How do I find the best type of shoes for my Mom?

OH MY, this thread brings back memories of days spent looking at every shoe store within 30 miles in every direction trying to find something that would fit my MIL's swollen, diabetic feet! Swollen is an understatement. She is flat footed and I would guess that the distance from the floor to the top of her instep is at least 3 1/2 to 4''! Her feet are WIDE too. Her ankles are big and swollen. She has NO heel to speak of.

Most of her later years until about 10 years ago - she was SAS and loved them. She was still able to cram her feet into them - even though most of her foot lopped out over the top - and could wear them due to having stretched them out more and more as her feet swelled over time.

No shoes from ANY shoe store - even those to specialize in 'hard to fit' sizes - fit her foot. Anything that DID fit - she hated. They made her foot look BIG and they were UGLY shoes. I know it must be very hard to go from something 'pretty' to something 'appropriate.'

We finally got a pair of shoes from her podiatrist. Medicare did pay for most of the cost. SHE HATES THEM and only wears them when she goes to the podiatrist!!! :0)

She has a pair of sandals with velcro that she crams her feet into for any other occasion. She rarely goes out during the winter months. And as someone mentioned earlier - with the sandals and velcro - as her feet continue to swell - there is NO GIVE and they cut into her feet.

As far as my MIL being reasonable and wearing the shoes from the podiatrist that actually FIT her feet - well, as my hubby says - "Have you ever tried talking to a wall?'' We don't get far and have just given up the discussion. She wears whatever she can cram her feet into. Lately, it has been the shoes from the podiatrist more and more :0)

I remember having to search every shoe store for shoes with Velcro last year. Few and far between. Shoebuy has propet brand shoes with Velcro. No shipping cost. Many discounts when you log in to their website. If you need to return them you must call to receive the mailing lav el either by maybe fax email or postal service. mail

No one has mentioned their friendly neighborhood Podiatrist. Medicare will pay for a visit every 12 weeks. Of course you will have to get your loved one to their office. The Podiatrist will recomend the best shoes for the patient and will know where they can be obtained locally. i believe diabetics receive a custom pair of shoes every two years. The Podiatrist can deal with all the horney toenails, corns and the dreaded fungus. If you are buying for a female who is not able to leave the house buying men's sneakers often gives more room for those poor old mishapened toes.
Good quality sneakers was the advice I recieved with good tread on the soles. I also like a sole that curls up in the front so I don't catch the sole on obstructions. make sure the shoe is big enough for the worst foot and adjust the other if too sloppy with inner soles or heel grips. Needless to say all the heels and slip ons head straight to the thrift store. If you are still able to attend dressy events select a pair of well fitting shoes that have a low wide stable heel. no shame in using your cane far better than arriving at the wedding with a broken nose! Not a big problem in the world of aging but it takes a little investigation and adaption.

Our shoe of choice for myself, my sig other, for my parents are SAS shoes which are made in the USA, in Texas.

Unfortunately the only way to buy these shoes is to go to the closest SAS store front.... they don't sell the shoes on-line, but they do have a nice website so you can see what styles are available. Plus they carry all sizes from narrow/slim to wide. Oh so comfortable, and the salespeople are excellent at fitting the shoes :)

6pm/propet-vista-walker-medicare-hcpcs-code-a5500-diabetic-shoe-white
check these out, love them for my Mom. Mom doesnt walk but I lift and pivot her on and off the toilet to bathe her. They are roomy enough for me to put on her fuzzy knee socks too, Good luck.

Orthofeet Springfield Mary janes. Available thru footsmart

I am in the same situation with my Mom. She tends to shuffle (not lift her feet) when she comes out of her room, but I think its because of her slippers. She prefers to wear her slip on and off slippers. They offer NO support or warmth. Her issue is her toe nails. One foot they are normal and the other foot the toenails are thick and icky from fungus. This makes her foot hurt in regular shoes. And, to make things more complicated, she feels better in one size on one foot and a half size larger on the infected foot. Yikes.
Someone suggested I try the Acorn Spa slipper. I also bought a pair of Daniel Green slippers that were similar to the Acorn ones. They were both open toe with a Velcro strap. First, the slippers were so wide that they just didn't fit her feet. Second the soles are very thick. She just kept picking her feet up and down, it was awkward to see her try to walk. After reading about the other suggestions, maybe I will try a bootie. Maybe I can buy 2 pairs and see if she can wear one of each size.

