Best Wide Shoes for Your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70+

Comfort and style tailored to your lifestyle at every age
As we move through life, our feet - and the demands we place on them - change more than you might expect. For those who need wide-fitting shoes, finding the perfect balance between comfort, support, and style can feel like a lifelong challenge. Whether you're in your bustling 40s, embracing new freedoms in your 50s, stepping into retirement in your 60s, or enjoying well-earned relaxation in your 70s and beyond, your footwear needs shift with your lifestyle.

We explore the best wide shoes suited for your 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70+, focusing on how different activities, work, and social habits influence the styles and features you’ll want.

No matter your age, wide-fit shoes that truly fit well are key to preventing foot pain, supporting healthy posture, and keeping you moving comfortably through your day.

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Before diving into age-specific recommendations, it’s important to understand why wide shoes are so crucial.

Foot width can vary naturally from person to person, but it can also change over time due to factors like weight gain, pregnancy, injury, arthritis, or simply the aging process.

Wearing shoes that are too narrow can cause discomfort, blisters, bunions, corns, or exacerbate conditions such as plantar fasciitis. And feet often become wider and swell more in the afternoon or after long periods of standing or walking.

For many, wide-fitting shoes provide extra space in the toe box and around the midfoot, reducing pressure and allowing for natural foot movement. This is especially important as we get older and our feet become more vulnerable.

40s Lifestyle Snapshot
People in their 40s often find themselves juggling multiple roles: raising children, advancing careers, managing households, and maintaining an active social life. For many, the pace is busy, with school runs, after-school clubs, meetings, and weekend activities and your footwear needs to keep up!

The footwear you choose needs to be versatile: ready for office hours, school sports days, and casual outings.

Nobody epitomises this more than entrepreneur, TV personality and busy mum Sara Davies MBE; juggling a global business empire and regular TV commitments with being a mother to two school age children. Sara reflects on entering her 40s with a renewed focus on balance, confidence and body awareness. Leading our Joyful Strides campaign to help spread our message of prioritising foot health, she shares her own shift from “style-over-everything” to choosing pieces — including footwear — that truly support her lifestyle and wellbeing.

That’s why Sara loves classic, versatile wide-fitting pumps like Sinead; so comfortable for travelling, school runs and even TV appearances on shows like ITVs Lorraine and BBC’s Good Morning, as well as dressier styles like Aubrey, perfect for boardroom to bar.

Read Sara’s Joyful Strides story >

40s Key Activities and Shoe Needs
- Work and business: Many 40-somethings spend a significant portion of their day in offices or client meetings. Comfortable, wide-fitting smart shoes or business-casual styles with supportive soles help keep feet fresh through long days.
- Family life: School runs and after-school clubs mean lots of walking and standing. Wide trainers or supportive casual shoes with cushioned insoles provide all-day comfort.
- Social and weekend life: Whether it’s brunch with friends, a fitness class, or running errands, adaptable shoes that combine style with function are essential.

Recommended Wide Shoe Styles for Your 40s
- Smart shoes for warm summer days in the office: Wide-fitting loafers or smart sandals like Bella and Aubrey are the perfect companion for office-to-evening wear.
- Casual trainers: Cushioned trainers or walking shoes with extra toe box space for comfort during active family days. Modern wide-fit trainers like Kingfisher are just the ticket.
- Versatile casual shoes: Stylish wide sandals or sneakers that transition easily from day to evening. Wide-fit, versatile casuals like Sinead or sandals with adjustable straps like Francesca are an excellent choice.

Sara’s wide-fitting shoes picks for 2025

50s Lifestyle Snapshot
Our 50s, with children often older or independent, offer more free time, which can enable us to shift focus somewhat to one of increasing health, wellbeing and self-care, becoming a chapter of healing, personal strength and joy through movement.

Whether that’s taking on new fitness activities like walking regularly, hobby groups, yoga or fitness classes, or taking the time to heal ongoing issues that we simply haven’t had time to address before!

Key Activities and Shoe Needs
- Walking and fitness: Whether brisk walks in the park or gentle gym workouts, supportive wide-fitting walking shoes or sturdy trainers with supportive air-bubble soles are ideal.
- Work and social: Comfortable yet polished shoes are still needed for work or social outings, especially with a trend towards smart casual dress codes.
- Hobbies and travel: Easy-to-wear casual shoes that can handle varied terrains and long days on foot. Slip-on styles with adjustable straps help on and off.

