When you have large feet, you prioritize finding sneakers that fit. But finding cute sneakers that compliment your feet is even more thrilling. Shoes that put a smile on your face.

So, which shoe styles make your feet appear smaller? So, who better to ask than experienced people here: female running shoe brands or shops that specialize in bigger shoe sizes. Here are the top 11 greatest tips to help you go for the most flattering shoes if you really like your large feet to look neat.

Firstly, Always Be Confident About Your Feet

First and foremost, let me clarify that big feet are not something to be disappointed in or ashamed of.

Of course, I am not attempting to write this to make ladies feel embarrassed about their feet or that it is only okay to wear sneakers that make their feet look smaller and flatter.

Who cares what anybody thinks if you feel extremely confident and like the shoes you are wearing?

And furthermore, to be perfectly frank, I don’t pay too much attention to other people’s feet size. I tend to observe other things such as hair, height, face, and so on, but what about feet? Not at all.

In most cases, your flaws are vastly overblown in your own brain. When I was pretty young, I didn’t even believe it when people were telling me this, but I am currently beginning to understand it better.

Having said that, all the lessons in the world will not keep changing your (present) thoughts about anything. So, if you are extremely self-conscious about this, there are a few tips you can take into account while purchasing that will greatly assist you.

Will Wearing Too-Small or Too-Tight Sneakers Make Your Feet Look Smaller?

First and foremost, let me dispel a popular misunderstanding. Wearing smaller sneakers will not reduce the size of your feet. Because the width and length of your foot are still mostly determined by genetic factors, wearing sneakers that are way too small will not alter that.

If something, because the sneaker size is smaller, it might make your feet look a little bit smaller, but it will never make any kind of a distinction for anybody to notice.

And the impacts of doing so are not worth it at all. It can pose a multitude of foot issues, including serious foot pain, bruising, bunions, and ingrown toenails.

Choosing a few styles that might really help to disguise the size of your feet is a far better option.

Different Styles of Sneakers That Make Your Feet Look Smaller 

Below are the top 11 tips to help you pick different types of sneakers that absolutely create a smaller effect when on your feet.

Option for sneakers with more rounded toes

Generally speaking, rounded toe sneakers can substantially reduce the size of your feet. The majority of the instances in this blog post feature rounded toe sneakers.

Basically, sneakers with pointed toes, on the other hand, have a lot of useless room in the front of the foot, making your whole foot look longer than it really is.

Nevertheless, both rounded and pointed toe sneakers are not the only options.

There are, in fact, also in-between designs, such as almond toed sneakers, which are really not rounded but are not pointed either. These are known as almond forms since they look like almond nuts. If you don’t really like the look of rounded toe sneakers, this style might work perfectly for you.

Choose sneakers with contrasting patterns and colors

Sneakers with different patterns or contrasting colors might also make your feet appear shorter. This is a mental visual trick. The multi-coloring would then break up the foot and create a shorter impression in general.

This applies to any sneaker, including boots, tennis sneakers, and sandals. I like New Balance since they fit well and have always made my feet appear smaller. They also make women’s sneakers up to size 12, and most of their men’s sneakers also look great on women. New Balance is a really great brand to look into if you have big feet.

The same could be said for sneakers with accents such as big buckles, bling, or flowers. Nevertheless, big accents on sneakers aren’t for everyone, so contrasting patterns or colors are a simpler solution to do this.

Try chunkier or wedge heels

When you wear heels, your foot would be at an angle, making it look a bit shorter than it is. Wedge or chunkier heels generally help to balance the foot, while extremely pointy heels might create the reverse effect.

This trick does not require you to wear 5 inch wedges. Even one or 2 extra inches might also make a big difference.

Putting on heels all the time, on the other hand, is bad for your feet. It can result in arthritis, ankle injuries, worsening of existing foot injuries, and even chronic back and knee pain.

If you enjoy wearing heels, make up for it by wearing more comfortable sneakers most of the time.

Option for Tennis Sneakers Made of Flexible or Mesh Material

Athletic style sneakers (tennis sneakers/shoes) made of flexible material could really help make your feet appear smaller. Because athletic sneakers are frequently made with mesh material in these times, this is very simple to find.

I have a pair of tennis sneakers similar to these New Balance Fresh Foam for Women. I can confirm that they make my women’s size 12 feet appear more natural.

Since my feet are so large, I have a remarkably similar men’s version. They are New Balance sneakers, which, as I previously stated, is one of my favorite athletic sneaker brands.

Choose darker or more subdued colors

In general, dark colors, such as black, make feet appear smaller, just as wearing black clothes makes your body appear slimmer. Trying to combine this with other tips, such as black sneakers with mesh panels, can be incredibly efficient.

