Does anyone have any suggestions for buying new shoes for my 93 year old dad?

my dad is 89 and he likes the velcro sneakers from walmart. they are nice and light and you can probably buy them right off the shelf in his size. my dad has about five pairs. all different colors.
also they can be thrown into the washer if they get dirty, and that is a real plus.

I've got to say that getting truly supportive shoes that fit was a HUGE improvement in helping my husband walk. He had diabetes so Medicare covered orthopedic shoes. He had somewhat deformed feet and if I'd realized how much difference the shoes would make, I would have insisted he try them 40 years ago when we were first married. He'd worn orthopedic shoes as a child, hated them, and won't consider them as an adult. But today's shoes are nothing like they were generations ago.

If your dad has fairly normal feet, doesn't have diabetes, and just needs new shoes, then it is probably just a matter of trial-and-error. Velcro sneakers from a discount store may be perfect for him. If he has problems, then having him fit for custom inserts at a Orthotics and Prosthetics place may be worthwhile.

Thanks sue and jeanne gibbs for your valuable advice. My biggest problem is that he isn't that portable these days. I will probably buy some of these suggested shoes and bring them to him at his ALF to try them on. He is also resistant to most any change. He's still wearing clothes that I remember he wore when I was a child. He particularly loves his very old sweaters. I will need to dispose of his old shoes or he will continue to wear them even with beautiful new shoes under his bed.

Is there any harm in him continuing to wear the old shoes? Does he need new ones to improve safety in walking? Just take the old shoes home with you for a while. Dispose of them after you see his reaction to new shoes for several days. If he is heartbroken over the loss of the old shoes, bring them back. But let's hope he falls in love with the new ones.

I was surprised a few years ago to notice that my elderly dad had developed severe calluses on the bottom of his feet, especially since he had been seeing a podiatrist regularly for many years (for toenail/callus trims). His calluses felt very hard to me. We took him to a new podiatrist recommended by his dermatologist.

The new podiatrist told us how bad my dad's calluses were and that they could easily turn into ulcers (very bad). He explained that the skin on an elderly person's feet can become very thin and that a person with numb feet (or dementia, etc.) may not realize there's a growing problem with calluses until he's basically walking on bone. (My dad has numbness on various areas of his feet due to lumbar stenosis. He has never had diabetes. There are other issues besides diabetes that can cause neuropathy.)

Check the condition of Dad's feet. Are there calluses on the bottoms? Around his toes? Redness? Other issues? Best bet--a checkup with a podiatrist.

My dad's new podiatrist sent him to an orthotist. With better shoes, custom inserts, and regular callus care by his podiatrist, the calluses eventually softened and disappeared over the past three years. He's 88 now and still walking.

Thank you Jola. He does have a podiatrist who sees him regularly. I really need to be more proactive when it concerns Dad's health. He is not open to getting more care . He is mostly resistant to anything I suggest that would help him and he is not capable of describing his feelings. He never admits to feeling any pain or discomfort, so we need to be super vigilant. I'm not used to being pushy with him and he always knew best. MOM, his Ida, was intuitive when it came to his well being. She heard his heart malfunctioning and saved his life. He was her nurse during her 13 year fight with bladder cancer. I do have help from my husband and Dad's sister who both love him dearly and are aware of his needs.