Best Wide Fit Shoes For Diabetes This Spring

Whatever your need, you can be sure of the ultimate in comfort without compromising on style.

Why the right footwear is so important for Diabetes sufferers.

Did you know that there are over 4.7million people in the UK living with diabetes? Or that 1 in 10 over 40s have Type 2 Diabetes, with Type 2 Diabetes accounting for around 90% of all diagnoses? [1] But what is diabetes and why is a wide fitting shoe company writing about it? Well, read on!

Simply, "Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose level is too high"[2]. There are two main types, Type 1 and Type 2, which are different conditions, but both serious.

There are also some other rarer types of diabetes too but we will focus on the main types in this article.

Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature and should not be taken as a diagnosis. All questions and concerns should be directed to your Doctor, Podiatrist or other health advisor.

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With Type 1 Diabetes, your body doesn't produce any insulin at all but with Type 2 Diabetes your body isn't able to produce the right amount, as a result of the body initially building up a resistance to insulin [3], meaning that too much glucose builds up in your blood, leading to further complications, such as the symptoms of diabetes, including:

- Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night.
- Being really thirsty.
- Feeling more tired than usual.
- Losing weight without trying to.
- Genital itching or thrush.
- Cuts and wounds take longer to heal.
- Blurred vision [4].

Left unchecked Type 1 diabetes can result in much more serious illness and even death, whilst Type 2 diabetes - being much harder to spot - can creep up and affect major organs including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys.

So back to how diabetes affects footwear...Well, many people might believe that Diabetes is caused by being overweight, which could therefore cause foot issues, but this is not always the case. Around 20% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are of normal weight, and Type 1 Diabetes might well be normal weight, underweight or even overweight. [3]

The problem caused by Diabetes that will impact our foot health, and hence our footwear, is the link to Peripheral Oedema. Oedema "is the result of damage to capillaries or increased pressure causing capillaries to leak fluid into surrounding tissues and result in swelling" whilst Peripheral Oedema is "swelling from the collection of fluid in the feet, ankles, and legs."[5]

This often happens because one symptom of Diabetes is that it can cause wounds to heal slowly or not at all, meaning that damaged capillaries will remain damaged and continue to leak fluid into tissue. It can also be caused by taking large amounts of insulin as well as many other factors associated with Diabetes. [6]

Oedema can be very painful indeed and cause a lot of discomfort for sufferers, making it difficult to put on footwear, which can limit activity. This then, can exacerbate the problem, as can be seen below.

See also our blog about Shoes for Oedema & Lymphoedema

There are many practices that you can try to reduce oedema in your legs and ankles, including elevating the feet above heart level regularly, reducing salt intake, remaining active and not sitting down for long periods of time without some activity, drinking more water and other practices aimed at making it easier for the heart to pump blood fully round the body with blockages.

But if you continue to suffer from Oedema in the feet and ankles, then it is vital that you are able to find well-fitting footwear. Firstly because it is likely that you will have to wear footwear - whether because you work, or have to run errands and be on your feet - or because it is so important to remain active, and this is so difficult to do if your shoes cause you so much pain.

In the first instance, our shoes are wider and deeper than High Street shoes, simply meaning that there is more room in them than you would get from typical High Street shoes - to allow for extra width and less pressure on swollen areas caused by Oedema.

A dangerous effect of peripheral oedema is that it also causes loss of feeling in the nerves in the affected area, and so it is important that the sufferer performs daily checks to ensure they have not injured or cut their feet.

For this reason, correctly fitting footwear is vitally important. Our shoes come in a wide range of fittings, from E to 8E width, and many come with removable insoles, adjustable straps, stretch panels or elasticated straps & gussets to ensure that you can get the perfect fit to avoid rubbing and causing blisters and sores.

In addition, lace-fastening shoes offer the most secure fitting and can be the best way to reduce rubbing as far as possible.

Secondly, our shoes are designed to be as smooth internally as possible, with few internal seams and even styles with seam-free toe boxes, so there is reduced likelihood of rubbing against painful areas or worse, causing sores and open wounds which do not heal, leading to further possible complications in Diabetes sufferers.

On top of this you'll find a host of other features designed to offer style & comfort for wider feet.

Please note that if you have diabetes and a narrow or regular width foot, our shoes are NOT suitable as the foot will move around causing sores and rubbing. It is important that you visit a professional to check the fit of the shoe to know your correct width requirement.

Make an appointment at one of our gold star stockists or visit a qualified podiatrist who will examine your feet and give you expert advice about the most suitable footwear for you.

We offer trainers for diabetes in a range of styles, like stretch mesh fabric style Panther with our fashionable square toe that gives plenty of room for toes, alongside an on-trend extra deep flared air-bubble sole for total stability and comfort. It’s also suitable for bunions, arthritis and feet that swell!

