Edema is a term used to refer to the swelling of some body parts caused by water retention in the tissue. Usually, it occurs for pregnant women or those who have diabetes, liver, and heart problems. Those who practice intense exercise, have foot sprain or are generally just always on their feet also go through the condition. And for these people, the swelling typically takes place on the legs, or more specifically, the feet. Thus, finding shoes for edema, if you are suffering from the condition, will be your fair frustration.
Fortunately, the shoe industry has now created specially-tailored products for enlarged feet. They are even designed by orthopedic specialists to aid in therapy and your recovery. Among the many options on the market, here are some of the recommended shoes for edema.
- Propét Cush N Foot Slipper
- New Balance 877
- Cole Haan Zerogrand Stitchlite
- Foamtreads Physician
- Hush Puppies Gil
- Dr. Comfort Douglas
- Orthofeet Springfield Mary Janes
- Old Friend Adjustable Strap Slipper
- Women’s Extra Extra Wide Swollen Foot Slippers
- Men’s Extra Extra Wide Slippers
- Drew Shoe Rose Mary Jane
- UGG Neumel Chukka
- Crocs Classic Clog
A good half of the adult population in the US may be suffering from swelling in the feet and ankles currently. For this reason, shoe manufacturing companies are working extra hard to produce products that address the need. The products, of course, will differ considerably in design, hold, and other features. However, over everything else, your top priority must be the much-needed relief and comfort of your distressed feet.
What to Look for in a Pair of Shoes for Edema
A mild case of edema may go away by itself. However, the cases with some underlying moderate to severe causes need medical treatment or therapy. For instance, clinics prescribe diuretics or water pills, usually for those with high blood pressure. Otherwise, the general affected adult population may acquire therapy or specialized shoes for edema. These will help minimize your pain and other ailment-related hindrances in completing your daily tasks.
Besides shoes, other remedies also include wearing support stockings and lying down while raising the legs above the chest. Reducing salt intake should as well contribute to your recovery.
Here are a couple of things you need to consider while selecting shoes for your swollen feet.
Design
Having swollen feet makes you feel more discomfort with your footwear than average. Your feet may also feel too hot in there too owpen. Thus, for your relief, you have to occasionally remove the constraints for a minute or so.
In line with this, you would want to skip your typical lace-up design for sneakers. Velcro straps will be your best friend. This is as they let you wear and remove your foot constraints in just a matter of seconds.
Aside from the straps, an edema-friendly design should include a little extra depth and space for the toe box. That way, you will have enough room to play and breathe in there. Ultimately, go for the design that minimizes pressure on bunions as well as hammertoes. You must also consider going for rounded-toes as they offer more room for your toes to wiggle. Avoid those that have dramatically pointed shoes as they will only create potential pain later on.
Fit
Wearing the correct size remains one of the greatest importance for all kinds of footwear. You cannot keep forcing your foot into smaller-sized shoes. It will only cause your foot some damages. And to debunk some assumptions going around, a shoe does not stretch into a bigger size no matter how owpen and how long you wear it.
Therefore, you must only purchase a pair that is appropriately-sized for you. To know if it is appropriate, there should be about 3/8 to ½ inches of space between the tip of your longest toe and your shoe.
Orthotic Support
The feet naturally carry all the burden of your body weight. So, if you gain more weight, for instance, when you are pregnant, they tend to suffer from stress. To lessen the stress, though, your footwear should aid in distributing the load all over. This can be done with ample ankle and arch support.
Orthotics are the devices that are made of lightweight materials in a vast range of complexities. Generally, they function by reducing pain and swelling to restore your ability to walk, jump, and run. Besides that, these specially-tailored inserts provide stability to the joints and enhanced arch support. You may have to seek the advice of a qualified podiatrist when looking for orthotic support.
Soles
The ideal insoles for the shoes for edema should eliminate and prevent moisture, odors, infections, and blisters. They should reduce the chance of additional swelling and infections while maintaining comfort.
The thicker the insole, the more comfort it offers. You must go for one that features layers of a more rigid material at the bottom and sowper ones on top. With this combination, you can get optimum support with top-notch cushioning and comfort.
