Unfortunately, for our diabetic friends, a Diabetes diagnosis affects more than just your blood sugar. It can affect many areas of your body including increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, visual complications, fatigue, high blood pressure, your feet (that’s right!), and many more potential side effects.
Why Would a Doctor Prescribe SAS Shoes?
Diabetes is also commonly tied to nerve damage and various foot problems, including calluses, infections, and foot ulcers due to the decrease in blood circulation and damage caused by high blood pressure. Luckily, SAS diabetic shoes can help with some of these issues: they can reduce risks and promote improved blood circulation, for example. The quality of life improvement that our customers see makes us believe that yes, SAS diabetic shoes are worth it.
What are Diabetic Shoes?
Answered simply, diabetic shoes are shoes specifically designed to counteract diabetic symptoms that manifest themselves in the feet. Sometimes that means being designed differently, to accommodate interesting foot shapes. Other times it means using different materials for better support. Whatever changes are made, the important thing is that the shoes are helping you with your diabetic symptoms. Luckily for you, as stated above, SAS shoes are specifically built to be perfect for you and your needs.
Types of Diabetic Shoes
When you first start looking for diabetic shoes, you’ll notice that they all have one thing in common: comfort. Diabetic shoes are built to be worn, protect your feet, and keep you comfortable in your everyday activities. That being said, you can still find trendy, classic styles; you simply have to know where to look.
Before we get into that, here’s a rundown of what’s available to our diabetic friends in terms of shoe styles. According to Healthline, there are three:
Extra-Depth Shoes
Per the name, in-depth footwear has extra… legroom… built in – somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 inch deeper than normal shoes, to be exact. These shoes can accommodate different diabetes-related foot changes such as calluses, or they also work for those who use inserts (prescribed or otherwise). The women's Free Time and the men's Time Out are our two customer favorites for extra-depth shoes.
Healing Shoes
Also per the name, healing shoes are designed for foot recovery – say surgery or combatting foot sores. Depending on your doctor’s orders, they can be either open-toed or closed.
Custom-Made Shoes
Often, diabetics turn toward custom shoes, as they can target certain pain points, accommodate irregular foot shapes, and generally keep you comfortable. Healthline says that generally, these types of custom, therapeutic shoes are specifically designed to keep your feet healthy if you have neuropathy, nerve damage, or an existing foot injury.
How to Find the Right Shoe Size
One major thing to keep in mind is that diabetic symptoms may make your shoes fit differently than you are used to. Also, inserts or special socks may also change the fit of the shoe. To account for this difference, it’s essential to measure your feet carefully before making a purchase. SASNola provides an in-depth shoe size guide included on every product page for your convenience. You can check it out there, or here is a copy of the women's size guide:
Add-Ons or Alternatives From SAS
If you’re not looking to replace your current footwear, there are other methods. For example, we offer SAS diabetic socks in several different sizes and colors. Socks are great and often overlooked, but with ours, the features include special knit construction, non-binding fabric, cushioned sole support, smooth flat-toe seams, wicking construction, and Spandex knit throughout. SAS diabetic socks are crafted to be comfortable and supportive, a great first step into the world of diabetic footwear!
Alternatively, you can always go for inserts if that’s more your speed. The SAS Cool Step Footbed uses an anti-bacterial foam material that wicks moisture from the foot's surface. Cool Step O2 foam is engineered to be firmer and more supportive under the heel for stability and softer under the forepart of your foot for cushioning. SAS insoles come in plenty of sizes and widths to ensure that people can walk away more comfortably than they came.
The Most Comfortable Shoes Come From SASnola
We wanted to bring comfortable, supportive shoes to a wider market so that people who suffer from foot pain and problems could have options for any occasion. We offer an array of styles from sandals and casual everyday kicks to dress shoes, active styles, and boots for both women and men. If you suffer from foot pain or have been diagnosed with diabetes, take the first step toward being comfortable on your feet with SAS diabetic socks or the most comfortable shoes from SASnola.