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Proper Footwear & Why Diabetics Should Never Wear Sandals or Flip Flops

By Heidi Neyra, Owner – Certified Personal Trainer and CCHT

Proper Footwear & Why Diabetics Should Never Wear Sandals or Flip FlopsPeople with diabetes have an extremely high storage of glucose; Glucose damages many organs in the body but also has a severely adverse effect on nerves. This nerve damage happens because the small blood vessels, which supply blood and nutrients to the nerves, becomes impaired. When the nerves are no longer fed nutrients, they either die, or their signals to the brain are ineffective. Symptoms of numbness, tingling, stumbling, and foot injuries are common.

The lack of brain signaling from the nerve endings makes it difficult for a person to feel pain in their foot, so often injuries and these disorders are overlooked. This syndrome is called peripheral diabetic neuropathy.

According to the Diabetic Council: Foot bones can become distorted by the notches or shape of the shoes that are worn on a regular basis. Wearing shoes that fit into all the curves of the feet and not just the arch can actually begin to “re-shape” the foot over time. Wearing flat shoes like; deck shoes, sandals, and flip flops do not give your arch enough support and can lead to plantar fasciitis or irritation of the plantar muscle that runs along the bottom of your foot. Buying shoes that are too narrow can lead to rubbing and foot ulcers.

Flip Flops Sandals and Bare Feet
When you have diabetes, neuropathy is dangerous because it can cause you to injure yourself, due to the numbness in the feet. It also can impede the sensation of feeling the extent of the injury. If you step on something or get cut, wounds are difficult to heal in diabetic feet. It can lead to life-threatening conditions. If the infection doesn’t heal, it can lead to amputation of the toes and limb.

Because of the numbness in the feet and legs, neuropathy can cause falls, stumbling, and tripping. Flip flops are not secure enough on your feet to keep you stable; the same holds true for sandals.

Solution: Your feet will need a well-fitting shoe that doesn’t rub on any pressure points. You will also need extra room in the toes, excellent arch support, and ankle support. Purchasing shoes specifically for diabetes is critical.

Multiple foot conditions can be treated and addressed at foot solutions with footwear and custom inserts.

Visit Foot Solutions of Estero for a complementary foot and gait assessment today!

What can Foot Solutions do for you?
At Foot Solutions, we do just what our name says; we provide solutions. Whether you have bunions, hammertoes, fallen arches or just plain tired, aching feet (or knees, hips or back,) our staff of skilled fitting professionals will be able to help. During your initial consultation we’ll use computerized scanning technology as well as perform a gait analysis, and foot evaluation to determine exactly what is going on with your feet. With a broad range of footwear and the most innovative Perfetto™ arch supports and custom inserts on the market today, we’ll come up with a solution for minimizing or alleviating your foot and foot-related pain and discomfort.

Foot Solutions of Estero
21301 S Tamiami Trail, Estero, FL
In Corkscrew Village Plaza
(Next to Publix, on the corner of
US 41 & Corkscrew)




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