'wide-toed' is a compound formed in modern English from 'wide' + 'toed', where 'wide' meant 'broad' and 'toed' is the adjectival form of 'toe'.

'wide' comes from Old English 'wīd' (from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz) meaning 'broad, spacious'; 'toe' comes from Old English 'tā' meaning 'toe' and developed into Modern English 'toe', with the adjectival form formed by adding '-ed' to create 'toed'. The compound 'wide-toed' is a straightforward modern formation combining the two elements.

Initially, the separate components meant 'broad' (wide) and 'toe' (toe). Over time they have been combined to form the descriptive compound 'wide-toed', retaining the literal sense of 'having broad toes' and extending to describe footwear with a roomy toe box.