If the Shoe Doesn't Fit...

Nov. 20, 2007 — -- More than 80,000 foot amputations are performed every year on people with diabetes. Most of these are preventable, and one of the culprits for amputation is right below your nose: your shoes.

According to a new study, 63 percent of diabetic patients wear the wrong size shoes, putting them at higher risk of developing foot ulcers, which can lead to amputations.

"We were seeing so many patients in the clinic, with foot ulcers, we decided to investigate this problem," said Dr. Graham Leese of the diabetic clinic at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School at the University of Dundee, in the United Kingdom. Leese authored the study.

In the study, published this week in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, the researchers measured the foot length of 100 diabetic patients, and took measurements, and noted the various deformities that patients had with their feet. They found that 63 of these patients were wearing shoes of the wrong size, usually too tight or too narrow.

"One person in four or five with diabetes will develop a diabetic ulcer," said Leese, adding that shoes that don't fit are a big part of this problem.

For most people, wearing shoes a little too small or narrow is not a big deal.

"The percentage of nondiabetic people wearing the wrong size shoes is probably the same, not much worse," said Leese. "But if you have good feeling in your feet, you will know when your shoes aren't comfortable."

The problem stems from the inability to feel pain — called diabetic neuropathy, or numb feet.

"When you can't feel your feet, you can't feel the shoe rubbing," said Leese. And 80 percent of eventual amputations start with an ulcer, which can be caused by rubbing.

If this ulcer becomes infected, it can lead to big problems, especially when combined with poor circulation.

"The combination of numb feet, infection, and poor circulation can really be the start of trouble," said Leese.