Moreover, a rubber sole is a practical option for several reasons. For one, they enable reliable traction on wet, snowy, and slippery grounds or floors. Also, rubber is very flexible, which is a property that you would not want to overlook if you have edema.
In contrast to the hard types of soles like wood, rubber characteristically bounces back easily and quickly. This makes walking feel like a less-demanding task for you.
Toe Box
There is no way to, and you must not put your swollen feet, especially toes, where they are cramped, pinched, or bound. Therefore, you have to adjust the toe box of your standard footwear to provide more space as much as possible. However, this is not the best recommendation. Manufacturers at present already offer shoe horns or other apparatus that can stretch a shoe out. Your perfect bet, though, is to purchase shoes for swollen feet that supply the space necessary.
Comfort
Comfort covers a variety of factors about specialized footwear that are not found on others. These include easy-to-wear property as well as stretchable materials. A slip-on with adjustable Velcro closure is the ideal choice for these. Additionally, the footwear should be wide-sized, which you can identify by the label “W” when purchasing.
You must also search for a couple of shock-absorbing features such as memory foam, thick padding, and sowp lining. These will determine how much pleasurable or painful your feeling down there will be throughout your day.
Ultimately, you need to avoid typically abrasive finishes such as tough leather.
Durability
You would not want to spend an insane sum of money for a shoe that conks out in just about a month or two. Besides, since your foot ailment limits your walking activities, there is no reason why the shoes would easily depreciate.
One the memory foam and the padding wear down, though, that is the time when you need to buy a replacement.
Recommended Shoes for Edema
Propét Cush N Foot Slipper
These shoes are tailored for easy on and off, superior comfort level, and instant pain relief. You can just slip on these Velcro and secure using the one-of-a-kind proprietary closure procedure. Moreover, choose between corduroy uppers or neoprene and make use of the elasticity for your worst days. They have a non-slip polyurethane outer sole as well that highlights traction control grooves for any surfaces. And depending on your needs, you can remove the terry cloth insole to make room for specialized orthotic inserts.
New Balance 877
If you are more of a walker, the stylish and cute New Balance 877 walking shoes are for you. They feature rubber soles with the best quality and a unique ABSORB midsole that offers stability and support. Besides that, it boasts of a wide toe box, which is up to 2E and 4E for the men and women’s versions, respectively.
Cole Haan Zerogrand Stitchlite
If the previous two selections are too casual for you, the Cole Haan Zerogrand Stitchlite will save you for when you need to dress up. It is a pair of foot attires that have comfort, running shoe performance, and sleekness put together.
Material-wise, it possesses a stretch knit one that adapts to your foot while containing reinforcements necessary. It is fully padded, wide, and is flexible with a rubber outsole paired with a shock-absorbing EVA midsole. Overall, it is more like a breathable oxford, perfect for the hot temperatures.
Foamtreads Physician
The Foamtreads Physician is foam-cushioned and very comfortable, enough to be a pair of bedroom slippers. It ensures a personalized fit with its hook and loop closures. Its heel to toe cushioning and non-marking rubber outsoles gives maximum shock absorption and excellent grip, accordingly. It is easy to clean as well for its wool uppers, which are hand washable.
Hush Puppies Gil
The Hush Puppies Gil is similar to the Cole Haan, which is preferable for dressier occasions. Yet, this model is suitable for walking, work, and casual affairs, too. It is made up of smooth and sowp leather uppers and a hook and loop closure for comfort and effortless on and off. Its outsole is a lightweight ZeroG, while its footbed, a removable contoured EVA with breathable mesh.
Dr. Comfort Douglas
This could, similarly to the previous one, be a fine dress shoe if you have edema. Its build consists of lightweight leather and Lycra, as well as a Velcro Strap for smooth and precise tension. It has great stretchiness and distinctive orthopedic design, with exceptional arch support. Additionally, it comes with an exclusive Dr. Comfort Gel Insoles that supply extra cushion and hold.
Orthofeet Springfield Mary Janes
The Orthofeet Springfield markets women’s footgear with remarkable anatomical arch hold. The Mary Janes, for example, also grants you a non-binding relaxed fit with optimum protection from pressure. Its Ortho-cushion mechanism involves a light sole with biomechanical engineering that reduces swelling. To address your foot’s sensitivity, it has a seam-free padded interior lining with foam uppers.