Recommended Wide Shoe Styles for Your 50s
- Supportive walking shoes: Wide trainers or walking shoes with extra cushioning and breathable uppers. Wide-fit waterproof walking shoes with padded collars like Wyoming 2.
< - Work-to-weekend smart casuals: Comfortable flats or loafers that balance style with all-day support. Wide-fit casual loafers with cushioned insoles like Mustang have everything you need.
- Slip-on casual shoes: Easy-wear sandals or shoes with adjustable straps for convenience and comfort. Wide-fit sandals with adjustable Velcro straps like Firecracker.

Civil servant-turned-wellness advocate, Amanda Jones’s journey through foot surgery left her struggling to find comfort until she discovered DB Wider Fit Shoes in her fifties. Now walking confidently again, she shares how rediscovering comfort became a catalyst for rediscovering herself and reclaiming her identity.

Amanda found comfort with DB Wider Fit Shoes for the first time since her surgery, having been referred by her physiotherapist. Styles such as Haven, which keep her in all-day comfort whilst on her feet with work, and walking boot Nebraska 2, which offer her the comfort and support she needs for long walks with her dogs in the fields near her home, allow her to maintain her health and enjoy life, all without compromising style.

Amanda’s wide-fitting shoes picks for 2025

Read Amanda’s Joyful Strides story >

60s Lifestyle Snapshot
In our 60s, our priorities often shift more towards leisure, travel, family, and community involvement. Staying active is important for health - many people enjoy walking groups, gardening, cultural events, or volunteering amongst other activities.

Foot comfort becomes paramount due to natural age-related changes like decreased fat padding and increased risk of arthritis but our 60s truly can be a time to define your own path; to be confident, creative, and utterly yourself.

Key Activities and Shoe Needs
- Walking and gentle exercise: Cushioned, supportive shoes or trainers with secure fit to reduce rubbing and protect sensitive feet and joints during daily walks or fitness classes.
- Social engagements: Comfortable, stylish shoes suitable for gatherings, theatre visits, or casual dining.
- Home and garden: Shoes that offer protection and comfort during gardening or house chores.

Recommended Wide Shoe Styles for Your 60s
- Extra cushioned trainers: Breathable wide-fitting trainers with extra-cushioned soles to reduce impact and provide extra support, like air-bubble wedge sole trainer Briar.
- Supportive casual shoes: Elegant, comfortable flats or lace-ups that provide support where it’s needed and the room to insert your specialist insole, where required. Taylor is the ideal casual lace-up with plenty of room for toes and supportive midsoles.
- Comfortable sandals: Wide sandals with adjustable straps and good sole grip for safety, like walking sandal with 3 adjustable straps Eucalyptus.

Design consultant from Hertfordshire, Fiona Fernie, blends creative flair with daily 7km countryside walks. For years, narrow shoes caused discomfort — until she found DB Wider Fit Shoes. Now, she refuses to compromise on beauty or support and swears by trainer styles like wedge trainer Bryony and stretch fabric trainer Whitworth to help her maintain her lifestyle balance with effortless style. And to make the most of comfort time at home she’d be lost without scandi-look felt slippers Lake.

Fiona truly is living proof that fashion doesn’t stop with age; it evolves.

Fiona’s wide-fitting shoes picks for 2025

Read Fiona’s Joyful Strides story >

70s Lifestyle Snapshot
Your 70s today are a vibrant and active decade. For many, this time is filled with post-retirement energy, freedom, and purpose - whether it’s travelling, volunteering, spending quality time with grandchildren, gardening, or enjoying a packed social calendar of lunches, events, and hobbies. While comfort and practicality in footwear become increasingly important, they don’t need to come at the cost of style or self-expression.

Of course, our bodies do change with age—footwear that supports natural swelling, accommodates bunions or arthritis, or offers additional grip can provide invaluable comfort and reassurance. But this is also a stage where dressing well and feeling confident still matter deeply. Your shoes should support not only your feet, but your lifestyle and identity.

Think of your 70s footwear as empowering: offering freedom to move comfortably, confidence in every step, and a polished look that complements your personality.

