Do you suffer from foot pain or discomfort?  Are you having a hard time ordering custom orthotics that really feel good and function well?  Where should you go if you are looking for shoes for the whole family?  Do you have narrow or wide feet and find it almost impossible to find good fitting shoes? 

    If you or a loved one are having difficulty in any of these areas, look no further.  Our New Balance stores specialize in carrying the broadest range of New Balance shoes in Missouri and Kansas.  We carry widths from 4A to 6E and a size range from infants to men's size 20!  ^*Certified Pedorthists are staffed to fill prescriptions for custom orthotics, over the counter orthotics, shoe modifications and can even make insurance submittions to Medicare and United Health Care. 

    New Balance athletic shoes have a great reputation among doctors and nurses everywhere.  Do you know that New Balance also makes dress shoes?  The men's dress brand is called "Dunham" and women's dress brand is called "Aravon".  Dunham and Aravon, although very different in appearance, share one main goal:  To provide you with dress and dress casual shoes that fit and feel more like an athletic shoe.

Take your life back today and let us help with all of your footwear needs.  Ask your doctor about New Balance!

^*A prescription from your doctor IS needed for custom orthotics and anything being submitted to insurance.  Insurance claims cannot be made through catalog or internet orders.

    Diabetic patients, because of the effects their disease may have on circulation (ischemia) and nerve endings (neuropathy), become susceptible to risky conditions involving their extremities.  These conditions can include: dry skin, callouses, corns, bunions, hammer or claw toes, loss of fat padding, arch collapse, loss of protective sensation, ulcerations and poor circulation.

    About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes may have a condition known as diabetic neuropathy.  This is a loss of sensation, numbness or even hypersensitivity from a compromise of the peripheral nervous system.  It usually manifests itself in the feet and lower extremities first because this region is the furthest from the heart.  Once some feeling in the feet is lost, the patient is at a risk for developing ulcers or pressure sores.

     Diabetes contributes to decreased blood circulation in the feet, which makes ulcers slow to heal.  If an ulcer gets infected, as it can because diabetes compromises the body's ability to fight infection, and the infection reaches the bone, it could lead to an amputation of a toe, a foot, or even a leg.  

    When it comes to diabetic shoe fitting, the name of the game is "prevention."  We like to match up our inventory to your particular foot shape.  Our shoes are all shaped differently for different arch heights and foot shapes.  The SL-2 Last shape is the most common recommendation for the diabetic foot.  This is because the SL-2 Last offers a very roomy toebox and extra depth (room from top to bottom).  Again, for preventative measures, there should never be any pressure points present in a good fitting shoe.  Unlike most brands of footwear, our shoes are available in a full range of widths and sizes.  These wider widths and roomier toeboxes are fantastic for accomodating swelling and preventing damage to the diabetic foot.  "Breaking the shoe in" is lingo only used by shoe salesmen that are working on commision.  If the shoe does not fit properly when first tried on, leave it at the shoe store or send it back for an exchange.  Never depend on a shoe to stretch or "break in" for it to fit properly.

    Most of our shoes have removeable insoles to help make them more versatile.  The original insoles can be removed and replaced with upgrades specific to the patients needs.  For extra protection, New Balance makes an upgraded insole specifically for diabetes.  The Pressure Relief Insole is designed to act as a large pillow for the foot, reducing pressure and friction.  This upgraded insole has arch and metatarsal support to help balance out the weight placement and relieves the overexerted areas of the foot.  Again, preventing preulcerative callouses on the bottom of the foot is much easier than getting them to heal.

For additional foot care tips for the Diabetic, click here. 

Chad L. Brown, C.Ped

New Balance St. Louis I

chad@nbstl.com 

To be directed to the Diabetic page on our website where you can find more information and fitting advice
click on the feet below.

Shoe Recommendations: Be sure to choose footwear with plenty of room!

Running: 1123, 992, 882, WR768, 587.

Walking: 926, WW844, 811, 659.

Cross-Training: 855.

Court: 803

Dunham: 8000.

Insole Recommendations: