The Low Down on Diabetic and Orthopedic Shoes

Jan16th 2019

“60% of shoes I see today lack the support necessary for people with biomechanical discrepancies.” -Ethan Haynes, Certified Pedorthist

But I’m not diabetic.You don’t have to be.But I’m not old enough for orthopedic shoes. Foot pain doesn’t discriminate against age. We’re bursting the bubble right now that these shoes are limited to the bulky, non-stylish, attractive-only-to-grandparents kind you probably associate when you hear “orthopedic shoes.” 

The Low Down on Diabetic and Orthopedic Shoes

Orthopedicsimply means a few things:

  1. They offer better support and motion control. Overpronator? We have one (or three) for that. Under-pronator? You know it, we have shoes for you too. By simply controlling your over or under pronation, you improve the alignment of your lower legs and spine, allowing you to better absorb the stresses of your posture, body weight, and movement.
  2. They offload pressure areas. Okay, now stick with us. You’re thinking, “Yeah…but I’ll just do one of those Dr. Scholls inserts and they’re like $12 from Walmart. Why would I pay for a $90 pair of shoes?”Well, we’ll tell you why. The average person takes 6,000 steps day. Body weight pressures on the bottom of your feet shouldn’t be localized to one spot. The difference betweenaccommodative inserts(Dr. Scholls) and corrective inserts (us) is: if what is happening at your foot is causing pain somewhere, whether in the foot or another area of the body, then adding cushion is only going to offer temporary relief. The problem still persists. You have to correct this biomechanical imbalance in order to put the body back in correct alignment and relieve pain. This is why our custom inserts and these shoes support, control, and offload.Because that is what is actually needed to offer long term relief!
  • They are shock absorbent and durable. This is an easy one if you read the last paragraph. Shock absorbency is another factor that makes these shoes so comfortable. With their ability to handle and disperse ground forces and body weight, they are more durable than something that is made with a lesser quality design.

Orthopedicshoes are simply formulated to accommodate inserts and cater to the symptoms that affect not only diabetic patients, but also the general population that suffers from foot pain. 

Diabetic Neuropathydoesn’t just go away. We know this. It can cause mild to severe numbness and pain in the lower extremities. Well, when you can’t feel your feet, you don’t know if you’re rubbing a blister or if your other nerves are going bananas because your shoes aren’t doing all they could. Since diabetes causes a decrease in blood flow, you should be verycareful to avoid foot injury as to not cause an infection. Other complications from diabetes that can be greatly reduced due to proper shoes include:calluses, corns, blisters, bunions, foot ulcers, and ingrown toenails! None of those sound very pleasant, so if you could decrease the risk of experiencing those complications, wouldn’t you?! 

            All of our shoes are under $90! That’s up to a 40% savings compared to other shoe stores! In addition, we have a Certified Pedorthist on staff to assist you. Pedorthists have special training that allows them to modify footwear and use supportive devices to treat conditions which affect the lower extremities. This includes fitting, fabricating, adjusting and modifying foot orthoses and orthopedic/diabetic shoes. 

            “I have poor feet myself and wanted to learn ways to help my symptoms. Through that journey, God ignited this passion and I am so grateful to have the amazing job of helping people to walk without pain.” -Ethan Haynes, Certified Pedorthist

By: Jess Champion