Public release date: 13-Nov-2007

More than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong-sized shoes, exposing themselves to serious foot problems that could lead to amputation, according to research in the November issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

And the World Health Organization has said that the number of people suffering from diabetes could double to 366 million by 2030 and that 80 per cent of diabetic foot amputations could be prevented.

The team found that 63 per cent of the patients were wearing the wrong-sized shoes. For example, 45 per cent were wearing the wrong width fitting, with the majority being too narrow.

“When people stand up their feet change shape as the arch of the foot flattens and the foot becomes wider and longer” explains Dr Leese. “Taking both these sets of measurements into account, only 37 per cent of the patients were actually wearing the right-sized shoes.