When I tell my Diabetic patients that I would like to prescribed them a pair of Diabetic Shoes, they automatically get that look on their face, as if to say, "no way am I going to wear Diabetic shoes." I can assure you, the choices on Diabetic shoes have drastically improved over the past 10 years, and some pairs are quite stylish. The question that comes into play, is why do I have to wear Diabetic shoes, when my everyday sneakers are comfortable and stylish? The answer: Everyday sneakers that are not specifically made for Diabetic patients don’t offer enough support nor enough cushioning in the areas necessary to help prevent ulcerations and other complications in the Diabetic foot.
Your Diabetic shoes will be specifically sized to fit and accommodate you and your foot type. Adjustments can be made to accommodate for depth and width of both the insole of the shoe and the toe box area. You can rest assure that your pair of Diabetic shoes will be one of a kind made especially for you!
Adequate cushioning is another added benefit of specially made Diabetic shoe gear. Typically, your shoes will come outfitted with a removable insole that has been made to accommodate your plantar foot shape. This increases the comfort of the shoe with walking and standing, but also decreases pressures on the bottom of your foot, which other types of shoes cannot provide. Ultimately, this decreases your ulceration risk.
Airflow in and throughout your Diabetic shoes is an extremely important aspect that they can provide. Breath-ability prevents the feet from becoming hot, sweaty and damp. Damp and sweaty skin is something that we want to prevent in Diabetics because those areas of the skin can blister easily and lead to breakdown underneath.
Finally, the lining in your diabetic shoes will be seamless. This is important because again, it provides fewer areas for irritation and pressure on the foot and reduces your risk of ulceration. It should be emphasized that wearing Diabetic socks, those that are more wool than cotton and seamless, is important to the success of ulceration prevention and increased Diabetic foot health.
Most patients are covered through their Insurance carriers for one pair of Diabetic shoes per year, so it’s important to take advantage of this benefit. Wearing properly fitting and adequately off-loaded Diabetic shoes, which are much more stylish these days than they used to be, is extremely important in improving your foot health and decreasing your risk of Diabetic foot complications.
