What Shoes Are Best for People With Diabetes?

Foot care is particularly important when you have diabetes because changes in sensation and blood flow can make foot problems easier to miss and harder to heal.

Good diabetic foot care is not simply about buying specialist products. It includes regular professional foot checks, looking at your feet yourself, wearing suitable footwear and getting new problems assessed promptly.

How can diabetes affect the feet?

Why are regular foot checks important?

NICE recommends regular diabetic foot assessment because risk varies between people. A healthcare professional may check sensation, circulation, skin condition, callus, deformity and other risk factors.

Your individual risk level affects how often specialist follow-up may be needed.

Why should you look at your feet yourself?

A daily visual check can help you notice changes such as redness, swelling, cuts, blisters, broken skin or areas where footwear has rubbed.

This is especially important if sensation is reduced and a problem may not feel painful.

Why does footwear matter?

Shoes that are too tight, too loose or have internal seams or foreign objects can create pressure and friction. Appropriate footwear should provide enough width and depth without allowing the foot to slide excessively.

People who have been told they are at moderate or high risk may need footwear and orthoses assessed by a specialist foot protection service rather than selecting products independently.

What is diabetic foot risk?

NICE classifies diabetic foot risk using factors such as neuropathy, circulation problems, deformity, callus, previous ulceration and previous amputation.

This is why advice that is suitable for someone at low risk may not be appropriate for someone with neuropathy, previous ulceration or significant vascular disease.

When should you seek professional advice?

Seek prompt advice for new wounds, blisters, ulceration, increasing redness, swelling, heat, discharge, colour change or unexplained changes in the foot.

If a problem appears severe, you feel unwell, there are signs of spreading infection, or the foot becomes black or markedly discoloured, seek urgent medical help.

Good footwear for someone with diabetes should fit securely without squeezing, leave enough room around the toes and avoid creating rubbing or concentrated pressure.

There is no single shoe that is right for everyone. Foot shape, sensation, circulation, deformity and previous foot problems all affect what is appropriate.

What footwear features can be useful?

Should diabetic footwear be extra wide?

Not automatically. The aim is enough width for your foot without excessive looseness. A shoe that is too wide can allow movement and friction, while one that is too narrow can create pressure.

How much toe room should there be?

The toes should not be cramped, overlapping because of shoe pressure or rubbing against the end or sides of the footwear. Depth is also important if there are prominent joints, toe deformities or an insole that takes up extra space.

What about seams?

Inspect the inside of the shoe for prominent seams, rough areas or damaged lining. Reduced sensation may make rubbing harder to notice.

Should you buy shoes larger than normal?

Not simply to create space. A shoe should be the correct combination of length, width and depth rather than just being longer.

When should footwear be specialist-prescribed?

NICE says people at moderate or high risk should be assessed by a foot protection service, which can consider biomechanical needs, specialist footwear and orthoses.

If you have neuropathy, deformity, previous ulceration, previous amputation or other high-risk features, ask your clinical team before relying on standard retail footwear.

How should you test new footwear?

Check the inside before use, make sure the foot is not compressed, and inspect your skin after wearing new shoes. If you have reduced sensation, do not rely only on whether the shoe 'feels fine'.