Diabetic Socks

[Mosaic]

Can anyone pass on a link to a seller of good quality source of gent's diabetic socks? So many that I've come across are not useful ie very elasticated at the top - ideally need some with no elastication especially at the top.

[woofgang]

That's because physicians tend not to be the ones who help people put their socks on and see the correlation between socks and foot damage!

[Sqad]

boxy

\\the elastic otherwise can make a ridge round the leg and inhibit circulation. \\\

That's what i thought you said...

[Sqad]

woofy.....right.

[marje]

Try Ebay for bamboo socks. I don't have diabetes but do have some of the socks. They're soft, not elasticated, breathable, non-sweaty, very comfortable and wash well. However, I always go for the plain ones as the patterned ones tend to be tighter.

[marje]

^^^ just to add that they do have the linked toes so nothing to dig in.

[mallyh]

i've bought 4 pairs from lidls in the last month very comfy to wear and they only cost just about £2 a pair.

[mallyh]

ps and they are called diabetic socks

[Mosaic]

Thanks for all your answers folks - and very interesting that our own tame doc hasn't come across this issue.
I think I have found some at Lloyds pharmacy so we'll give 'em a go.
Sqad FYI foot health is very important in geriatric care in general, as lacking reach and losing both senses of smell and feeling means they can tend not to spot when toadstools have sprouted or toe has dropped off.
Dear old gent in question went on a week's hol in height of summer with one pair of socks.

[Sqad]

Mosaic.......yes, I do understand the importance of foot care in the elderly and diabetics, but my query was if there was any evidence for "diabetic socks" making the slightest difference OR was this a myth.

[masma]

M&S, Matalan, Edinburgh Woolen Mill, Ebay, Amazon.....

[Mosaic]

Sqad, like Woofgang has said, if you have to assist with an elderly diabetic person's daily hygiene and routines you see the consequences of ill-fitting footwear. Plus with the skin becoming very delicate, any chafing or pinching that you and I would shake off leads to broken skin and infections - which they don't realise because they can't feel, see or reach the problem.
I'm not going to get old if I can help it.

[woofgang]

Sqad, no evidence for anything sold as "diabetic socks" (didn't know socks could have diabetes)...its a bandwagon thing IMO like "diabetic sweets" (anybody seen the Haribo sugar free Gummy Bears review on Amazon?)

What there IS evidence for is good footcare, including socks which are not too tight or cut in, which have no seams or bumps to rub the feet and which wick moisture away from the feet.

[woofgang]

Mosaic...too late....!

[whiskeryron]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/DR-Scholls-Men-s-Diabetic-Socks-4-Pack-Your-Choice/25174440

WR.

[CatGirl4]

I would have thought that loose socks could also cause problems,they would just "bunch up"and cause discomfort,wouldn't they?

[woofgang]

catgirl they are not baggy. they fit to the foot but don't constrict...like wearing a t shirt.

[woofgang]

WR I have no idea what the point of the socks you posted the link to is (hideous grammar) but as they have "tube legs" with a ribbed top and an inside seam at the toe, i wouldn't recommend them for anybody, let alone someone with a diabetic neuropathy. That's what i meant by bandwaggonning.
Its a good point you have made though. Just because something is labelled as "diabetic" doesn't mean its worth diddleysquat.

[woofgang]

btw, i know this sounds old fart-ess ish. But once you have tried decent socks, you will never go back!

[cheatgal]

Try British Home Stores. They do a special wide top to the socks. My husband has used them for ages.

[Sir Alec]

Cosyfeet sell socks and many other worthy products for people with diabetes and arthritis. I buy their seam free/soft top socks for my Dad as his feet swell terribly due to arthritis. I also used to buy them for my Mum as her legs and feet used to swell with fluid retention due to heart failure.