I have some foot issues and my podiatrist recommending me to wear orthopedic shoes/slippers from now on. Doctor said I can visit store and find some good shoes that will fit me, I wish you guys can help me?? I have a high arch and looking something with good arch support with also good cushioning support for feet.
I did online search and found lots of sites with good orthopedic dress shoes collection but not sure which one is more suitable in my condition.
Some good collections I can see here Orthopedic Shoes | OrthoFeet
Just suggest me the best one please.
Thanks in advance
My Endo told me years ago to never walk barefoot at home in order to protect my feet, which, as a D, is so very important.
That said, Iāve used Orthaheel slippers for the last 12 or so laws. Personally love the Vionic, Orthaheel Relax slippers. Vionic is the company and they also make shoes as well. All you have to do is Google Vionic Shoes and there are a # of sites listed. Just got s new pair of slippers from Orthotic shop.
They feel absolutely wonderful on my feet. Hope youāre able to find slippers and shoes that are both comfortable and good for your feet.
If you need running shoes also, I recommend Saucony Guides.
I would ask the podiatrist to make you custom arch support inserts, you can use them in most of your shoes.
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I also have very high arches. Iāve had problems with shoes fitting all my life, even before diabetes. Iāve discovered Crocs and these have been wonderful for me. I can wear them all day without any pain. I even wore a black pair to a fancy holiday dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco, no pain at all! Yes I probably looked like a dork, but I donāt care, if my feet feel good. Theyāre not expensive, give them a try.
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I recently got some Orthotics, which are slip ins that can fit into nearly any shoe and are custom made to each personās foot. Prior to this, I used to have a lot of issue with the tension being dispersed incorrectly in my feet when I ran or walked, which lead to a lot of tightness and soreness in the tendons and muscles under my feet.
Itās made a huuuuge difference since Iāve been wearing the orthotics. They arenāt exactly cheap is the only issue, in Australia they are around $500 for a set. Though, if you have Private Health insurance most insurers would cover the majority of that.
I canāt speak to āOrthotic shoesā though.
There are at least a couple of approaches that you can take for this, but personally Iād probably do some combination of them depending on the type of footwear youāre purchasing.
If you go to any respectable running footwear store, locally we have places called The Running Room, they will be able to fit you to a shoe that would be most comfortable for the shape of your foot - both size-wise and arch. Donāt feel obligated to buy your shoes from them, but they should be able to point you to the style/type/make of shoe that will work for you best.
For example, Nike shoes are notoriously a bit wider, Reebok/Adidas/Under Armour shoes tend to be skinnier. Some brands will have a āwideā option available, which you might need, and others might have half sizes that others donāt.
From there you could get custom inserts made by an orthopedic specialist that will contour to your actual needs and theyāll be sized to both your foot and the footwear you plan to use them in. Hopefully your insurance will be able to cover some or all of the cost as they can be pricey, especially if youāre getting them in more than one pair of shoes.
Something to keep in mind is that even proper fitting footwear takes time to wear in before itāll feel right, so donāt be surprised if they donāt feel perfect the first few times you wear them.
Ultimately though, itās an extremely personal thing and youāll need to find what works best for you. Everyoneās unique - what works for me may not work for you. I suspect itāll be a bit of trial and error.
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I have suffered from Faciatis and have found a few brands that helped. Dansko offers both dress shoes and sandals, Berkenstock and Vionic are all good. All of these brands offer sole support. For sneakers, New Balance offers both Wide and sole supports. Good luck.
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Iāll second the recommendation for custom orthotics! And, beware the heavily-advertised chain storesāthere is no magic fit. Look for pedorthotists in your area and ask for a consult. And some insurance will coverāget a prescription from your podiatrist. Good luck in your search for āhappy feetā!
I am not diabetic (my 8 year old daughter is). I, however, suffered from PF. Turns out I had a heel spur (and it is still there). I asked the doctor about cutting it out and he said not to do it. He said in a lot of cases they grow back and the surgery could keep me out of work for up to 10 weeks. He said āItās kind of like eyes. You treat them. When you canāt see you get glasses. So when you get heel spurs you treat themā. He made some custom orthotics and they were NOT cheap (over $400 even with insurance). I tried them out and I did not like them even though they were custom and made from my feet. So I tried these and I kid you not, within an hour my heel stopped hurting:
They were wonderful so I ordered more. I also like that they were Made in USA.
A few months ago it was time to replace them and the Powerstep Maxx was out of stock so I tried these:
They work just as good as the others and are quite a bit cheaper.
Keep in mind it works for me. Will it for you? I donāt knowā¦ There is a posibility you would need diabetic shoes but I would try one of these first. I wear them in my work boots and one time at Disney I removed the insoles of my Converse Chuck Taylors and replaced with the Powerstep while walking all day and they worked great.
Mike
Menās shoes post. 
Iāve had PF for years and found consistent relief with custom orthotics through my podiatrist. Generally speaking I can slip them into almost any athletic or dress shoe I own. I sometimes need to go up a half size so I have room in the arch and toe box of the shoe but try on with orthotic to make sure. If I am going for a walk of any distance I wear a pair of (New Balance 928v3) walking shoes. Currently have two pair each (white and black) and have been wearing them recently to the office as I use a stand-up desk. I like walking shoes that feature wide stable soles and overall built-in support, and have owned many in my over 30 years of T1D. As a treat I periodically wear my other many more fashionable shoes, too. I always wear the orthotics, though.
Iām not trying to be contrary, but I inherently distrust advice like this.
- I have high arches, but that is why I never use arch support. In fact, any arch support is irritating, and sometimes can be painful for me.
- The time my podiatrist suggested and created orthotics I declined to use them. Why do I need orthotics? It just seemed like an unnecessary expense.
- I always walk barefoot in the apartment, on hardwood floors. In the building basement, it becomes more important, as the porters leave some detritus around as part of their work.
On the other hand, where I have made changes:
- As I age, padding matters for me. I have developed some neuropathy, i.e., occasional tingles, in my feet and I notice that it seems worse if I pound my feet on long hikes around Manhattan in low cushion sneakers. On those days I wear my cross country running shoes.
- Moisturizing matters, something I tend not to attend to until it becomes an issue.
BTW, my foot is high arched with a moderately curved last. Because of thatā¦
- I choose athletic shoes that slip-lasted when motion is involved but use board-lasted if stability matters.
- Most shoes are designed for stability with motion control, so I opt for flexible shoes with a curved last to compensate for the rigidity of my high-arched, rigid feet.
Granted, we are all different, but my favorite brands are:
- Saucony
- Merril - These are low-cushion, so are likely not good for you
- Inov-8
Old thread bumped by a spammer, but itās still relevantā¦
I gotta agree with the custom orthotics. Mine were free, 100% covered by insurance, and I can slip then into any shoe. Even my sandals and slippers.
Of course, the whole reason I went to the podiatrist was to alleviate my foot pain so I could walk barefoot again. Instead I feel entirely dependent on always wearing something I can put my orthotics in, because itās the only time Iām pain-free on my feet. I donāt think my issues are diabetes-related, though, so might not be relevant to this board.
My podiatrist has shoes also. But at 29 years , Type 2 and I am getting a sharp like shock in 2 toes on 1foot. I think neuropathy. I see him next week and hope to get orthotics. I live near new balance so I wear them. Good luck. Nancy50