From the Guidelines
Diabetic shoes are essential in preventing serious foot complications for people with diabetes, as they provide extra depth, cushioning, and support to reduce pressure points and friction that can lead to ulcers and wounds. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, published in 2024, emphasizes the importance of appropriate footwear in preventing foot ulcers in individuals with diabetes. According to this study, therapeutic footwear can reduce the risk of a first-ever or recurrent foot ulcer in people at moderate-to-high risk of diabetes-related foot ulceration.
Key Features of Diabetic Shoes
- Extra depth to accommodate foot deformities
- Cushioning and support to reduce pressure points and friction
- Seamless interiors to prevent rubbing
- Removable insoles that can be customized for individual foot shapes
- Firm heel counters for stability and protective toe boxes to prevent injury
Importance of Proper Fitting
Proper fitting by a podiatrist or certified pedorthist is crucial, as is daily inspection of feet for any signs of redness, blisters, or wounds. The study 1 recommends that people with diabetes at risk of foot ulceration should wear footwear that accommodates the shape of their feet and fits properly.
Benefits of Diabetic Shoes
When combined with regular foot care and blood sugar management, diabetic shoes can significantly reduce the risk of amputations by preventing the initial injuries that can lead to serious complications. The study 1 found that therapeutic footwear can reduce the plantar pressure during walking, which is a significant independent risk factor for foot ulceration.
Recommendations
Based on the study 1, people with diabetes who are at risk of foot ulceration should wear properly fitting footwear to prevent a first foot ulcer, and those with a healed plantar foot ulcer should wear therapeutic footwear that has a demonstrated plantar pressure-relieving effect during walking. Additionally, individuals with diabetes should be educated on how to properly care for their feet, including daily inspections and proper footwear fitting.
From the Research
Role of Diabetic Shoes in Preventing Foot Complications
Diabetic shoes play a crucial role in preventing foot complications in individuals with diabetes. The primary function of these shoes is to protect the feet from unnoticed trauma and excessive plantar pressures that occur during walking [ 2, 3].
Key Features and Benefits
Some key features and benefits of diabetic shoes include:
- Reducing mechanical pressure on the plantar surface of the foot [ 4 ]
- Preventing lower extremity amputation in patients with diabetes [ 3 ]
- Reducing the risk of foot ulcer recurrence by 46% when worn as recommended [ 4 ]
- Providing a good fit to prevent ill-fitting footwear that frequently contributes to foot ulceration [ 5 ]
Importance of Proper Fitting
Proper fitting of diabetic shoes is essential to prevent foot complications. Studies have shown that many patients with diabetes wear shoes that do not fit, particularly shoes that are too narrow for their foot width [ 5 ]. Assessing the appropriateness of footwear may be an important part of foot examination [ 5 ].
Effectiveness of Diabetic Shoes
The effectiveness of diabetic shoes in preventing foot complications has been demonstrated in several studies. For example, a prospective multicenter randomized follow-up study found that therapeutic shoes specially designed for diabetic patients reduced foot ulcer relapses by 27.7% compared to control group [ 6 ]. Another study found that pedorthic modalities such as shoes, foot orthoses, and shoe modifications may be utilized in the treatment and prevention of diabetic foot wounds and other complications [ 2 ].