As the previous post in this series highlighted, adaptive clothing is a powerful idea for simplifying your life. The clothing items often provide extra independence, giving seniors the chance to dress themselves without stress or hassle.
An equally important area is adaptive footwear.
The underlying concept is similar to clothing. The footwear does help people to dress themselves. For example, slip on shoes are often easier to use, as there are no fasteners to worry about.
There are other advantages too.
- Shoes are often wider and more flexible, making them more comfortable.
- The style also makes shoes comfortable for people with medical conditions, including swollen feet, edema, and injury.
- The flexibility of the fabric allows people to use the same size even if their foot size changes over time due to the presence/absence of swelling.
- Adaptive footwear avoids some common challenges, particularly laces.
- Pieces tend to be slip-resistant. There are even various slip-resistant socks and slippers. These help to reduce fall risk in the house.
- Many shoes will be designed to support inserts and custom insoles. Some even come with these.
The general pattern is that the shoes are safer and easier to use than regular footwear. They’re also suitable for many people who cannot wear conventional shoes. Some even target specific medical needs.
The field isn’t just limited to shoes either. There are various adaptive slippers and socks as well.
Is Adaptive Footwear Necessary?
Adaptive footwear is situation-dependent. It is mostly needed for people who struggle with regular shoes. This could occur if they find shoes hard to get on or if regular sizes don’t fit their feet well.
While many people won’t need adaptive footwear – most seniors will see some advantages.
If nothing else, adaptive footwear is often more comfortable. It tends to have extra flexibility compared to other types of footwear.
This additional comfort can mean that some seniors are more willing to go out an be involved in the world around them. After all, comfortable footwear can make a large difference to how much someone enjoys walking around.
The slip-resistant properties are also important, especially for socks and slippers. Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, and this can drastically decrease independence permanently. Besides, falls most often occur in the home
Wearing slip-resistant shoes, slippers or socks around the house can help to dramatically reduce fall risk. The items may also help seniors to feel more confident on their feet and increase their mobility.
What is Needed?
When you’re looking for adaptive footwear, it’s critical to consider the needs at hand. Doing this helps make sure that you find the right items.
Some areas to consider include the following:
- Adjustable? The ability to adjust adaptive footwear is especially important if foot size is likely to change (perhaps due to bandages or swelling). This feature also helps anyone who is sensitive to pressure.
- Width. Some pieces of adaptive footwear are of regular width, while others are significantly wider. Wider pieces may be relevant for people sensitive to pressure.
- Slip-proof? If there is a risk of falls, then slip-proof footwear can be very important.
- Flexible? Flexible shoes are often easier to wear, with the potential to make movement easier and safer.
- Washable? The ability to wash shoes isn’t always essential, but it can be very important for people with foot wounds or other challenges.
- Closures. How is the footwear kept closed? Velcro is a common choice, which is easy to use, even for people with limited flexibility. Other shoes may be slip on/slip off. The type of closure is important, as this will determine whether the footwear can be used effectively.
- Type of item. What type of product do you need? If the footwear will be used for indoor and outdoor use, then you probably want a shoe of some type. However, adaptive socks and slippers may be a better choice if the use is indoor only.
Weighing up these areas can make it easy to find the best footwear.
It’s also worth thinking about where your priorities are. For example, it might be essential for shoes to be wide and adjustable, while them being washable may be nice but not necessary.
Finding Good Adaptive Footwear
Just like with adaptive clothing, one of the best places for footwear is Silvert’s. The site focuses heavily on this area, so they have plenty of items to choose from. They don’t just consider functionality either – they offer a range of styles to ensure the footwear looks good too. You can also try Health Products for You, a site that we highly recommend.
You may also find adaptive footwear at some shoe shops or at stores focusing on items for seniors or those with disabilities. However, local stores will typically have fewer products to choose from.
It’s often best to shop online first. This can give you an idea of the types of products out there and the best ones for your situation.
Adaptive Footwear to Consider
There are many great pieces of adaptive footwear out there – on the Silvert’s site and in plenty of other locations. The items in this section aren’t necessarily the best or only choices. They’re simply provided as examples of what is out there.
Extra Wide Comfort Shoes for Men
These Extra Wide Comfort Shoes are designed for people with swollen feet.
- They are wider than most shoes of a similar size, while the easy touch closure makes them easy to adjust.
- The closure style is also easier to manipulate than laces.
- The soles are slip-resistant.
- The shoes have removable insoles so that orthotics can be used.
Orthopedic Diabetic Arch Support Men’s Sandals
These Orthopedic Diabetic Arch Support Men’s Sandals might look conventional, but they have adaptive features too.
- The shoe is designed to be extremely comfortable, with many cushioning features that can help to relieve foot and joint pain.
- The Velcro straps make it easy to adjust the shoe so that it suits the needs of the wearer.
- There are different sizes to choose from, with regular, wide, and extra-wide variations.
Women’s Winter Boots
These Women’s Winter Boots are a simpler example of adaptive footwear.
- The key focus is providing a functional winter boot – so the piece has a warm lining, is lightweight, is waterproof and is stable for walking.
- The sole has also been carefully designed to provide high stability and reduce the risk of falls.
- The main adaptive feature is the use of a Velcro closure system. This makes the boot easy to get on and off.
However, there is not the same width or adjustability that you find in many other adaptive footwear products.
Men’s Extra Wide Closure Slippers
Adaptive slippers come in many styles. These Men’s Extra Wide Closure Slippers are a great example. The way they close on top is distinctive, making the slippers easy to put on and take off.
- There are 3 colors and 3 sizes. While this isn’t the largest range, it should be more than enough for most situations.
- The style makes them extremely easy to adjust, without compromising comfort.
- The width of the slippers makes these viable for anyone with swollen feet, diabetes, hammer toes, or other foot problems.
- The slippers have slip resistant soles, making them useful for walking around the house.
- You can easily wash the skippers in a machine too.
Of course, this is just a small selection of products. You can find many more on the site Health Products for You, which stocks useful tools from a variety of suppliers.
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Dave Alce says
Selecting adaptive footwear is really important. Which one you need and which one you want this is the main point. Here you will get the accurate idea about adaptive footwear. Do you have any article about footwear cleaning?
Cassie says
No, we don’t. We’ve focused on adaptive options, as most thing slike adaptive footwear can be cleaned in the same way as regular alternatives.