Sounds familiar- while the room for toes should no doubt be beneficial for my hammering toes, the body parts on me that did seem to shrink are my ankles and mid-foot. Shoes with wide toe boxes usually come with wide everywhere, and I need support for my upper heel/ankle- I can’t walk if I’m going to twist my ankle because it’s moving around in my shoe. So even if I pad with the thickest sock possible, the padding is on the toes too, so I’ve crammed the toe box again! Vicious cycle isn’t it? For me, I need my shoe with a little cushion and more like it’s a “brace”, not a flip flop. My best trial & error (from recommendations here too) landed me on Skechers. It seems to have the best overall fit with the socks I also need to wear for the ankle support I need. I hope you find the best fit for you!