Old Friend Adjustable Strap Slipper
As much as possible, you want to avoid sweating too much to prevent further swelling or infections. However, for the winter, your feet will need different gear to deal with the cold. Luckily, the Old Friend produced this model that has a shearling fleece lining and warming quality. For security, alternately, it has a micro-adjustable Velcro strap and tongue, which is probably the best that you can find. Moreover, it has a full-sheepskin insole that emphasizes a spacious toe area to accommodate your needs.
Women’s Extra Extra Wide Swollen Foot Slippers
These slippers will suit the seniors well for a variety of foot conditions they address. Apart from edema, they also accommodate bunions and diabetes feet.
Certainly, you or your grandma will appreciate the wideness of these slippers featuring a hook and loop fastener. You would not worry about slipping as well because the shoes have skid-resistant, non-slip outsoles. And for aching limbs, you will have a feel of its soothing property, specifically by its memory foam insoles.
Men’s Extra Extra Wide Slippers
These slippers are for the grandpas, conversely. Its fabric is woven to be immensely gentle to cater to the sensitivity of diabetic patients. Its closure is a hook and loop that separates easily to create a bigger channel for airflow. To address microbes and other, moreover, these have antibacterial prevention abilities. And finally, these have flexible rubber outsoles that facilitate movement and have anti-skidding properties as well.
Drew Shoe Rose Mary Jane
Many special shoes for edema sometimes compromise style for function. But the Drew Shoe Rose Mary Jane has both at an equally high rate. It is simple yet stylish and comforting with optimal support necessary for several foot ailments. Function-wise though, it is superior with removable insoles for extra depth and personal-customized orthotics. Its uppers are sowp, durable leather that grants precise fit without putting unnecessary stress.
To add for its exciting components are its molded soles as well as stretchable fabric run by the toe box and vamp. It also has tempered steel shanks and an extended heel stabilizer for your improved stability and posture.
UGG Neumel Chukka
These are boots that you can wear to the office or other smart-casual settings. They are constructed with suede uppers and a fancy sheep fur lining. That being said, you know how these boots will form according to your feet. Besides, its construction also consists of sturdy soles that are made out of EVA foam for top-notch cushioning. It also features grooves that provide decent traction of the ground so that you maintain stability.
Crocs Classic Clog
Crocs are reputable for producing the most comfortable footwear ever. Their classic clogs, for one, saves swollen feet from suffocating inside hard constraints. Certainly, these clogs are produced with their signature Croslite material and a footbed that highlights a textured trim. Its heel, on one hand, offers a relatively massaging feeling while you are wearing them. And obviously, it has the roomiest interior not only on the toe area but in the overall.
Related Questions
How do shoes for swollen feet alleviate the ache?
Specialized therapeutic shoes owpen use the gradual procedure of natural healing. In essence, their idea is to ease swelling using tender squeezing from side to side with the use of the adjustable Velcro closures. Aside from that, your feet will feel better in these kinds of footwear as they usually feature sowp interior linings. These will provide a comfort level that you will not find on any other shoe types. Ultimately, leading orthopedic specialists are their customary designers. That being said, you can guarantee a well-researched and well-studied production aimed at addressing your specific foot condition needs.
How do you buy specialized therapeutic footwear for someone who suffers from edema?
If you are searching to buy a pair of shoes or slippers for a family or friend with edema, do examine their feet first. Upon doing that, find out what the exact size of their shoes is as well as the width. Then, make some inquiries with them. Ask about what it is like wearing the shoes they already are wearing or whether they feel any discomfort at all. From that, do your research for a pair of shoes that allow plenty of room. And ideally, choose those that are created with a material that stretches and molds to the feet quickly enough. That way, they would not require excessive breaking in for a quick and trouble-free on and off.
Can you use shoes for swollen feet for other severe foot ailments?
The short answer to this question is “probably.” It is not advisable, nonetheless. Keep in mind that makers of the special shoes designed them for one particular purpose in mind. Wearing them for other serious foot ailments may accelerate the conditions to new levels. Therefore, only wear specialized shoes for the purpose they are specifically made for.
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