Best Shoes for Diabetes this Spring

Why the Right Footwear is so Important for Diabetes Sufferers

Did you know that there are over 4.7 million 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? 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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What are the Symptoms of Diabetes

WBoth forms of Diabetes are caused by a failure of our pancreas to create the right amount of an enzyme called insulin - which allows glucose to enter our cells and fuel our body - at the right time. This leads to a build-up of glucose in the bloodstream.

The link between diabetes and wide fitting shoes

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

Practices to alleviate Oedema in the feet & ankles

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.

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Where We Come In

Our shoes are designed to accommodate wide, deep and problem feet, with many features to accommodate different issues. We also understand though that you don't just want wide & deep footwear, but you want to look as well as feel great. So we offer style & comfort in every pair of shoes.

Some of the benefits of DB Wider Fit Shoes for Diabetes Sufferers

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.

The Best Shoes For Diabetes

We offer shoes for people with diabetes across our full range, including trainers, boots, everyday shoes and even dress shoes. When you see the icon on the left hand side on a product page then you will know that the shoe is ideal for those with diabetes.