In the last blog, we mentioned the daily care guide to prevent diabetic foot, hoping to be helpful to diabetic patients. However, for diabetic foot patients, the use of scientific and reasonable insoles and shoes is the key to rehabilitation treatment.  Even patients with “grade 0” feet also have the same risk of complications without substantial injury or infection.  Improper shoes and insoles can lead to a host of problems and eventually ulcers.  Diabetic foot patients should pay attention to the selection of appropriate insoles and shoes in daily life.

Diabetic foot patients have the following two requirements for their choice of shoes to wear 

First, choose loose shoe cavity, soft and breathable upper, shoe mouth with soft cushion design, the body is round head casual shoes or sports shoes, The sole has good cushioning and light function, and the upper of middle and high top is the best, avoid wearing thin, pointed fashion shoes or high heels with tight shapes.  

Second, check the inside of shoes often.  If shoes are found to have cracks or gravel, should be repaired and removed in time.   

Weak insoles and inadequate arch support also put too much pressure on diabetics’ feet, often leading to ulcers and subsequent amputations.  In order for the feet to be properly supported and protected, it is important to use insoles that provide full contact, support and comfort.  Therefore, when choosing insoles, diabetic foot patients should pay attention to:  

First of all, the foot perception of diabetic patients is relatively dull.  Insole fabric must be low friction and soft material composition.  It can avoid blisters and wounds caused by friction to the greatest extent.  

Secondly, the insole chosen needs to be designed with metatarsal ball support and arch support.  Arch pads can increase the stressed area of the foot and effectively reduce the pressure of the foot. The arches of the feet of the human body are divided into transverse arches and longitudinal arches.  For longitudinal arch support of the insole is not a few, often lack of crossbow support.  The crossbow is located at the metatarsal ball, and the metatarsal ball is designed to support the crossbow.  

Finally, diabetic foot patients should choose insole with a variety of sandwich materials.  To oneself weight bear, rely on a kind of material to be able to achieve very good effect alone.  The insole of a kind of material materials is hard, the foot feels uncomfortable. Or the material is too soft, the support effect is not obvious.  Using a variety of sandwich materials, not only can achieve effective support effect through different hardness of different materials, but also can have high quality damping effect.

At the same time, many diabetic foot patients firmly believe that magnetic massage insoles can reduce pain, improve blood circulation, relieve foot swelling and other benefits.  And the cost is not too high, so many diabetic patients with long-term use of magnetic insoles.  However, the surface of some magnetic insoles is uneven and lacks softness.  It may cause damage to the feet of diabetics, so it is not recommended for diabetics.  

Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening problem.  If you’re not sure if insoles are right for you, be sure to consult an expert.