However, sneakers do not have to be black to make this work. Any darker or more muted color could also be used in the same way. 

This also works with muted or darker greens, purples, pinks, and any other color.

Avoid totally flat sandals with a lot of skin exposed

As for myself, I ignore this advice and frequently wear flat sandals (particularly flip flops) in the warmer months or for special events. I simply adore them.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for shoes that will help minimize the appearance of your large foot size, sandals such as flip flops or t-straps will not help. In fact, they tend to lengthen the foot.

Sandals with peep toes or thicker straps are ideal

As a general rule, thicker straps tend to balance your feet out better than thinner straps, making them look smaller.

For instance, the Naot Kayla sandals feature thicker straps, muted multi-tone colors, and a small wedge heel. The blend of these factors will make your feet look smaller than they really are. Furthermore, this sandal is available in women’s sizes up to 13.

Any type of sandals that cover more skin but leave room for your toes may also look better on your feet.

For example, Marin Slides feature a peep toe, a subtle platform heel, and a soft white and pink color scheme. These three elements might contribute to them looking great on bigger feet. Furthermore, this sandal is available in bigger women’s sizes (which are up to a size 12).

Search for Vans (Or Other Comparable Styles)

Vans sneakers can really help to make big feet appear smaller. Lower cuts, thicker soles, multi-tone coloring, and rounded toes are among the features that make your feet look way smaller than they really are.

Of course, they do not have to be the Vans brand. In fact, I have seen incredibly similar sneakers for much less at Target, Walmart, and Payless.

Vans, on the other hand, makes a lot of unisex sneakers in sizes up to a women’s 14.5 and men’s 13 (and some styles in sizes up to a men’s 16). So, if you have big feet, they are a reputable company to look into.

Remember that these are not “rules” that must be followed. These are just a few pointers to take into account if you want to disguise the size of your feet. We can all wear whatever makes us feel the most at ease.

Play around with different materials and color blocks

Mixing colors and textures will brighten up your sneaker collection. This great fashion trick breaks up a long foot, making it appear much smaller.

If you are tired of wearing dark sneakers, then sneakers with darker shades over the toe could really be just as attractive, as they visually reduce the length of your foot.

What’s more, mixing different materials in your sneaker designs can even work like miracles. Combining different textures, such as patent with suede, patterns (such as animal print), and colors could also make a significant difference.

Search for horizontal straps

Generally, straps are another great fashion tip for those with bigger feet. In particular, when skillfully placed and running all over the foot, it will always generate the perfect visual effect of smaller feet.

This trick was used by Sherene Headley, founder of the new UK big size sneaker brand Mokkah Shoes (sizes 42-46 EU), in creating her Sabrina heels. She said that they added an asymmetric strap all over the vamp to help divert attention from a long foot. Alternatively, it enhances the foot’s beauty and individuality.

However, not all straps are beneficial. Zaiga Braca suggests that you should avoid vertical straps on the upper, such as T-strap sneakers. She has more than 10 years of knowledge and experience running Apavi 40+, a Latvian sneaker store that stocks women’s footwear in sizes 41-47 EU and delivers globally.

Vertical straps will only make your feet look longer, so stick to diagonal or horizontal lines that run along all your feet.

Furthermore, if you want to reduce the size of your feet, avoid hardly even their sandals with strappy styles. Francesca elaborates that a pair of strappy sandals that reveals the whole foot of skin will lengthen any size of foot. Straps, on the other hand, could and should be used to your benefit: choose thicker straps or styles with a sling-back or peep toe.

Zaiga concurs that any sneaker that exposes all of the feet does not make them appear smaller. In the summer, sandals with more straps are preferable to flip flops.

Thicker straps, according to Katie, also help to compliment broader feet. She found that a broader strap that embraces the knuckles works best with women who have a broader foot, such as the Bueno Filipa sandals.

It is about the details 

However, don’t go completely off the rails. It is incredible how small details can make a huge difference in large sneakers.

Adding tassels and bows to sneakers makes them look cute and flatter large feet. Adornments such as buckles or chains can also help to cover up a long foot while also making sneakers stand out.

But don’t get too sidetracked: less is generally more. Francesca explains that putting more attention on details might have the inverse result, which is giving prominence to the place you want to cover up.

Final Thoughts

With the exception of wearing what feels really good on your feet, most vogue “rules” are designed to be broken. However, if you want the most flattering sneakers for your large feet, these 11 style tips should definitely help. Thank you to all of the big size shoe designers and retailers who shared your expert advice.