what's the best brand?
I have Birkenstocks and Tevas that I like a lot. I'm not a fan of flip flops. I tried to borrow junior's to take the trash out the other day, first time I'd ever worn them and didn't find them very comfy at all.
You can get some really pretty flip flops in the beach shops now, they have interchangeable embellishments. Great fun! I find Birkenstocks terribly uncomfortable.
I love my Birkenstocks - I have the ones with a softer sole. After a few wears they formed to my feet and are very comfortable. As far as flip flops go, I absolutely love Sanku. They are made out of yoga mats and are ridiculously comfortable!
I wear flipflops almost all the time.
I have a few pairs.
The best ones are of course the ones that shoemakers make for you.
I have one pair that I had made in LosAngeles for $65. Cheaper than many store bought ones.
I have other cheap ones too. Prob is that my feet get beat up and dried out from too much sandal wearing. My heels crack and of course that's bad news for us diabetic folk.
SO get a diabetic pedicure from time to time. :)
I have also had my doctor glue my heels, and I had to wear real shoes for a couple of months. I keep better care now that I'm gettin a bit older.
Every month now I get my feet smoothed out and soaked in wax, and it is actually a very pleasant experience, I skip the nail pollish :)
I recommend FitFlop for open toe footwear. They are really comfortable and you can walk for miles in them...I do it everday. They are not cheap though.
I prefer Keen sandals. Comfy and they have a toe cover that protects my toes from the inevitable toe-stubbers ...
wore snndals july 4 for first time - stubbed big toe, blood, ugh - back to sneakers for me
I am terrified of open toe shoes of any kind. I protect my feet and toes enclosed in shoes! After all my years as a Type 1, I cannot afford ANY injury to my feet..
Enough preaching, but heed my warning!! Protect your feet from injury. But, I also cannot stand the piece between my toes :)
Be careful with shoe choices.
I prefer sandals to flip flops. I don't wear them often as I am very careful about my feet, and I'm not the most graceful person either :)
I personally like my nike "soccer" sandles (the ones with just a strap over the top) I can run in them a much better than regular flip flops. Well, as long as they aren't wet. Thats the thing I hate about most flip flops. They really get in the way when you are forced to move fast.
I'm also not very concerned with my foot health. Even after 14 years, I still have my feeling and circulation. Every injury I've had on my feet (including a horrific box cutter accident) healed up fine without any infection. Walking around barefoot also toughens up your feet a bit so you'll be less likely to injure them in the first place.
I have a pair of expensive ECCO sandals with three velcro straps. My neuropathy is too severe for open-back shoes, they fall off and I don't even realize it for a couple of steps. I picked these shoes out because they closely resemble those awful boots the podiatrist gave me every time something was wrong with my foot, they're very well padded and don't rub my feet. I wear them with socks in the winter -- real classy but I don't care. I've had everything under the sun wrong with my feet, but they didn't heal until I tossed the prescription shoes and started letting them breathe.
I like Easy Spirit sandals.
I know they say you're supposed to wear shoes all the time, but my feet get hot and need air. I only wear diabetic socks, btw. I go barefoot a lot and wear sandals a lot. Flip flops not so much. I think the important thing is that they're comfortable. I don't like anything between my toes. I buy pretty cheap sandals. If they scratch or irritate my feet, I don't hesitate to throw them out.
I'm not going to very popular here, but neither are really good for your feet or the possibilities that exist for your feet with diabetes. Flip flops although coming in all kinds of styles and colors are FLAT and that causes your feet to develop flat feet.There is NO protection from rocks, dirt, glass, etc so your feet are in danger of becoming infected, If you wear the kind where your toes go through a piece of rubber or leather you can develop in irritation that can become infected. As for sandals, the kind that have a closed toe and heel are good, but then what's the point. I have sandals that I wear at the pool, that wrap around my foot, and I have water mocs to wear in the pool....they seem to work well. I haven't worn sandals or flip flops since the day I was diagnosed...have seen too many people loose toes and feet to infection because they did wear these shoes....sorry,
I have to say, I really do like those meshy pool shoes. LOL, I may look like a dork, but I'll often slip those on to run to the store in the summer time.
You don't lose toes from wearing sandals, but from having uncontrolled blood sugars. The best thing we can do for our feet (as well as other body parts) is to manage our blood sugars as well as we can. When you have uncontrolled blood sugars for long periods of time you can develop neuropathy in your feet and not feel if you cut or bruise them, leading to infections and ultimately losing a toe or a foot.
If someone has neuropathy and loss of feeling in their feet, then the type of shoe, diabetic socks, etc, becomes more important. Otherwise special shoes and socks are just a way to bilk Diabetics out of more money. Even with some loss of feeling, regular inspection of feet can prevent problems long before they become serious enough to lose a toe or foot.
If people prefer tennis shoes or closed shoes to sandals, that's a choice (I personally love as little covering my feet as possible in summer). But again the best thing to do for your feet is control your blood sugar.
I agree w/ Zoe on the sugar being the thing, not the shoes!
At work I wear running shoes any time of year. During the summer, I wear flip flops (nikes, nice and thick) around the house, teva sandals when out and about, and hiking shoes when gardening so I don't injure myself!
I agree to some extent. Even with tight control, some of us will eventually develop a degree of neuropathy or compromised circulation, leaving our feet vulnerable. Many women I know (non-D) wear poorly fitting shoes, high heals, etc, and have developed serious foot problems requiring surgery that I'm sure would be even worse if they had it.
Diabetic socks are not expensive, and they are wonderful. About 100x more comfortable than cotton socks. Your feet will be much happier in them, D or not. I've had good luck with my feet so far.