My podiatrists and my diabetes docs have always wanted me to wear shoes, even around the house.
I am a barefoot girl at heart. The first thing I do when I get home is take off my shoes. I might wear socks around the house in the winter (sometimes two pairs) but when summer comes, I want to be barefoot as much as possible.
Recently my new podiatrist gave me another little lecture on always wearing a solid-soled slipper around the house, at least, and of course to never, every go barefoot outside.
Of course I want to keep my feet and legs as healthy as possible, but…I hate wearing shoes.
Confess: do you go barefoot? Inside and/or out?
If you wear slippers or house shoes, what kind do you like?
Was it hard for you to give up going barefoot, especially around the house?
I, like you, Jean, love going barefoot. I never wear shoes in the house and would be miserable doing so. During winter I wear “booties”, you know those warm knit socks. I also go barefoot outside whenever possible. I personally would need an explanation as to WHY we need to “always wear shoes”. Ok, I know that if we have neuropathy we can injure our feet and not know it. So, I don’t have neuropathy and watch to make sure my feet still have sensation. So what’s the big deal about going barefoot.
(Even if I do develop neuropathy I’ll still go barefoot and just check my feet for injury. I’d rather check 10 times a day than wear shoes in the house. Yuck!
I feel and do the same as you both. Although I’m not a big barefooter in general. I wear socks most of the time around the house, except in the summer. And wear flip flops and sandals all summer. My doctor just tells me to check my feet.
I have always preferred to be barefoot in the warmer months, or at least as close to it as possible. I also hate having cold feet. So I tend to wear socks most of the year in the house and flip flops outside when it’s not cold. I still trek outside barefoot if I’m running to grab something out of the car or sitting on the back deck. I know it’s not the safest thing to do, but it’s just me. I try to be careful where I step, and my blood sugars are well controlled. I have never had an issue healing, and I get blisters often from new shoes or from pairs I haven’t worn in a while, so I figure I’m screwed either way.
Add me to the hate wearing shoes group. Pre-D days I never wore shoes while working in my garden & was barefoot whenever possible. My husband teased I had Hobbit feet. Now, I don’t venture outside without shoes, though they’re not always closed toed ones. I don’t have foot neuropathies, but stepping on something that could cause infection concerns me. Inside I’m barefoot in warm weather & wear heavy socks when it’s chilly. Hardwood floors in our house. I can’t sleep with socks on & stick my feet outside the covers so the tootsies are free.
LOL to the freedom-loving tootsies at night, Gerri. I crawl in with socks and within a half-hour they’re on the floor next to the bed. By about three a.m. I have the blankets up around my ankles. My feet got hot, hot, hot. ;0)
I ALWAYS went barefoot inside the house until I stepped on a thumbtack. Fortunately, it didn’t get infected, although I did visit the ER for preventive treatment, but what if it had? I have no neuropathy, but you can still get infections that go into the bone, which is bad news.
If you have a hard time accepting wearing slippers, get a couple of cats. They like to barf on the floor, and you DON’T want to step barefoot in that, LOL!!
I am also a barefoot girl but now go around the house with socks on. For one because the floor is tile and the cold just takes your breath away. But also because one of my cats has a Jekyll/Hyde personality and one moment is happily sitting in my lap kissing me and rubbing his nose against mine, and the next, he is biting my ankles - real biting, not affectionate nipping. Some time ago I read about a T1 who lost three limbs, one due to a cat scratch, so have been a bit paranoid since then. She was in deep denial and running A1Cs of close to 20 but part of me can’t help fearing that some risk is still there.
I wear slippers, I slide into …solid- soled is a good description . I also sense I have a better grip , when I am walking our stairs compared to going up and down in bare feet/socks .
By the way : Canadians take their shoes of indoors…in my previous life , in the Netherlands , one would never take shoes off …so I suppose , it is also a cultural thing .
I go barefoot enough to toughen my feet up. It’s kind of like wearing shoes all the time.
Of course the worse damage I ever did to my feet was while I had shoes on and blistered everything from toe to heel.
I didn/'t know that was a cultural tradition in Canada, Nel! My nephew’s wife is Chinese and they always take their shoes off in the entrance hall. My brother always feels weird walking around their house without shoes, but to me it seems normal! Only difference is I take mine off after I sit down somewhere rather than in the entrance way as my nephew and his wife do. Shoes and bras, shoes and bras! (Hope that is not TMI!)
That’s a good point, Dave. I always had very tough feet when I went everywhere barefoot back in my hippie days. People were amazed how I could walk over pebbles or whatever! I think tougher feet is a good thing!
I think I must be wired wrong: your video made me want to get a kitty. ;0)
But seriously, that’s a good PSA. Maybe people will get checked before they have damage.
My cousin knew that his father (my uncle) and two of his first cousins are type 2, but he wouldn’t get checked until he temporary lost sight in one eye from a retinopathy “blow out”.
I am duly chastened and will shop for some slip-on leather slippers right away. Thanks.
I guess it’s a good motivation video for people that don’t know about diabetes and feet, if a bit on the creepy side. Is his hearing and sight impaired as well, as in the sound of breaking glass and seeing it all over the floor? Maybe I’m stubborn, but I still say that if you have normal sensation in your feet (and check regularly to make sure you do), then you are going to know you have a problem and take precautions long before you get to the point you can walk on glass!
Nope, no leather slippers for me. I guess we all make choices as to the things we are willing to do as prevention/management.
I go bearfoot aroumd the hiues a;; the time the only way to get me to put on shoes as when I go to shop pr to wa;k outside/PERIOD!! The only to get me to wear any shoes at all is yell ,r that we’re goimg shppinh. I know what’d im ,y floor! LOL!
Think we are Hobbit sisters! In my barefoot days, I once pulled a roofing nail out of my foot. My husband almost fainted & wanted me to go to the ER. Never got infected or anything. Wouldn’t trust that not to happen now.
