Choosing the best diabetic socks to meet your individual needs can be difficult – so here are some pointers:

People living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can sometimes experience or live with constant foot problems.  This can include neuropathy, damage to the nerves, as well as swelling and ulcers.  Check out this information from the NHS diabetic page for professional information.  As a consequence, those experiencing diabetes can often have associated foot problems that require additional support and medical treatments.

Healing of these problems can also take much longer when a person is diagnosed as diabetic, attributed to poor blood circulation, high blood sugars or decreased sensitivity in the foot and leg areas.  If you are experiencing any of these or any other issues then always seek medical and professional advice immediately.

At Well Heeled we understand the importance of proper foot and leg care when living with diabetes or other issues such as oedema.

So how can diabetic socks help?

There are lots of accessories for both feet and legs that support those living with diabetes or associated foot problems.  Diabetic socks are just one type of accessory than can help some people.

Alongside common sense, that is to say if you have further issues or see changes in your feet or legs you should seek medical help, diabetic socks can be worn just as any other sock would be worn, giving you comfort and style whilst supporting your legs and feet at the same time to some degree.

This is not to say that every person will be supported in the same way when wearing diabetic socks as all our feet, legs and bodies are different of course!  It’s about finding out what will suit your own specific needs.  Such as look at size and material as well as whether or not the actual design suits your personal tastes!

The Best Diabetic Sock Could:

• Be Moisture Wicking – This means that when your feet sweat, the moisture wicking materials will help draw this away – helping to keep your feet dry and, in turn, helping to reduce the risk of infection.  This can also help with any foot odor problems too.  Our ShapedUp design diabetic sock uses Coolmax developed material to do just that, as well as helping to keep your feet warm in winter of course as all socks do.
• Have a Loose and Wide Top – you will often read that diabetic socks have a non elasticated top.  This is not to say that they do not hold at the top but more so that they are not elasticated at the top.  If you image a sock that has no hold then it would just fall down at every given opportunity!  Instead the leg are, and especially the top, should be looses or more wide fitting with extra stretch.  This not only help decrease the grip on the leg or prevent further restriction to aid blood flow, but it also means the leg are can move with the leg should it increase in size such as with slight swelling.
• Be Padded in the Foot/Sole areas – Some diabetic socks, such as our own, have extra padding or cushioning in the sole of the sock.  This further helps to prevent damage on the foots sensitive area and ads that extra bit of special comfort too.
• Include Seamless Toes – Often referred to as ‘hand-linked’ toes, seamless toes again help to reduce irritation or rubbing on the sensitive toe area.
• Have Style – Just because you are buying a specialist diabetic sock does not mean you should compromise on style.  The Well Heeled ShapedUp diabetic sock is made with that in mind and more designs and colours will be coming soon.
• Be Environmentally Sustainable – At Well Heeled we are trying to ensure that the goods we produce are as sustainable as possible.  We know that’s not possible for every single element of our design, but we are working on it!  For example, the majority of our packaging is made from 100% recycled card.  Also, we are using CoolMax Ecomade yarn that is sourced from recycled goods which includes that moisture wicking performance you’re looking for.

We thought it might be useful to expand upon a few terms used relating to diabetic and comfort socks as we know things can get pretty confusing!  Below are some common terms used which have a little information to further expand on the different sock types and search terms used to look for those socks.

Socks for Diabetics – only for diabetics?

Socks for diabetics are not a new concept, but the quality of the socks used, such as yarns, is important.  Not only to give the wearer long-lasting products but also to offer comfort, style and socks that protect the individual’s foot and/or leg area.  This doesn’t mean that because they are called ‘diabetic socks’ they are only for people with diabetes.  Anyone can wear these socks, especially those that want a little more legroom or comfort on the foot areas – such as people who have a diagnosis of oedema or more vulnerable to swollen legs and ankles.  In fact, people like to wear these socks because they feel good, even when they don’t need that extra protection.  It was important for us here at Well Heeled, that our socks are designed to look like a ‘normal’ sock design rather than looking clinical.

Soft Top Socks – what are these?

Sometimes when searching for specific socks, such as diabetic socks, you will come across the term ‘soft top’.  In essence, this just means what the term states – the tops of the socks are softer and usually stretcher than you would normally have with other socks.  These are to be more comfortable, having extra comfort to ensure a good but not tight-fitting on the foot and leg but also to be ‘soft’ at the top so as to not further irritate or damage a delicate part of the leg.