Key Activities and Shoe Needs
- Active days and outings: Supportive shoes that cushion and stabilise the foot for light walking, shopping, sightseeing, or time outdoors with grandchildren.
- Socialising and events: Elegant yet comfortable shoes that are easy to wear and elevate your outfit, whether at a family celebration or community lunch.
- Everyday ease: Slip-ons or styles with adjustable fastenings that are simple to get on and off—no fuss, just style and comfort.
- Security without compromise: Non-slip soles and lightweight builds that offer peace of mind without sacrificing style.

Recommended Wide Shoe Styles for 70+
- Slip-on shoes or loafers: Wide-fitting styles in supple materials with supportive insoles and elegant details like soft leather loafer Nicolette.
- Fashionable everyday styles for all-day comfort: Versatile styles designed with everyday wear in mind, offering total comfort no matter what the occasion, like zip-fastening Nikita or leather Mary-Jane Monkey.
- Stylish supportive sandals: With wide straps or greater foot coverage for protection, full-back design for support and cushioned soles, like Treasure - perfect for garden parties, holidays, and every warm-weather day.

Retired science teacher Rosemarie Brett had wide feet since childhood but squeezed into painful shoes for decades. The result: bunions, limited mobility and daily pain. Since discovering DB in 2019, she now walks pain-free — enjoying holidays, dancing, and finally feeling stylish and comfortable in her 70s.

Rosemarie’s wide-fitting shoes picks for 2025

Read Rosemarie’s Joyful Strides story >

- Measure your feet properly: Foot width can change as we age, so measure both length and width regularly, preferably at the end of the day.
- Look for adjustable features: Laces, straps, or Velcro closures help customise the shoe to your foot shape, ensuring the most secure fit.
- Prioritise cushioning and support: These help reduce foot fatigue and provide stability.
- Choose breathable, flexible materials: Natural leather, mesh, or knit uppers allow your feet to breathe and move naturally.
- Replace worn-out shoes: Over time, cushioning and support degrade; regularly check your shoes for wear and tear.

Final thoughts
No matter your age, finding the right wide-fitting shoe can transform how you feel on your feet.

From the dynamic pace of your 40s, through the health-conscious 50s and 60s, to the active comfort-focused 70s and beyond, your lifestyle shapes your shoe needs.

Prioritise fit, support, and comfort alongside your personal style to keep moving confidently and comfortably at every stage.

Explore wide-fitting options designed for your lifestyle and enjoy shoes that truly fit your feet - because when your shoes fit well, you feel better all day long.

We know that it’s really difficult to order footwear online and find the perfect fit, but we want to make it as easy, risk-free and stress-free as possible. That’s why we offer free postage on returns and exchanges on all UK orders so that, if you’re in the UK and have ordered from us and the shoes aren’t right for whatever reason, you can give us a call to discuss the problem and return them to us, unworn except for trying on to exchange for a different size, style or fitting without paying a penny more in postage.

Once you’ve found your perfect fit, you’ll never look back!

We hope that you agree that our wide-fitting shoes, trainers and sandals offer the perfect fit for every wide, deep or problem foot!

Did you know, if you need 6E, 6V or 8E fitting footwear and have a qualifying condition, that you might be eligible for VAT relief?

This means that you could essentially benefit from a discount of 20%. And what's more, our promotional discount codes still apply, meaning you can gain further savings.

We make it easy to claim your VAT relief by clearly listing the VAT exempt price against qualifying products, and provide a very short form to fill out as part of the checkout process when ordering your 6E, 8E or 6V fitting shoes.

Qualifying conditions for VAT free purchases include physical or mental impairment that affects your ability to carry out everyday activities, for example, blindness; conditions treated as chronic sickness, such as diabetes, arthritis or lymphoedema; and long-term illnesses.

Look out for the link underneath our available fittings on each product page to claim your VAT exemption.

If you’re unsure about anything at all to do with our styles, features or fittings and whether they’re right for you, please do contact us on +44 (0)1933 311 077, Monday to Friday, 9-5 to speak with one of our friendly, knowledgeable UK based customer services team, who will be delighted to help.

OR would you like some in-person help to find the perfect fit for your feet? Then why not book an appointment and visit our Fitting Centre in Rushden, Northamptonshire.

We offer a traditional, personal service to help you find the perfect shoes either for naturally broad feet, to accommodate orthotics and or for foot health issues such as arthritis, lymphoedema, diabetes, bunions and many more.

Our appointment system ensures you'll receive our team's full attention and there's no obligation to buy.
Check out our Fitting Centre details today for further information.

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