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Diabetic Shoes

Have you received the dreaded prescription to start wearing diabetic shoes? Do you fear you are doomed to wearing square, tan, and heavy shoes for all occasions no matter what? For women especially, diabetic shoes can seem like your worst nightmare.

But that was then, and this is now! Let's start first with what a diabetic shoe is: A diabetic shoe simply means it is a good type shoe for a diabetic to wear because of certain characteristics. That means any style, except heels and flip-flops, can be a good shoe for a diabetic if it meets the criteria of what is good for a diabetic foot.

A diabetic foot is one that needs blood flowing freely to and through it. Diabetics have less blood flow to their feet and this can lead to all kinds of problems from numbness to inability to feel and inability to heal if there is an infection. The skin of some diabetics is fragile. It will break easily and because of reduced blood flow to the feet, there is risk of infection and an inability to heal easily from an infection. Many diabetics have too much callusing on their feet. In someone without diabetes, this doesn't pose as much of a risk. Calluses tend to break open when they are thick and the opening is directly into the foot. This allows bacteria into the foot that will cause infections. Lastly, diabetes creates stiffness in the joints and where there is also a loss of feeling in the feet, balance and gait are seriously compromised.

With this in mind, a shoe that is good for a diabetic is one that allows adequate air flow through the toe box, room for cushioning and arch support, materials that are soft to prevent skin breaks, and constructed in a way to support gait and balance. It should not be heavy. In fact, for all us, the lighter the shoe the better.

This means you simply need a "good shoe" and good shoes come in many styles. Our article on "What's a Good Shoe" will tell you everything you need to know.

If you are diabetic and on Medicare and you want to receive the shoes under the Medicare benefit, you are limited to shoes that have been approved for the Medicare program. That doesn't mean that any shoe not approved by the federal government is not good for diabetics, it just means that Medicare limits what it will provide to styles they have formally approved.