Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog
  • About Me
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Speaking and Writing

Footwear

Diabetes Footwear, The ‘Casual’ Way

March 25, 2015 by Frank Leave a Comment

Summers in Perth are far too hot and uncomfortable for my liking, so I like to dress as casually and comfortably as possible. I’ll wear thongs almost everywhere that I can get away with doing so. Hell, I can even remember debates against Mum and Dad on the subject of whether or not thongs are appropriate uni attire (of course they are!)

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was given the spiel about wearing enclosed shoes and socks on my feet. And to be fair, foot care is a very serious thing when you have diabetes. Basically, its important to protect the feet from cuts, scrapes and other injuries. Because poor diabetes care can damage the nerves and blood supply to your feet, any injuries or resulting infections could potentially be threatening to the limb. That last bit freaks me out every time, so enough serious talk for now. But there’s a nice, simple summary on Diabetes Australia’s website if you want to read more about footcare.

So, being the stubborn person that I was, I dismissed this idea instantly. I hated the idea of “enclosed footwear.” Besides, I was young. Reasonably healthy. The chance of something happening was extremely unlikely. My mind was made up, and I decided that my thongs would accompany me as I entered my first year of uni. And what a mistake that was.

Walking around a big campus was hard work. It was hot, my feet were sore and by the end of the day I was dying to make it back to the car. I had nasty red marks on my feet, stinging blisters inbetween my toes and uncomfortable friction on my skin just from walking around. But despite how much discomfort I was in, it took me ages before I woke up to my senses and attributed the problem to my thongs.

a700909

After looking around, I ended up finding these. The main difference is a synthetic material strap, as opposed to rubber. This meant less friction against my skin and more comfort when walking around for longer periods. These also have more of a smarter look than rubber thongs (especially those bright, cheap ones!), making them more suitable for smart casual wear. Win win!

So, the morals of my story?

#1: Rubber thongs are rubbish. Throw them out. Hell, people without diabetes shouldn’t even be wearing them.

#2: Don’t give up casual shoes just because you have diabetes. But do make sure they are comfortable and suitable for the activity you plan on doing. There are plenty of more comfortable alternatives available such as my canvas thongs, sandals or slip ons. Its worth looking around. But if you are doing a lot of walking around, shoes may be a better idea.

What’s your favourite choice of footwear that works with your diabetes? Have you had any memorable experiences that you’ve learned from?

Like This Post? Share It!

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diabetes and Foot Care Tagged: Diabetes, Feet, Footwear

ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Frank. Welcome to my blog about life with type 1 diabetes.

RECEIVE NEW POSTS BY E-MAIL

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

Type 1 Writes

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Tweets by FrankSita

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Pumping: The Ypsomed Option – Jayne Lehmann – Edhealth Australia on YpsoPump Lanches In Australia!
  • Jason Anthony on Filling a T:slim Cartridge: The Idiot’s Guide
  • Don’t Call Me ‘Advocate’ – Diabetes Today on Don’t Call Me ‘Advocate’
  • #OzDSMS – Diabetes Today on #OzDSMS
  • I Hear You. - Diet Diabetes on I Hear You.

THE ARCHIVES

  • April 2021 (2)
  • February 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (6)
  • December 2020 (4)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (3)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (4)
  • July 2020 (9)
  • June 2020 (6)
  • May 2020 (7)
  • April 2020 (6)
  • March 2020 (3)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (6)
  • November 2019 (7)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (6)
  • August 2019 (10)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (7)
  • May 2019 (7)
  • April 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (7)
  • November 2018 (9)
  • October 2018 (10)
  • September 2018 (10)
  • August 2018 (12)
  • July 2018 (12)
  • June 2018 (10)
  • May 2018 (10)
  • April 2018 (11)
  • March 2018 (6)
  • February 2018 (10)
  • January 2018 (10)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (10)
  • October 2017 (5)
  • September 2017 (10)
  • August 2017 (13)
  • July 2017 (13)
  • June 2017 (6)
  • May 2017 (13)
  • April 2017 (8)
  • March 2017 (11)
  • February 2017 (8)
  • January 2017 (10)
  • December 2016 (6)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (8)
  • September 2016 (9)
  • August 2016 (14)
  • July 2016 (14)
  • June 2016 (14)
  • May 2016 (21)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (14)
  • February 2016 (16)
  • January 2016 (16)
  • December 2015 (13)
  • November 2015 (17)
  • October 2015 (19)
  • September 2015 (19)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (20)
  • June 2015 (18)
  • May 2015 (16)
  • April 2015 (7)
  • March 2015 (3)
  • January 2015 (3)

CATEGORIES

  • Continuous Glucose Monitors (17)
  • Dealing with Diabetes (112)
  • Diabetes Advocacy (88)
  • Diabetes and Emotions (38)
  • Diabetes and Food (64)
  • Diabetes and Foot Care (2)
  • Diabetes and Healthcare Professionals (51)
  • Diabetes and the Festive Season (17)
  • Diabetes and the Online Community (65)
  • Diabetes and Travel (41)
  • Diabetes at Work (11)
  • Diabetes Blog Week (15)
  • Diabetes Burnout (25)
  • Diabetes Gear (8)
  • Diabetes Musings (316)
  • Diabetes Tech (55)
  • Diagnosis (25)
  • Glucose Monitoring (21)
  • Hypos (22)
  • Insulin Pumps (81)
  • Multiple Daily Injections (35)
  • Peer Support (24)
  • Physical Activity (5)
  • Studying With Diabetes (1)
  • T1 Talk (3)
  • Talking About Diabetes (2)

Copyright © 2022 Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: