Footwear for People with Diabetes

How long should I wear my shoes?

All shoes must be worn in gradually. Gradually build up the wearing time by 1-2 hours daily, until you can wear your shoes comfortably all day.

Each time you take off your shoes check your feet.

Why should I check my feet?

Diabetes can affect the blood and nerve supply to your feet. This may result in the loss of feeling or reduced blood supply to your feet. This makes your feet more at risk to injury and can slow down the healing process. It is important to look for changes in your skin or nails for example:

• Blisters.
• Swelling.
• Warmth/redness.
• Cuts.

If you find any of the above changes whilst wearing your supplied footwear, you should stop wearing the supplied footwear immediately and contact the Orthotic clinic and your Podiatrist for an appointment.

What else do I need to do?

To avoid injury to your feet check inside your shoes each time before you put them on for:

• Grit.
• Stones.
• Pins.
• Loose objects.

Remove insoles and check for wear and tear and carefully put the insoles back into your shoes.

What happens next?

You will receive a further appointment to review your new footwear. At your review appointment, if you and your clinician are happy with your first pair of shoes, a second pair will be ordered. The 2nd pair of shoes will allow you to wear one pair of shoes while having the other pair repaired.

Once a pair of shoes are beyond repair (you will need to bring them back to clinic to be checked) a new pair will be ordered and supplied; this means you should always have 2 pairs of shoes. Try not to keep one pair for ‘best’.

How do I care for my shoes?

Leather shoes should be polished regularly. Nubuck and suede shoes should be cleaned using brushes and specialist cleaners – available at most shoe shops. Wet shoes should be allowed to dry thoroughly before wearing. Dry in a well ventilated area at room temperature. Do not put shoes on a radiator, near a fire, in a tumble dryer or in an airing cupboard. Mud and heavy soiling should be removed with a damp cloth before shoes are left to dry.