If you are in the market for new shoes and not too sure what tires best suits your needs or your car needs, I have always found this calculator helpful. Put in your stock tire size and then the new tire size. This will show you size difference ..sidewall and width but also show speedometer change. Hope it helps.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html