Moisture socks

Moisture socks are a common type of sock that people use to ‘moisturise’ the foot area.  Typically, they can be used with moisturising gels, or some moisture socks even have a gel-like substance within the sock itself.  When using this type of socks, it’s best to make sure, maybe by consulting your foot professional, that these socks are going to be of benefit to you and not damage your foot in any way, for example, if there was any skin damage already present that you would want to avoid putting chemicals on.

Socks for Swollen Feet

Again, these socks can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, but generally speaking, such as with the Well Heeled Shaped Up Diabetic & Comfort Socks, if a sock is made for someone that has diabetes, then the sock will almost certainly fit someone with swollen feet as it will already have the correct properties to help it stretch around the foot and contract as the swelling goes down.  You should always make sure you look at the sock properties as some cheaper socks may be tempting but you don’t want to put your foot at risk just to save a few pennies.

Socks with Toes UK

Socks with toes are a very common, funky, and sometimes practical sock for many.  The reason I put UK in the heading is that there are plenty available I the UK, but these are not classed as ‘medical’ socks.  They are mainly just funky and different socks as well as sometimes being used for sporting activities.  It is argued that these socks help the foot to move and work as designed by nature, helping to avoid or reduce the risk of blisters and other injuries that may be caused by friction.  Distance runners have been known to wear these and some argue that these types of socks can help reduce swelling.  They are sold throughout the world as well as in the UK, but I prefer the more traditional sock from a comfort point of view.

Bed Socks for the Elderly – or for everyone?

First, I would ask “what is elderly”?  Socks can be worn by anyone in normal circumstances, this includes bed socks.  The question is often put as bed socks for the elderly but many people wear bed socks, of all ages.  Traditional, stating that bed socks are for the elderly stems from people wanting their elders, be this at home or in a nursing home environment, to have warm and comfortable feet at nighttime – especially on those winter nights.  This would be true of anyone that has poor circulation and needs that extra warmth and comfort around the foot and toe area, regardless of their age!

Flight Socks (or graduated compression socks)

Flight socks are often called a graduated compression sock and they are, essentially, a sock that helps to increase or improve circulation when travelling, not just on flights but in for any type of travelling where there could be long periods of inactivity.  They may have a shaped heel or reinforced toe sections as well as a top banding area that helps the sock to stay in place as well as helping with comfort.

Seamless Socks for Men

Seamless socks are, of course, not just for men, yet I see more men asking about these than any other gender.  It is difficult to state that a sock is seamless as there has to be a join in order to keep socks together.  However, ‘seamless socks’ are made so the seam is barely present, thus they can help to avoid irritation caused through rubbing in what could be very sensitive areas.  The Well Heeled diabetic and comfort socks do this within their design.

Neuropathy Socks

There are many types of neuropathy socks, with some neuropathy socks having very fancy technology involved such as electrical currents, gel pads and compression therapy.  Like most socks in this list, the main purpose of neuropathy socks is to help protect the foot and toes areas that could be damaged, specifically in this case due to nerve damage.

Wide Ankle Socks

 Many of the socks discussed above are suitable for those that need a little more space in the ankle area, so-called wide ankle socks.  This is because most have the material and design that allows stretching in all areas of the foot, ankle and leg to accommodate such things as bunions, swelling/oedema, diabetes and more.  The term ‘wide ankle sock’ is a general term often searched for people with that specific need.

Care Socks UK

Again, the reason I have put ‘UK’ in the heading is because I am speaking from the UK so the term ‘care’ in other parts of the world could mean many different things.  The term ‘Care Socks’ is a term often searched for here in the UK for individuals wanting to buy or wear socks to help them with their foot or leg related problems.  Many of these care needs are listed in this article.

I truly hope this has been some help to those of you wanting more clarity on the different types of socks that are out there, but if need be, please do leave a comment below and tell us if we have missed something off or if you want to add you own information!

The Best Diabetic Socks – Conclusion

So you can see that there are some imrpotant points to remember when choosing a diabetic sock for yourself but most important is that you choose one that meets your own specific needs.

We could quite easily state that our own ShapedUp Diabetic Sock is ‘the best diabetic sock’ on the market, but we don’t ever make statements like that and we never will.  That’s because we believe that every customer is unique.  What will suit one person may not suit another and so we have give you the information above to help you make your own decisions.

As with any product that is for a specific purpose, you should always seek advice from a medical professional if required.

Our own ShapedUp diabetic sock as been designed in conjunction with professional podiatrists but also given to ‘real’ folk to test and these testimonials will be updated on our website soon.

We hope you have found this information useful and that some of the key terms used are now explained.  If you would like further information on this page then we have left the comments section below open for you to add your thoughts too!