For people living with diabetes, the smallest foot sore or irritation could lead to a difficult foot infection or worse. Risks are higher with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

To help protect your patient’s feet, it’s recommended that your patient does at-home foot checks daily, gets a thorough foot health exam annually by a healthcare practitioner, and wears supportive footwear.

To help make sure your patient wears properly-fitted shoes, here are six tips to help you fit your patient’s foot.

How to Fit Your Patient’s Foot

What You’ll Need:

Socks or Hosiery

When measuring and trying on shoes, it’s important to have the patient wear their typical socks or hosiery so you can make sure the shoe fits properly with their sock wear.

Fitting Tip 1: Walk in Place

Have your patient walk in place. This helps you get your patient’s foot in a natural position so you can measure the most accurate length and width of the foot.

Fitting Tip 2: Measure Heel to Toe

Using the foot-measuring device, measure the foot from the heel all the way to the longest toe. Make sure the heel is all the way back on the Brannock Device®. Use the number over the longest toe. Write down that digit on the form.

Fitting Tip 3: Measure Heel to Arch

Using the Brannock Device®, measure the foot from the heel to the longest arch (the metatarsal phalangeal joint) or the ball of the foot. Read the digit that is centered and jot it down on the form. Remember to read the number from the correct gender sizing.

Fitting Tip 4: Find the Mid-Point Measurement

Next, you’ll need to get the mid-point measurement. To do this, take the difference of the first two measurements and then find it on the foot-measuring device, which will indicate the width of the patient’s foot. 

Fitting Tip 5: Repeat On the Other Foot

Repeat steps one through four to find the measurement of the opposite foot. Each foot may have different measurements, which is why it’s important to measure both feet carefully.

If you come across a patient with two different sized feet, fit the shoe to the larger of the two feet. If it’s more than a size and half difference more, you can order a split pair from Dr. Comfort.

Fitting Tip 6: Try on Shoes

Use the shoe horn to help put the shoe on your patient’s foot. When trying on shoes, make sure there is 3/8 to ½ inch room from the patient’s toe to the end of the shoe. Ask the patient to walk around with the shoe on. Look to see if there is heel slippage, discomfort or balance issues.

For more shoe fitting tips, watch this video, or check out our resource page with fitting tutorials and quizzes.

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

Neither DJO Global, Inc. nor any of its subsidiaries dispense medical advice. The contents of this article do not constitute medical, legal, or any other type of professional advice.