What Does EE Mean in Boots? Cowboy Boot Width Letters and Sizing Explained
Quick answer: in a size like 10EE, 10 is the length and EE is the width. EE is extra wide, D is standard, B is narrow in men's boots and standard in women's.
Buying cowboy boots is not like buying sneakers. There are no laces to adjust, the widths are labeled with letters instead of words, and the same letter can mean two different things depending on the brand and whether you are looking at men's or women's boots.
This guide explains how boot sizing actually works so you can walk into a fitting knowing what to ask for.
Quick answers: what the boot width letters mean
What does the letter in a boot size mean? The number is the length and the letter is the width. In a size like 10EE, the 10 is the length and the EE is the width.
What does 10EE mean? Size 10 in an extra-wide width. In men's boots, EE is the wide option most stores carry. 12D is a size 12 in the standard men's width. 7B is a size 7 in the standard women's width (in men's boots, B means narrow).
Which is wider, D or EE? EE. In men's boots, D is standard, E is wide and EE is extra wide, so EE is two steps wider than D. If a store only offers D and EE, D is the regular fit and EE is the wide fit. Nearly every men's boot on our rack is stocked in EE; see our wide (EE) cowboy boots.
What does EE mean in Ariat boots? Ariat labels its men's widths as D (Medium) and EE (Wide). At Teres, most of the Ariat men's boots we stock are EE.
What do B and C mean in women's boots? B is the standard women's width and C is the wide width.
What do M and W mean? Medium and Wide. Twisted X uses M and W instead of letters, and some Durango boots are labeled that way too. M is the regular fit and W is the wide fit. Whether a W matches an EE exactly depends on the brand.
Cowboy boot width chart: every letter in one place
The same letters, side by side. Men's and women's lines use different letters for the same idea, so read the rows for the line you are buying.
| Letter | Width | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Men's boots (Justin's five widths) | ||
| B | Narrow | Slim feet, or if regular shoes tend to feel loose. |
| D | Standard | The default width most boots are built on. Ariat calls it D (Medium). |
| E | Wide | One step wider than D. Many stores stock only D and EE. |
| EE | Extra wide | Two steps wider than D. The wide option most stores carry; Ariat calls it EE (Wide). |
| EEE | Extra extra wide | The widest of Justin's men's widths. |
| Women's boots | ||
| B | Standard | The regular women's width. In men's boots, B means narrow. |
| C | Wide | The wide women's width. Some styles go beyond C. |
| Brands that use M and W (Twisted X, some Durango) | ||
| M | Medium | The regular fit. |
| W | Wide | The wide fit. Whether it matches an EE exactly depends on the brand. |
What the chart cannot tell you is how much wider each step is in inches: there is no cross-brand standard, and the figures the manufacturers publish conflict. Use the letters to narrow it down, then try the boot on.
The rest of this guide explains where these letters come from, why the same letter means different things in men's and women's boots, and how to measure your foot at home.
Length and width are two separate measurements
Every boot size has two parts. The number is the length. The letter is the width.
Most people know their number and ignore the letter entirely, which is where fitting problems start. A boot can be the correct length and still be wrong for your foot if the width is off.
How to measure your foot at home
Measure at the end of the day. Feet swell over the course of a day, and a morning measurement will read short.
- Place a sheet of paper on a hard floor against a wall.
- Stand on it with your heel touching the wall, wearing the socks you plan to wear with the boots.
- Mark where your longest toe ends. This is not always the big toe.
- Measure from the edge of the paper to the mark. That is your length.
- Measure the widest part of your foot, across the ball. That is your width.
- Repeat for the other foot.
Most people have one foot slightly larger than the other. Use the larger foot for both measurements.
Manufacturers do not agree on where to start
Before you get to widths, there is a more basic problem: brands do not use the same reference point for length.
Tony Lama advises sizing down a half to a full size from your tennis shoe size.
Twisted X describes its footwear as running true to size.
Other makers reference dress shoe size rather than athletic shoe size.
These are not small differences. Starting from a tennis shoe size and starting from a dress shoe size can put you a full size apart before you have even considered width. There is no universal "cowboy boot size" that carries across brands, and Twisted X says so directly in its own guidance: because each brand sizes differently, you have to consult that specific brand's chart.
Men's width letters
Justin Boots publishes the clearest definitions of any manufacturer, listing five widths for men:
- B — Narrow. For slim feet, or if regular shoes tend to feel loose.
- D — Standard. The default width most footwear is built on.
- E — Wide. More room through the toe box and forefoot.
- EE — Extra wide.
- EEE — Extra extra wide.
Note that EE is an extra wide, not simply "wide" — E sits between D and EE. Many retailers stock only D and EE and describe them as standard and wide, which is where the confusion starts.
