If you are like most diabetics you have known for a while or are just coming to understand the importance of wearing diabetic socks and shoes. Caring for your feet and lower limbs is extremely important for diabetics and finding the best socks to wear can be the difference in living a normal life and developing foot irritation and foot ulcers more often than you would like. Basically proper foot care for diabetics requires careful foot maintenance and monitoring but it also requires the use of the best shoes of diabetics and the best socks for diabetics too.
Why Diabetic Socks Are So Important
If you’ve read the front page of this blog on why finding the best shoes for diabetics is so important you can basically apply most of that information to socks and you’d get the gist. Just like shoes socks are a an integral part of proper foot care which is so important for people with diabetes and even more important to people who have had diabetes for many years. After all the longer you’ve had diabetes the more likely the condition has damaged your body to the point where neuropathy in your feet is a concern. And if you are this advanced then you probably have to worry about your body’s ability to heal in the extremities due to the poor circulation you might be exhibiting.
Most people don’t realize it because their feet are in fine condition but socks and shoes protect then feet from damage and the more sensitive one’s feet become the more protection they need. If you can’t feel the pain or irritation when you are walking around then you are unlikely to correct it and when that irritation leads to ulcers or other wounds your circulation and may make it very difficult for healing to take place. For walking especially it’s important to wear the right socks and the right diabetic walking shoes.
Conventional socks are not a problem for most people and they aren’t usually a big problem for diabetics most of the time. But when a diabetic has an advanced condition or when a person with diabetes is expecting a long day on their feet then diabetic socks become far more important to their health. Diabetic socks are usually made with the most advanced fibers and material which are designed to whisk moisture away from the skin. This may sound desirable to most people but it is imperative to diabetics because moist socks can cause irritation or make the foot more susceptible to irritation and friction leading to sores, ulcers, or infection.
Additionally, socks for people with diabetes are made to be more form fitting. They are not one size fits all like conventional socks are. They are usually thinner and fit closer to the skin ensuring that bunching up of the sock is less likely to occur. When a sock bunches in the shoe because it doesn’t fit well this can cause pressure points on the foot and irritation which can potentially be dangerous for a diabetic to live with. The best socks for diabetics won’t bunch and they won’t produce pressure points in the shoe… in fact they won’t even have seams to rub against the foot like normal socks do.
What Makes A Good Sock For Diabetics
As stated above the basic features which make for a good diabetic sock are the ability to whisk moisture away from the foot. They will always fit better than cheap socks sold in discount stores. There are no one-size-fits-all diabetic socks on the market and if they are they aren’t the best socks for your money. Diabetics support socks will almost always be seamless as well because seams in traditional socks can cause pressure points of the foot which are usually fine for most people but can be the cause of irritation and ulcers for diabetics who have sensitive feet.
You usually don’t need a prescription to get diabetic socks. Diabetic shoes on the other hand can sometimes require the prescription of a podiatrist. Therapeutic socks for diabetes on the other hand are really no different than normal socks except that the features are designed more to prevent friction and irritation and no more.
The Best Socks For Diabetics – What Brand Should I Choose?
Some of the top brands of diabetic socks include companies along the likes of SmartKnit Socks, Jobst Socks, and Wigwam Socks. Of all the brands of diabetic socks however the best diabetic sock brand is probably Therasock. They make a number of different kinds of socks including crew socks, padded socks, gel socks, and they are well respected in the industry.
Other brands in the industry are probably just as good the Therasock diabetic socks but many of these sock retailers emphasize particle kinds of socks like diabetic athletic socks or diabetic dress socks. Therasocks however has a large lineup of diabetics socks and other sensitive foot socks which all appear to be normal socks at reasonable prices.
Most importantly however if you are going to go through with the trouble to buy special socks for diabetic foot care you have to buy a few high quality pairs of diabetic shoes. The sock may be the best sock for diabetes money can buy but without the right shoes your feet will still be at risk. Make sure to check out the home page to get all the info you can on diabetic shoes and make sure to visit the resources on the right of this screen to learn more about diabetes, diabetic management, and staying healthy with diabetes.
