Diabetic Shoes - Guidelines

As a Diabetic Educator, I often counsel people on how to choose the right footwear. Choosing the right footwear is an important part of diabetic foot care, since poorly fitting shoes are involved in as many as half of the serious foot problems that lead to ulcers and foot amputations. The person with a loss of sensation does not feel it when a shoe is not fitting properly and oftentimes does not realize that they have an ulcer or injury until days later and it becomes infected. This is one of the reasons why it is so important for the person with diabetes to be checking their feet every day.

There are companies that specialize in shoes that are designed with specialty insoles to help alleviate and/or prevent foot pain and injury. They manufacture special shoes and insoles for diabetics. They are designed with no interior seams or covered seams. The insoles for people with diabetes are generally custom made for the persons feet, to ensure proper fit and minimize any rubbing and uneven weight distribution. This prevents injury. Shoes for people with diabetes should also provide good air circulation for the feet.

It is important for a person with diabetes to have their shoes custom fitted by a trained professional, since they may not be able to feel an improper fit. By ensuring proper fit and good air circulation, the properly designed diabetic shoes and insoles will prevent pressure ulcers, encourage good blood circulation, and allow the skin to breathe.

Besides wearing the proper shoes, what else should a person with diabetes be doing? Here are some guidelines:

- Wear either shoes and socks or slippers and socks to protect your feet at all times.
- Do not wear shoes or socks that are too tight on your feet
- Alternate your shoes. Do not wear the same pair day after day.
- Make sure that your shoes are in good repair.
- Avoid open-toe or open-heel shoes or slippers as they can cause the skin on your feet and heels to become dry and cracked.
- Check the inside of your shoes for any possible source of irritation to your feet before putting them on.
- When buying new shoes, try them on at the end of the day and break them in gradually.

I hope that this article has been informative and has provided you with some good information in choosing footwear for your feet. My goal is to allow you to be an informed buyer when it comes to choosing shoes for yourself so that your risk of diabetic foot complications is minimized.