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Quail-a-lot t1_irrse69 wrote

It is ultimately going to be down to your feet. CanadaWest have a really good welted sole construction and I would not hesitate to recommend them over either of those...but I wear Blundstones myself because they were the only one that was wide enough (the winter run the widest and have the most room for high insteps). The best and most repairable shoe in the world will do you no good if it does not fit. CanadaWest are too narrow for me, but if you do not have short wedge-shaped grape-stomper flipper feet like mine, they are an excellent boot!

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emcla95 OP t1_irrt480 wrote

I do have pretty big feet haha. I tend to be more comfortable in shoes that are slightly wider in the toe box, but have never needed to buy "wide" sizes. Would you say you're similar? Just wondering for fit purposes.

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Quail-a-lot t1_irs1btg wrote

It might actually be worth your while to pop into an actual shoe store and stick your feet in a Brannock device. (Those big metal slide foot measuring things.) If you pick a nice old-school place, they might also have a nice selection of Chelseas, there are quite a few brands that make them, Blundstone is just the most famous! I wear a womens 8 EE and usually "wide" width shoes are not enough for me, can't even get my feet in them.

Some sizing notes: In the US and Canada most women's regular shoes are a B width and wide is a C. Men's shoes are usually a C, with a wide as a D and extra-wide are usually E. If I happen to find a men's 5 E it usually fits too, but not always. Things marketed as being unisex invariably run wider than things meant just for women. For those reading along and wondering why wide-footed gals don't just buy dude shoes - it is super hard finding wide-widths in tiny lengths! Also women's shoes are usually made with a narrower heel, so sometimes even if I can get the width right, then it is slipping at the heel. For some shoe styles you can just add little inserts, but that doesn't work so well for say hiking boots. I don't know the exact sizing conventions for other countries, but I do know that German and UK brands run wider than US (Long may my Birkenstocks and Lowas live!)

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emcla95 OP t1_irs1wxg wrote

That is all very informative, thank you!

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deeleelee t1_ispe0se wrote

I just picked up some Canada West Moorby 2801s and after about a week of 1 hour walks they are starting to feel amazing and softer on my feet. Not as nice looking as Whites (they are about half the price) in terms of stitching/leather shapes on the heel etc, but man, these feel solid as hell, even compared to some old chippewa's I had. My advice is just make sure you buy something that's a goodyear welt so they can be resoled over and over if need be.

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Ramoutarb t1_iruwfjv wrote

Idunno how wide your feet are, but all of Canada Wests boots are either EE or EEE width. I have big fat bunions and Canada west is one of the only manufacturers that fit my feet. They're also wildly affordable and a couple models are insulated. My winters are their insulated Romeo's (Chelsea style).

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Quail-a-lot t1_iruxgv1 wrote

The women's Romeos only come in C and the men's don't quite come small enough. They start at men's 6. I managed to find some at a safety store once to try on, but they didn't have any women's models and the men's size 6 flopped around like clown shoes sadly. They were wide enough though!

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Ramoutarb t1_irw7xvq wrote

Ooohhh that's my bad. I assumed they would do the same for woman.

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ChefPepperonni t1_iskgawu wrote

I would really love a pair of Canada West, but actually figuring out how they fit is discouraging me from ordering them.

Can I ask how you chose a size for them? I'm in the USA so unfortunately trying them on seems nearly impossible and I'm a bit worried about paying for international shipping, especially if a return is needed :/

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Quail-a-lot t1_isn4mk6 wrote

They are easier to find here, but I would suggest for any shoe that you choose a vendor with good return policies! Our dollar is in your favour at least and shipping to the US is not bad.

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