What Are Diabetic Shoes?

A "diabetic shoe" is any shoe that is recommended for people who have diabetes. Even though there is not an official industry standard, shoe manufacturers use the guidelines as set forth by Medicare in order to identify a "diabetic shoe". Those standards include a shoe that has a breathable upper, removable foot beds, extra deep toe box, a lace or Velcro closure, and availability of three widths including medium, wide, and extra-wide. Diabetic shoes are dispensed or sold by some podiatrists, certified pedorthists, some pharmacies, some medical equipment providers, and some shoe stores, as well as through catalogs and the Internet.

As with all shoe fitting, it is always best to have the diabetic shoe fitting performed by a qualified shoe fitter who has access to a large inventory of brands, styles, sizes, and widths. For example, some podiatrists, drug stores, etc. will dispense diabetic shoes without having access to an adequate inventory. This can be problematic because (1) the person or persons fitting the shoes have little or no training and/or experience in evaluating foot shape and size in relation to the available footwear styles therefore leading to improperly fit shoes, (2) the facility has little or no shoe inventory which delays and impedes the process of determining proper style, size, and width of the shoes (3) the limited selection also increases the probability of unsatisfactory wear and fit-related problems in situations where these are critical health-related issues.

Our store is able to provide diabetic shoe fittings through Medicare, Medicaid, and various other insurances, or you may purchase using cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and debit card. We will soon be adding a diabetic footwear page to our web site which will feature some of the diabetic shoe styles that we offer including styles from Hush Puppies, New Balance, Propet, P.W. Minor, Canfield, Drew, Pedors, and others.

Have You Had Your Feet Measured Lately?

Remember when your parents or grandparents would take you to the shoe store and you would have your feet measured Of course this makes sense for growing feet. But what about after the feet have stopped growing?

Measuring feet almost falls under the category of "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME". Adult foot size , width, and shape change due to a variety of reasons. Weight gain or loss, amount of time spent walking, running, or standing, and overall health condition all have an impact on foot size. Weight gain and a foot arch that "drops" or flattens over time are the most common occurrences that have an impact on foot structure and size. It is not only the length and the width that need to be considered in the changing foot, but also the total volume, girth, instep height, and any abnormalities that may develop such as hammer toes, bunions, etc. An interesting and helpful site to visit if you are experiencing foot pain is www.foot.com where you will find a foot pain identifier.

When measuring the foot it is important to realize that a measurement is simply a guide or a starting point. There are no shoes that are constructed in exact agreement with the measuring devices, therefore foot measurement is not an exact science. In fact, measuring the foot is usually misleading and is most effectively used by a knowledgeable shoe fitter who is capable of comparing the measurement to the available shoe styles. The width measurement is especially inaccurate when using the measuring device. Measurements are, however, helpful when comparing one foot to the other as there is always a difference betwen a person's right and left feet. The human body is not symmetrical meaning that one side is never an exact match to the other. Simply look at your ears, eyes, nostrils, etc. for verification of this. This is why I can't get my hair to look the same on both sides of my head!

So when attempting to determine your shoe size always remember that measuring is only the starting point and your actual shoe size will vary from the measurement from shoe style to shoe style.

I've Always Worn a Size 7!

One of the most common comments we hear has to do with the size shoe that customers are accustomed to wearing. Women and men alike will many times object to wearing a size other than what they have been accustomed to. So why would an adult wear a size other than the size they have been wearing? There a variety of reasons. One reason is the fact that all shoes are manufactured over a form, called a last. There are virtually thousands of different shoe lasts. As an example, the New Balance Shoe Company (www.newbalance.com) uses more than 20 different lasts in the manufacturing process. Therefore a size 7B which is made using an SL-2 last will not fit the same as a style made over an AL-1 last. The result being that the same person could wear two different sizes in two different shoes from the same manufacturer.

Another reason is the changing human body. During the aging process, which starts the day we are born, our bodies continually change. This includes the feet. The same people who have had weight and height changes, hearing and eyesight changes, body weight and overall body shape changes also experience changes in their feet. Surprise!

Other factors that contribute to changing shoe size include a large variety of foot conditions (see www.foot.com) that develop including falling arches, development of bunions and hammertoes, swelling due to health-related issues, and other medical conditions.

So don't be surprised if your shoe size changes on a regular basis. In fact, expect your shoe size to change with time and the style of shoes you are wearing.

Until next time, don't buy the shoe unless it fits and forget about what size you think you wear.