Poor metabolism over the years in people with diabetes can lead to different secondary and accompanying disorders, for example, diabetic foot syndrome which affects about 15% of diabetic suffers.  This disease is marked by nerve damage and circulatory disturbances in the legs and feet. 

Typical for the diabetic foot is very poor wound healing and the high tendency to recurrence.  Healing is only possible with patience and expert treatment.  For this reason, prevention is of immense significance.  It is considerably less radical and more economical to avoid an ulcer in the first place than to have to have to heal one later on or even to have to amputate.  In order to prevent foot wounds, the right shoes are of great importance.  Most foot lesions are caused from wearing ill-fitting shoes.

In order to thwart the risk of amputation, regular visits to a foot care centre are indispensable, in addition to the daily control of the feet and shoes. 

FACT:

In 2008, 338 diabetics where discharged from Public hospitals in Ireland following a lower limb amputation as a direct result of diabetes - all of these amputations could have been preventable with proper footcare, socks and footwear.

In addition to the control of sensitivity, special attention must also be placed on the distribution of pressure within the shoes.  Pressure peaks are often be the trigger for the occurrence of  wounds on the sole of the foot.  The objective of properly fitted shoes is to distribute the pressure on the sole of the foot as uniformly as possible, in order to reduce the occurrence of peak pressure points. 

At TippToes we offer a complimentary electronic foot pressure measurement, this enables exact recording of the load under the foot and help to recognise defective positioning of the feet.  Using this valuable information we are then able to fit shoes and socks which are suited to your feet.