# Do bigger shoe sizes have thicker soles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255 "2018-01-22T23:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Contemplation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/1 "2018-01-22T23:38:38Z")
In general, for most sneakers (or tennis shoes, whatever you call them), does the sole get thicker as the size increases? Shouldn’t a size 13 have a thicker sole than a size 8 ? ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/2 "2018-01-22T23:47:58Z")
That’s an interesting idea. I’m intrigued, and want to know more. At first it seemed right, big and thicker…but then I asked myself. Why thicker. Someone with bigger feet weighs more, but has bigger feet. IE, same psi as smaller footed lighter person. What we need is special shoes for small footed fat people to handle the additional pressure psi. Where do you stand, what did I miss.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/3 "2018-01-22T23:52:19Z")
I worked in a shoe factory summers of 1976 and 77. we made ladies casual footwear for a variety of brands. The shoes we made all had crepe rubber soles. They were all the same thickness no matter the size. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/4 "2018-01-23T04:38:10Z")
Different sizes are all made from the same materials. Most shoes have soles that are cut from sheets of rubber or leather or whatever, so they’ll all be the exact same thickness. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/5 "2018-01-23T05:02:42Z")
Former cobbler here - I have no observed any difference in the thickness of shoe soles as the size of a particular type of shoe goes up or down. When we replaced soles we used the same sort of rubber sheet or leather sole that, while it might have varied is overall size did not vary in thickness. In other words: no. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/6 "2018-01-23T06:44:23Z")
All the answers seem to reference shoes soled with flat stock. I thought sneakers had molded soles. Last time I destroyed a pair of sneakers, when the upper was all gone/ripped off the sole was like a little shoe shaped tray an inch deep or so. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/7 "2018-01-23T15:05:25Z")
Former cobbler here Yes, there are shoes with molded soles. Sometimes we were asked to fix them, and sometimes we could actually do something for them so I’ve seen a lot of sneakers/trainers/athletic shoes. No, the soles on sneakers do NOT get thicker as the size gets bigger. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/8 "2018-01-23T15:50:11Z")
Why would a bigger shoe have a thicker sole? Foot size doesn’t necessarily correlate with weight. My dad wears a size 11 men’s and I wear a size 10.5 men’s (12 women’s) and he is over 100 lbs less than me. I have a friend who weighs closer to me and she wears a size 7 women’s. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/9 "2018-01-23T20:35:54Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > I worked in a shoe factory summers of 1976 and 77. Cool! Did you work hard or were you a loafer? ---
**Author:** ![Contemplation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bigger-shoe-sizes-have-thicker-soles/807255/10 "2018-01-23T20:43:48Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Why would a bigger shoe have a thicker sole? Foot size doesn’t necessarily correlate with weight. My dad wears a size 11 men’s and I wear a size 10.5 men’s (12 women’s) and he is over 100 lbs less than me. I have a friend who weighs closer to me and she wears a size 7 women’s. Generally, people who are taller also have longer feet, and also taller people are usually healthier. A 6 foot tall person with the same BMI as a 5 foot tall person is going to be much heavier. It doesn’t really matter much though.