Justin adds that if EE still feels snug, a square toe design opens up the toe box without changing the marked width.
Not every brand uses those letters
This is where aggregating the manufacturers matters.
Justin uses the B / D / E / EE / EEE system. Twisted X labels its widths M and W — medium and wide. Durango appears in some catalogs as D and EE and in others as M and W.
So a boot marked W and a boot marked EE may or may not describe the same width, depending on whose system you are reading. There is no cross-brand standard defining how much wider each step is, and published figures conflict.
The practical consequence: a size 10 EE that fits perfectly from one maker can feel tight or loose in the same marked size from another. This is the single biggest reason cowboy boots are difficult to buy sight unseen.
Women's widths use different letters entirely
Justin lists two widths for women's boots: B is the standard width, and C is the wide width.
Compare that to the men's line from the same manufacturer, where D is standard and B is narrow. Same company, same size guide — and B means "standard" on one line and "narrow" on the other.
A letter alone tells you nothing until you know which line you are looking at. Other manufacturers use their own women's lettering, and some styles offer widths beyond C.
Width is not the same as instep
Width is measured across the ball of the foot. The instep is the height of the arch area on top of your foot. They are related, but they are not the same thing.
A boot can be wide enough across the ball and still feel tight over the top of the foot. Because a cowboy boot has no laces, there is no way to loosen that area. If you have consistently felt pressure across the top of your foot in boots, a wider width often solves it even though the pressure is not where the width is measured.
What the manufacturers agree on
For all their differences in sizing systems, the makers describe a correct fit in nearly identical terms.
Toes. Justin, Twisted X and others all cite roughly a thumb's width of space between your longest toe and the end of the boot, with room to wiggle.
Instep. Snug and held. Tony Lama describes a properly fitted boot as feeling like a firm handshake around your foot. This is what keeps a laceless boot on.
Heel. Slight heel slip is normal and expected in a new boot. Tony Lama states that the heel should slip a little at first and will settle as the boot forms to your foot. A heel that does not move at all usually means the boot is too tight to break in properly.
Snug is not the same as small. Twisted X notes that cowboy boots are built to fit tightly around the foot and ankle for stability, and that the material stretches and molds with wear. A boot that feels firm on day one is not necessarily the wrong size.
Walking. No pinching at any point, and no sliding forward inside the boot.
Getting the boot on
New cowboy boots take effort to pull on. You will feel resistance around the arch, then the foot settles into place, often with an audible pop. Durango describes this in its own sizing guidance as the normal process.
That resistance is not a sign the boot is too small. It is how a pull-on boot with a snug instep is supposed to behave.
Socks change the fit
Try boots with the socks you intend to wear. A thick work sock and a thin dress sock produce noticeably different fits in the same boot.
For tall boots, use a long sock. Short socks slide down inside the shaft and cause blisters.
Leather stretches in width, not length
Boots break in. The leather softens and conforms to the shape of your foot over the first few weeks, and a boot that felt firm on day one will feel better later.
But the stretch happens across the width. Length does not change. A boot that is too long will stay too long, and the extra heel movement will cause blisters. Never size up expecting the boot to shrink into place.
The one thing measurements cannot tell you
You can measure your foot precisely and still not know which boot fits you, because the letters do not translate between brands and the instep is not captured by any measurement you can take at home.
Justin Boots says as much in its own width guidance: if you are unsure which width to choose, get professionally measured at your local retailer.
Wide Feet? Start With These on Our Rack
Ariat Sport Wide Toe 10035996 — $189.95. EE in every size with a wide square toe: the combination Justin points to when EE alone still feels snug in the toes.
Twisted X 12" Western Work Boot MXBW001 — $239.99. A wide fit for work, stocked across the size run. Bring your work socks when you try it on.
Once you know your size and width, check the fit point by point with our guide to how cowboy boots should fit.
Come get fitted
At Teres Western Wear we have been fitting boots in Dallas since 1986. We carry Cuadra, Ariat, Durango, Tanner Mark, Twisted X, Tony Lama, Justin and more, and we will measure your feet at no charge and help you find the right length and width across the brands we stock. Browse our men's boots in Dallas or the full cowboy boots in Dallas collection before you come in.
If it is your first pair, it is worth doing in person.
Teres Western Wear — rated 4.9 stars on Google by 400+ customers
📍 8033 Lake June Road, Dallas, TX 75217
📞 (214) 391-0508
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Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 10 AM – 7 PM
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Sizing and width information in this article comes from documentation published by the manufacturers, including Justin Boots, Tony Lama, Twisted X and Durango. Manufacturers may update their sizing guidance at any time, and fit varies between individual styles within the same brand. Use this guide as general orientation, and check the specific brand's current chart or try the boot on before purchasing.