With regard to shoes with VELCRO straps, both Land's End and LL Bean make Mary Jane's with velcro straps that loop through a d - ring which better accomodate swollen feet.

Shoes falling off is not good. (duh ... you know that). Sturdy, well-fitting, and comfortable are good. If she has hard-to-fit feet it might be worth it to go to an orthopedic shop and get custom insoles. There are also shoe stores that specialize in "healthy" shoes and are very experienced at ensuring a good fit.

I know it sounds a little counter-intuitive not to go barefooted. I think that something that would be a minor annoyance in shoes could be quite surprising and cause a fall without shoes -- a stubbed toe, something sharp on the floor, a bump on a furniture leg. Also getting a cut or scrape and/or picking up bacteria or fungus can be more debilitating for a person whose system is already compromised. This is especially important for persons with diabetes, but probably makes some sense for everyone.

All this assumes that Mom is walking. If she is propelling a wheelchair by "walking" it, then the main things are comfort and something that will stay on! Velcro is good!

Merrell mocs is what my Mom wears and they are very good for her, they are a slip on but the top of the shoe covers most of the top of the foot. They have a sturdy gripping sole for walking on snow and ice. They are east for her to take on and off. I don't think she would be able to remember how to tie a shoe at this point in her disease. And they are comfortable, i have had them myself. All other shoes have been removed from her closet. So, one pair of shoes is what she has. In the past three years before I got the shoes out of her closet, occasionally she would put something on that was either very uncomfortable, or just plain unsafe because they were not sturdy enough.

From what I have experienced with my Mom in my home, good sneakers are best. My Mom cannot walk, but I can stand her to transfer her onto the toilet to bathe her. I bought great sneakers for her with thick nubby bottoms and when I lifted her she stood great! But, big problem... since my Mom cannot walk, I need to shuffle her feet around to sit on the toilet and they dont move. They are SO good they dont budge, haha! So I bought propet diabetic shoes for her with flatter bottoms but good support. I have to get wides due to her "corns" on her feet. Good Luck

Check website footsmart. They have a wealth of options for support, sore feet, diabetic.

I think it probably varies, but I would look at what she has worn before. How has that worked?

My cousin has been prone to fall for a long time. She's now in a wheelchair, but stands for transfers and to use the toilet. She feels most comfortable in her high top tennis shoes. She has worn them for years and doesn't feel right in other shoes. I've gotten her new ones, but she always asks for the high tops.

I think it gives her extra support in her ankles. They also have good grip to the floor. Be care of shoes that don't have good traction.

I would also beware of shoes that have velcro closure. It seems like a great idea, and I even bought my cousin a pair, but they didn't work out. Even though they velcro to close, if your feet are swollen, they tend to not allow enough room for a swollen foot. It's a bigger problem if they have a wide foot. Just beware of that and if you get velcro closure, try them on her first. Lace ups allow more room if you need it.

My cousin fell a lot with her dementia, but she was always in bare feet when it happened.

Dr. Comfort is a good sturdy shoe with Velcro fasteners for diabetics. You can find them at the podiatrist's office or a medical supply store. They are pricy but worth it.
Otherwise any good support shoe with easy fasteners should work if you are able to take her shopping. Just remember function and comfort over fashion.

OT's and PT's from the Falls Prevention Team recommend good, firm-soled, grippy shoes that support the foot and fasten well with straps, buckles or laces - i.e. not slip-ons or slippers. They are also always going on about never wandering around the house barefoot.

Well, since that's their advice I try to take it, and my mother is now the proud owner of three pairs of shoes conforming to those specifications. But to me it's slightly counterintuitive, especially the bit about never going barefoot. Surely feeling the floor helps? - after all, we grip with our toes for balance more than we realise, even when we are wearing footwear.

The best type for your mother will depend on how, exactly, her health issues affect her balance and her ability to use her feet. If she is a diabetic with peripheral neuropathy, for example, the feedback sensation she gets from her feet will be impaired; you will also need to make sure that the shoes fit her feet really well so that she doesn't get sore patches or blisters. If she has neurological deficits, from stroke or dementia, or inner ear impairment, then her balance will be out of kilter; so stout shoes that don't "give" too much sideways, or perhaps even ankle boots, will very mildly help to prop her upright.

Short of getting rid of shoes that actively trip her up or hamper her - mules or slippery soles spring to mind - I'm afraid that although it is a good idea to make sure her footwear is the best possible it isn't likely to solve the falls problem on its own.

Perhaps others could recommend brands?