Or for a similar look in suede there’s lace-up Piper or strap fastening Kiwi, both bunion-friendly and Kiwi is arthritis-friendly too, due to its strap fastening.

stretch panel Garforth is another trainer that's just the ticket when it comes to meeting the diabetes-friendly criteria. A classic trainer style with seam-free stretch panel toe-box, flared heel for increased stability and grippy rubber sole for active feet.

The strap fastening can be cut-to-fit and the air bubble sole adds plenty of cushioning.

Another new Mary Jane style Newt is a lightweight active style with pull-back strap fastening for the perfect combination of a secure fit, easy access and adjustment. The square toe gives plenty of room for toes and the air-cooled design that allows air to flow around the foot for greater comfort in hot weather. It also opens up for easy access and gives greater adjustment whilst the soft stretch material moulds to the shape of your foot so there’s no rubbing, just pure comfort!

Soft canvas Mary-Jane styles Penguin and easy access Pelican are super cute, super lightweight and super comfy! They are light enough to be worn indoors as house shoes but sturdy and supportive enough to be worn outdoors, with hard-wearing soles and built-in back stiffener.

Penguin and Pelican are also arthritis-friendly with secure strap fastening. Because our canvas styles are made without any animal products, they’re vegan-friendly too!

Mary Jane style Gull is a cute and versatile shoe with V throat for improved fit and cut-to-fit strap that can be cut to the correct length. Ideal for the office and to be worn with skirts or trousers.

All our classic casuals feature our Air Bubble Technology Sole to make you feel like you’re walking on air!

Styles with backs have back stiffeners for added support and house shoes come with hard-wearing soles so they can be worn inside or outdoors and are all available in our 2V or 6V dual-width fittings, meaning they’re the perfect fit for even the widest feet.

Lightweight Roberta is made from our special stretch fabric, so it stretches to the shape of your foot. The cute patterned fabric also cleverly disguises bumpy feet and adjustable cut-to-fit straps can be cut to the length required.

House shoes like Vermont and Shrew offer the comfort of a slipper with the support of a shoe, so they can be worn indoors or outdoors. Stretch panels mould to the shape of your foot for an extremely comfortable wear.

Caroline2 is a classically styled slipper in soft velour with a round toe shape and deep, seam-free toe box that gives plenty of room for your toes.

All of our House Shoes and Slippers are animal product free (excluding Guillemot) so, if you’re looking for wide-fitting vegan slippers or house shoes, you’re in the right place!

View all our women's wide-fitting slippers & house shoes now »

We also have shoes suitable for people with diabetes across our other ranges too, even including dress shoes, so you can be sure of style and comfort whatever the occasion.

Browse all ladies shoes for people with diabetes »
Browse our full range of wide & deep fitting ladies shoes, trainers & sandals now »

Benjamin and Bennett are two brand-new suede trainers for diabetes, with round toe shape and seam-free toe box that makes them both suitable for bunions. Bennett's laid-on strap makes it suitable for arthritis too.

Men’s trainers Archie & Andy are contemporary styles in breathable mesh with either lace-up or secure, adjustable, cut-to-fit straps. Both have round toe box and uppers that mould to the shape of your foot, meaning no rubbing! Bliss!

Norton and Patrick are two new diabetes-friendly casual leather styles that are built on our new lightweight, super-cushioned sole. All the benefits of a classic leather shoe, but extra lightweight for all day comfort. Wide opening and with seam free toe box for comfort, they’re also bunion-friendly.

Cannock is one of best-selling men’s styles, in super lightweight canvas it’s casual and comfy and ideal for summer wear.

Men’s House Shoe Desmond is both stylish and practical, with a single touch fastening cut-to-fit strap in breathable mesh that stretches to mould to the shape of your foot for ultimate comfort. House shoes offer the comfort of a slipper with an extra hard-wearing sole that can be worn outdoors too.

You’ll also find many other house shoe and slipper styles such as Edison, Daniel, Kendal, Tartan, or Hallam are diabetes friendly.

All of our men’s slippers and house shoes are made without animal products so they’re suitable for vegans too.

Browse our full range of shoes for men with diabetes »
In addition to these, browse our full range of wide-fitting men’s shoes here »

Our last thoughts on women’s and men’s shoes for diabetes

We hope you’ve enjoyed discovering diabetes-friendly shoes for men and women.

One thing is for sure; diabetes related foot issues can’t prevent you from looking, and feeling, great!
Once you’ve found your perfect fit, you’ll never look back!

Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature and should not be taken as a diagnosis. All questions and concerns should be directed to your Doctor, Podiatrist or other health advisor.

Whilst we may be able to help with suitable footwear we know that the care of your feet is important to your health. Why not check out our Foot Health Partner page to locate someone who may be able to help you!

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