Are there fashionable diabetic shoe styles and brands?

Diabetic shoes used to be a relatively ugly, clunky high-toed box. They have certainly come a long way since then. Although men are easier to please than women, there are many fashions available. Diabetic shoes for men may be made in a smooth leather and look relatively normal. For women, the latest style might be like the chain styles, but there are no shoes with high heels or pointed toes. Some vendors like Dr. Zen provide unisex shoes where the different between the men’s and women’s size is typically 1 or 1.5. Even if you look at a basic walking shoe by New Balance, the style might not be that different between the men and the women. Some slight stitching difference might be noted. Brooks, Nikoya, and New Balance are just a few of the regular brands of shoes that have particular styles like sneakers that meet the qualifications of the diabetic shoe. Many companies that make shoes particularly for diabetics are trying to make more stylish shoes. Apex and Dr. Zen have diabetic boots. You see a lot of them in Texas, South Dakota, and Colorado. There are also closed shoes with air vents that we call a sandal. It’s the closest thing to a sandal that the program will allow. It is sold extensively in Florida. Diabetic shoes are required to have a closure of either lace or Velcro. We’ve found that the majority of patients prefer to have Velcro shoes. Remember these are Medicare patients, typically over the age of 65 or 70, and they may have some form of arthritis and may not want to tie laces any more. They may be a bit overweight and not able to bend down to actually do the laces well. Two of the brands actually have a pretty interesting shoe now with a tandem closure. It looks likes lace, but it is really just a big Velcro strap. As for Velcro, some shoes come with a single strap and some come with two or three. That may affect the opening of the shoe. Some patients can’t really flex their foot very well to get into a diabetic shoe. Sometimes a single strap is okay, but those patients really need the two or three strapped shoes so they can have a wider opening.