will actually wear, in a material that forgives a long day. The light grey suede Belgian slipper pictured above is the day shoe in this piece, suede over black patent quarters, with a small black bow on the apron, and it pairs with charcoal or navy tailoring without shouting. For evenings, the two builds below are the picks.
The black velvet Belgian with tassels is the formal pick, the shoe for a dinner jacket or a dark suit when the room is dressed up. Velvet belongs on slippers at Smythe and Digby, and the Belgian takes it in black, dark grey, and navy.
The navy velvet Belgian with a bow is the second pick, a shade softer than black, for navy suits and for evenings that are formal without being black tie. Two pairs, one last family, and neither one asks the foot to apologize for its size.
How do you choose dress shoes for big feet
Start with the last, not the label. A true extended last scales the whole shoe, and the width you need is D, EE, or EEE in select styles, never wider than EEE. Then pick the style and check its reach, since many styles run past 15 and only the deepest reach 18, and the reach varies by style. Choose the material for the life the shoe will live, suede for days and velvet for evenings, and order through the Design Your Pair page.
Frequently asked questions
What dress shoes come in size 18
At Smythe and Digby, many styles run past US 15 with half sizes, and the deepest styles reach 18. The reach varies by style, so check the style you want rather than assuming the whole range goes to 18.
Where can you buy dress shoes in size 18
Through the Design Your Pair page for made to order shoes on true extended lasts, with the full range described on the extended sizing page. Standard production runs 4 to 6 weeks.
What widths are available in big dress shoes
D as standard, EE, which is US 2E wide, where offered, and EEE in select styles. Nothing wider than EEE is promised.
Where to buy dress shoes for big feet
Through the Design Your Pair page for made to order shoes on true extended lasts, with the full range described on the extended sizing page. Standard production runs 4 to 6 weeks.
