Diabetic Shoes

You might wonder why diabetic shoes are even a thing.

Let’s start at the beginning. Diabetes is a chronic health issue that results when your blood glucose is too high. This occurs either because your pancreas can’t produce insulin, or your body can’t utilize it properly.

So how does this relate to shoes?

We explain below, in our guide to shoes and foot care for diabetic patients. For more information, please reach out to ITC Medical Supplies. We’ve got two stores in San Francisco, California: one on Divisadero St. in Lower Pacific Heights, and one on Geary in the Richmond District.

This one-two punch means that small wounds can escape notice and get worse, leading to serious infections and complications. When wounds refuse to heal, you risk getting severe ulcers or even gangrene, which may lead to amputation.

Conclusion: If you’ve got diabetes, common minor foot complaints are actually a very big deal. You’ve got to pay extremely close attention to foot hygiene, so you can prevent problems such as corns, calluses, blisters, athlete’s foot, and plantar warts. You must also avoid toenail issues such as fungal infections and ingrown toenails.

Diabetic footwear is specially designed to avoid these problems. It’s crafted to a very high standard of comfort and fit. You can expect:

• Soft interior with no rough or protruding stitching 
• Extra-deep shape to accommodate swollen feet, insoles, or orthotics 
• Multiple widths to fit swollen or large feet (up to E/EE) 
• Deep toe-box for spacious toe room 
• Stretchable, non-binding uppers 
• Anatomical insoles offering orthotic support 
• Functional light-weight soles for improved mobility and foot motion

The benefit of wearing diabetic footwear is that it helps prevent superficial wounds on the feet. Other benefits include:

• Improved circulation 
• Greater comfort 
• Reduced foot problems such as wounds 
• Fewer calluses

Good news: Medicare and other insurance programs often cover the expense of diabetic shoes. Also, they are no more expensive than other high-quality shoes.

If you have diabetes, you must take extremely good care of your feet.

• Bathe them daily in lukewarm water. Use a soft sponge or washcloth and be gentle. Blot or pat dry carefully between your toes. 
• Inspect them daily for redness, cuts, blisters, swelling, or nail issues. Inspect the bottom with a magnifying hand mirror. 
• Moisturize them every day to prevent them from cracking or itching. Don't moisturize between your toes, which may encourage a fungal infection. 
• Cut nails carefully, straight across. Cutting nails too short could cause ingrown toenails.

ITC Medical Supplies is dedicated to helping you manage your diabetes and other health concerns successfully. We look forward to assisting you at our two stores in San Francisco, California, where we serve the entire Bay Area.