Special shoes ease discomfort from common foot conditions
Aging and common health conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or swelling can cause changes in your older adult’s feet.
That could make regular shoes difficult to put on or uncomfortable to wear.
But to maintain their health, it’s important for older adults to be as active and mobile as possible. They also need to be stable and safe while on their feet.
Specially designed shoes can adapt to their needs and make wearing shoes safer, more comfortable, and easier for an older adult to do independently.
We explain what to look for in an adaptive shoe, 5 places to buy adaptive shoes, and suggest some helpful shoehorns to make the task easier.
What to look for in adaptive shoes
In general, adaptive shoes for seniors should have:
- Non-slip or non-skid soles to help prevent falls
- Easy open and close fastener
- Wider opening so it’s easy to get feet into shoes
- Extra padding for comfort
4 places to buy adaptive shoes for seniors
1. Silvert’s
Silvert’s specializes in adaptive clothing and footwear. They have a great range of adaptive shoes, slippers, and socks for women and men.
They also have an excellent return policy because they know the family caregiver is usually buying on behalf of an older adult.
Browse Silvert’s adaptive footwear for women and men »
2. Buck & Buck
Buck & Buck is another well-known retailer of adaptive clothing and shoes.
Their customer service is friendly and helpful and they also have a good return policy.
Browse Buck & Buck women’s footwear or the men’s footwear »
3. Nike Flyease
Nike created a sneaker line called Nike Flyease that was inspired by a young man with cerebral palsy.
The Flyease line is designed to be easy to get on and off with one hand. That allows people with disabilities to independently put on and take off their shoes.
Browse Nike adaptive sneaker options for men and women »
4. New hands-free, step-in shoe designs
Several brands have introduced hands-free, step-in shoes that make it easy to put shoes on without needing to bend over or tie laces. They’re available in a variety of styles and colors.
5. Zappos Adaptive
The major online shoe retailer Zappos now has an adaptive shoe section.
They’re famous for their fast, free delivery, excellent customer service, and free return policy.
Browse Zappos adaptive options for woman and men »
Shoehorns are a big help
Sometimes, bending over to put on shoes is half the battle.
These sturdy, long shoehorns make it easier and safer for older adults to put on their shoes.
Recommended for you:
- 10 Reasons Why Seniors Walk With a Shuffling Gait
- 8 Arthritis Dressing Tips Make Life Easier for Seniors
- Increase Senior Independence with This Fall Risk Checklist
By DailyCaring Editorial Team
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Edward Mack
Basically looking for a shoe for my mother that’s like 7 1/2 EE , That’s why from the front of the shoe toe area back to the heel, the whole shoe needs to be why most say they’re white and they’re only wide and the tow I need one that’s consistent all the way back to the heel, thanks
DailyCaring
We hope you’re able to find a show that works well for your mother at the retailer websites linked above.
karen Jones
Do you have any pictures of the bottoms of the shoes? My mother needs something so she doesn’t trip on the carpet. So I’m looking for a different kind of rubber then sneakers have. Do you have anything like that ? Thank you
DailyCaring
We don’t sell any products, so it would be best to directly contact the retailer to get more information about any shoes you’re interested in. I’m sure they could make some recommendations for shoes that would suit your mother’s needs.