Lake has wide shoes:
https://lakecycling.com/collections/road/Wide

Shimano has wide shoes available also - or at least "EE" width. Lake may make the shimano shoes, I don't know. But I'd say look at Lake and Shimano. Specialized shoes are excellent too, but many vendors are out of stock now.

Bont is the best choice for wide feet in my opinion. Fit is very similar to Altra running shoes.

Thank you! I have some solid options to present to my buddy. He will be relieved he won't be riding flat pedals for awhile until he can afford shoes.

For the record after checking out Bont, they have gone above and beyond to make sure you get the right size shoe with all their tutorials and detail.

I too have seriously wide feet and recently bought a pair of Lake CX218. They are a perfect fit. It is worth noting that Lake actually has 3 or 4 different wide lasts and they have exact measurements for every size of each last on their site. It was a tough choice between Lake and Bont, but I was concerned that the Bonts would have too high of an arch for me.

A warning: There are lots of “wide” shoes that are really the same sole but with larger uppers. I think of these as more “high volume” than truly wide. They work for some people, but a true wide last is a better option for someone with really wide feet.

Here is the Lake sizing:
https://lakecycling.com/pages/sizing-charts

Northwave also have a pretty wide fit, or at least they did on the last few pairs I've had, so with giving then a try.

I'm in some s-works 6 now, and there isn't a huge about else in the market that works for me and my wide pods.

Lake here too!

Awesome thank you for all your feedback! My buddy is overjoyed at the different options.

Question: since it’s really a toe box issue for him, would getting a shoe and seeing if a cobbler could stretch the toe box work?

This article corroborates the latter assertion. It also states that in 2018, Lake and Bont were the only two mainstream-ish companies to actually offer wide lasts. I don’t think this has changed.

https://www.bikeradar.com/...rand-makes-the-best/

One quick point on Lake, though. They offer three last types. The standard width race last for their top level shoes is pretty narrow. It looks like the wide version of the race last is just a bit wider than the standard version of their competition last. The race lasts also come in an extra wide version.

You, sorry I mean your friend, could always bolt cleats to crocs

Actually, how wide are this guy's feet? Does he buy street shoes off the rack?

If he actually needs to special order wide versions of shoes in general, then chances are he may be fine with shoe manufacturers whose lasts are known to be relatively wide or roomy in the toebox.

That is definitely going to rule out a lot of Giro's shoes, which are narrow overall and a bit pointy in the toebox. Likely the same with Sidi and Fizik.

This Bicycling magazine article has a side by side photo of a bunch of high-end shoes. While the shoe lasts may differ somewhat within a shoe company, I suspect you can use that as a general guide for which manufacturers to start with (e.g. Lake has 3 different lasts, or Shimano says they use the same lasts across their line but this guy reported that the mid-level RC-701 shoes felt a bit roomier in the toe box than the top-end S-Phyres).

If he can wear something off the rack, I'd start with Shimano or Lake. Those are relatively wide in their standard lasts. Also, if this guy got recommended the S-Works 7 regular width shoe, then why not consider something the Torch 3.0 road or Recon 3.0 MTB shoe? Those have a more comfy fit. I think Specialized is relatively wide in its standard last, so that's also a place to start.

Also, if this guy is just getting into gravel and road riding, why did he get recommended the S-Works? Is he sure he wants top of the range gear? Nothing wrong with that per se, just checking.

I dont have super wide feet, but I needed wider cycling shoes - more in the toe than heel. Highly recommend Bont. You can get ones on the cheaper side too - remember that cycling shoes last YEARS compared to running shoes if you take care of them (I'm not talking about pros or top age group triathletes who pee in their shoes routinely, gross).

Cycling shoes are expensive, but when you take into account how long they will last, it is worth it. I probably buy two - three pairs of running shoes a year, whereas I buy one pair of cycling shoes every 4-5 years. It adds up.

I have these ones - I have been known to spend $300+ on Sidi shoes in the past, but when I was looking to try other brands I didn't want to break the bank - so far so good. What I will say is that Bont has ZERO arch support, so I added "after market" thin shoe inserts.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...RvybL0MaAnOeEALw_wcB