Choosing the right sneakers, especially between popular brands like Nike and ASICS, can be challenging. Our comprehensive guide simplifies this process by breaking down the sizing discrepancies between these two brands, focusing on length as well as their widths. With our detailed comparison, you can confidently find the perfect fit for your feet when shopping online.
Beyond just the numbers, factors like material and design also influence overall comfort. so, whether you're a seasoned runner seeking top-notch running shoes or just looking for a stylish new pair of everyday sneakers, our guide is your ultimate resource for achieving the ideal fit with Nike and ASICS shoes. Let's dive into the details and enhance your shopping experience.
How should they fit?
Understanding how your shoes should fit is crucial to ensuring you're wearing the right size sneakers. So, before we compare Nike and ASICS size charts, let's first discuss what to look out for in your fit.
For optimal fit, Clarks suggests leaving roughly one finger's width of space between the end of your shoes and your longest toe. The sneakers' bend should align with the balls of your feet too.
Although this is a general rule that applies to all shoe types, it still holds true for many athletic footwear, including some of the best tennis shoes from brands like Nike and ASICS. ASICS even agrees with Clarks, with the company recommending leaving about a thumb’s width of space between your longest toe and the front of your shoe.
After determining the length of your foot, it's important to ensure that the widest part of your foot, which includes the ball area and metatarsal bones, fits comfortably within the widest part of the shoe. This will prevent the trainer from compressing your foot inward and allow for adequate room to accommodate the width of your foot.
To help you figure out the right size for you, check out our guide on how to measure your shoe size for all the information you need to make sure you're comfortable in your sneakers.
Nike vs ASICS size guide
Now that we've determined the ideal fit for both sportswear brands, let's dive deeper into how Nike and ASICS footwear compare in terms of size.
From the two charts above, it's evident that Nike and ASICS sneakers have nearly identical lengths. However, ASICS shoes are slightly longer in almost every size. For instance, the Men's US 9 measures 27 cm at ASICS, compared to 26.2 cm at Nike—a difference of just 0.8 cm. This small discrepancy is unlikely to be noticeable, though, so you should be fine purchasing the same size of shoes from either brand.
For width, ASICS, like many brands, uses codes to indicate when wide or extra-wide trainers are required. However, they do not specify the exact width of each code in centimeters.
However, this information can be found online. Here is a breakdown of the codes for a Men's US 8 shoe:
- B - Approx. 8.73cm
- D - Approx. 9.68cm
- 2E - Approx. 10.64cm
- 4E - Approx. 11.59cm
Keep in mind that the approximate width for each code depends on the length of your shoe. For instance, a US size 6 and a US size 12 will not have the same width, whether they are standard or wide-fitting. Additionally, width options can differ among various shoe manufacturers, so be aware of this when browsing Nike and ASICS shoe collections.
Which shoes fit wide feet?
In our experience, a Nike Air Force 1 tends to run a little wider than some of Nike's other, narrower sneakers. One of the reasons for this is that the Air Force 1 was originally built for basketball, and basketball shoes tend to be a little wider than other performance footwear to maintain comfort during lateral movements.
Nike does provide additional details here though, offering advice on when wide-fit shoes might be needed. It suggests opting for wider-fitting shoes if you have size 8 feet that measure 3.9 inches or more in width. ASICS has its own width chart (pictured above) ranging from 2A to 4E to aid you in choosing the appropriate footwear for wider feet.
Both Nike and ASICS provide a range of specialized shoes for people with wide feet too. Nike, for instance, offers an extra-wide version of its Revolution 7, whereas ASICS has a wide and extra-wide fit available for almost all of its sneaker collection.
Which shoes run narrow?
We've previously mentioned that athletic sports shoes generally have a slightly narrower fit compared to regular trainers meant for everyday wear. Now, let's focus on specific models from Nike and ASICS that you should keep an eye out for.
For Nike, the brand has acknowledged that some of its Free shoes may feel tighter than expected, which is due to their internal webbing technology designed to provide a secure fit. Additionally, certain models within Nike's Flyknit range may also fit snugly because the knitted mesh material conforms to the shape of the wearer's feet.
For ASICS, most of its shoes seem to come with a standardized D width. However, you can also find narrow-fit variations of the GT-2000 10 if narrow shoes are what you're after.
In the end, it appears that both Nike and ASICS offer a range of trainers in both wide and narrow fits. This means that there should be shoes available from both brands to accommodate various foot sizes and shapes.
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And that's it! Hopefully, our guide will help you buy your next shoes from Nike or ASICS with confidence. For more like this, check out our guide on Nike vs adidas sizing here.
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