[cassianoleal]

I don't think the raw material shoes are made of is that important. If their shape is correct and you size them right, they should be fine.

Shoes with a narrow toebox (pretty much all of them, except the ones that specifically advertise as being wide) should be considered extreme body modification IMO. Fine if that's what you're into, but most of the population should not be subjected to that.

[nextos]

I agree. The US Army already recognized this problem and developed the Munson last before WWI.

Some mid and high-end footwear brands produce boots with Munson or Munson-like lasts. It helps tremendously. I cannot go back to narrow toeboxes.

Oddly, lots of sports footwear suffers from the same issue and wide toeboxes are not as popular as they should be.

[dredmorbius]

TIL: "How The Munson Last Revolutionized Military Footwear" <https://www.stitchdown.com/info/munson-last-origins/>.

[cassianoleal]

Sports footwear is interesting.

Football (soccer) boots tend to be extremely narrow. Part of the reason is to keep the foot firm in it, but I suspect a lot of players would benefit from wider boxes.

Climbing boots are another interesting one. I can't wear most brands at all. I have settled on Scarpa as they tend to be wider. A lot of climbers have a tendency to downsize them massively though, and I honestly don't know how they do that. I have been purchasing them at least at my street size, and the next pair I get will be a whole number up. Not because they're just uncomfortable, but rather because they're nearly impossible to get in otherwise. I do wish I'd find wider toeboxes though, so I could get a pair that fits tight, but not torture tight.

[CobaltFire]

Skiing is another one like climbing. Its only recently where higher volumes and wider forefoots are available, and they still try to tell you to go a size down.