• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Narrow Width Shoe Lasts - By Brand

nvrp813

Active Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Messages
42
Reaction score
123
Hello all. As someone with a narrow foot for length, I find it increasingly hard to find proper fitting shoes. Also, with 2 kids under 3 y/o, frequenting stores to try on shoes is very difficult. I often find myself going down in legth to compensate, but this does not yield great results (imo).

I'm hoping with the help of the forum we can get an updated list of narrow lasts by shoe brand. I've searched around and, while these lists have been done in the past, most seem pretty outdated. Especially with the amount of new shoe brand in the past couple of years and the creation of more lasts by known manufacturers. There also seems to be a lot more Japanese brands out in the wild and it would be nice if someone with experience can add them to the list as well

Here is what I know to be a narrow last, by brand

Crockett & Jones - 348
Carlos Santos - 187
Carmina - Simpson
Vass - U last
Lof & Tung - H last (narrow fit)

Please feel free to add. Thanks!
 

Welbern

New Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Hello, great topic for me as I have narrow and pretty odd foot shape. Narrow heel, narrow to standard ball width and standard to wide fore foot. Plus lenght which is almost imposible to find in europe (13.5 C US / 12.5 E UK) and as a bonus low volume so my main problem is usualy that even completely closed lacing is not good enough ( only solution are tongue pads)

To add something on a list:

Meermin - New ray
Meermin - Elton
 

WildeMan

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
122
Reaction score
14
I'm not sure if you're aware, but some manufacturers make specific narrow widths (in a variety of lasts).

Allen Edmonds B
Alden B
Brooks Brothers (rebranded from AE) B
Peal & Co. (sold by Brooks Brothers, rebranded from C & J or others) B
Edward Green C (very few styles and very expensive)

Shoebank (AE) and The Shoe Mart (Alden factory seconds) are good sources for narrow widths.

HTH

WM
 

Welbern

New Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I'm not sure if you're aware, but some manufacturers make specific narrow widths (in a variety of lasts).

Allen Edmonds B
Alden B
Brooks Brothers (rebranded from AE) B
Peal & Co. (sold by Brooks Brothers, rebranded from C & J or others) B
Edward Green C (very few styles and very expensive)

Shoebank (AE) and The Shoe Mart (Alden factory seconds) are good sources for narrow widths.

HTH

WM

Yeah unfortunately only in US. In Europe most (if not all) shoemakers are doing only one width for last and most often it is F or G width (D and E/EE in US sizing)
 

Jenbo47749

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
57
Reaction score
2
Agree - AE and Alden provide most options. Other narrow lasts:
Carmina - Rain last in "D" width, equivalent to a US C
C&J - 341 last in narrow width, but only available for the black Radstock outside MTO
 

Welbern

New Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
plus on Carmina thread I found that Carmina - Uetam and Alcudia should be almost like Simpson

Edit: If someone can confirm it please, it would be great. Thank you
 
Last edited:

Jenbo47749

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
57
Reaction score
2
Does anyone have experience with the Vass lasts for narrow, low instep feet?
 

RTWu

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
51
Reaction score
8
I believe Axel’s sells Edward Green shoes in all D widths (US C). Their outpost site has sales discounts.
 

DWFII

Bespoke Boot and Shoemaker
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
10,132
Reaction score
5,714
FWIW...

Lasts are made (or can be) in multiple widths--typically, A, B, C, D, and E (in the US). Wider and narrower widths are available as well although they are so not common.

Being in the middle of the range, a size C does not qualify as a narrow width....

Among other things, the last controls the shape and size of the insole which, in turn, provides the surface that the plantar aspect of the foot contacts. Where the foot touches the ground is called the 'footprint.'

If the insole is correct, it must, for all intents and purposes, be congruent with, identical to, the footprint.

If it is not correct, the foot is not fit. If it is not correct, you may as well wear the box the shoe came in.

Manufacturers have been eliminating widths from their repertoire for years For one simple reason--consumers don't know what a proper fit is and have bought into misleading propaganda put out by the Shoe Industry that fit can be adjusted by stepping into a longer or shorter last, or by adding inserts or pads. As a consequence, the maker doesn't have to invest in a full run of lasts (triple or quadruple) every couple years.

I suspect if the Industry could convince people that only one or two last lengths--short and long--were needed, all the sizes from 4 to 14 would be eliminated as well.

Don't get me wrong, I love this trend. It generates an infinite number of 'teachable moments' and aids in the winnowing of evolution.
 
Last edited:

Lionel Hutz

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
10,603
Reaction score
8,231
As a B width it sucks to be limited to Alden and AE

I'd love to play in the Carmina, Meermin, Grant Stone, Vass or C&J sandboxes but I'm not going to buy shoes that are too large for me in order to do it
 
Last edited:

aristoi bcn

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2015
Messages
1,495
Reaction score
2,417
Crockett & Jones 358, 363 and 367 are narrower than standard. J.M. Weston runs narrower sizes without surcharge. EG can make you any model in narrower width but I don't know if the risk is worth it given the surcharge when there are bespoke maker charging less for a personalised last.
 

Jenbo47749

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
57
Reaction score
2
For a black captoe, the C&J Radstock, last 341, comes in a C fitting. Sadly, this is the only model with the narrow version of this last. Carmina Rain comes in UK D, though I still find the heel and instep too large (am normally B or C width US). For Alden, modified last in A or B works for my narrow feet; the regular Aldens still have a fairly large heel. Allen Edmonds provides further narrow choices, but am not a fan of the 360 welt.
 

Sauce McFloss

New Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
As a B width it sucks to be limited to Alden and AE

I'd love to play in the Carmina, Meermin, Grant Stone, Vass or C&J sandboxes but I'm not going to buy shoes that are too large for me in order to do it

I have a narrow foot (11.5B/C) on the Brannock with a high arch and one of my best fitting shoes is actually from Meermin. The ROIS last is quite narrow and it’s one of the few shows that fits me TTS (UK10.5 on a Rois).
 

Viral

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
5,303
Reaction score
1,422
Sutor Mantellasi has a couple narrow lasts, although I’m not sure of the name.

if anyone is a 6.5/7 in Carmina Simpson then the SM would be ideal. In fact, I’m selling a pair of Sutor Mantelassi seldom worn brown perforated cap toe oxfords.

Please PM for details!
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 85 37.3%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 87 38.2%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 24 10.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 36 15.8%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 36 15.8%

Forum statistics

Threads
506,468
Messages
10,589,539
Members
224,245
Latest member
Dreamerra
Top