Wetsuit boots and fins for wide feet?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I wear a size 8 4EEEE and have a very difficult time finding shoes that fit. I'm also a newbie to diving equipment, having really only used regular sporting goods store equipment. I currently use a pair of Mares Avanti Pro HP and they KILL my feet. I get foot cramps at least once every time I go into the water.

So now I'm getting into colder water snorkeling/freediving, and I figure a boot + fin combo would be nice.

Are there any boot manufacturers out there that tend to fit wide or have really stretchy material? It seems like a lot of the Mares booties seem to be sized larger than spec'd, but does this mean they're wider, or just larger overall?

I've also read that some Pinnacles are stretchier than other boots so they accommodate wide feet better. Still, I feel like I'd rather have a boot that was made wide to begin with rather than rely on its stretchiness to accommodate.

I'm also not sure about pairing up with fins. Some people seem to have trouble sticking their wider boots in some fins?

I'd like to get some larger freediver-ish fins, but none of them are open heel to allow boots! What if I just got some socks instead? Do neoprene socks + full foot fins work? It seems like Esclapez makes an open heeled model though.

 

[MtnPlayVA]

My husband wears a 10 6E - he has the Mares Trilastic boots in a size 9 and the Mares Volo Power in XL. Seems to work well for him. Smartwater before a dive and during SI helps with foot/leg cramps.

 

[Straegen]

Mares boots fit my 12 4E foot quite nicely. They tend to run wider than other boots I have tried.

 

[Deac in the Wake]

I wear size 13 (men's), 4E and love my Deep See boots. Deep See even has a "bigfoot" line for larger sizes (13+).

As far as fins, my Scubapro Twin Jet Max fit large and wide feet great. I believe Scubapro is making the TJM's with a spring adjustment band now which is different from the adjustable straps previously so I can't speak to how those feel. But I love my fins, especially 'cause they reduce leg cramping and strain. They fit well especially over the top where a lot of fins may come up too high on the foot and cause rubbing. Between the boots and fins, I've had them on in the water continuously for over 6 hours and never had a problem.