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There’s a huge contradiction when it comes to diabetes and sports. Both physical exercise and foot care are huge parts of our fight against diabetes and yet, very little diabetic sport footwear choices are available. If diabetic sport shoes are a bit more common today, one really struggles to find socks that are suitable for both diabetes foot problems and sport activities.
There’s a reason. Diabetic socks are meant to be as loose as possible in order to enhance blood circulation. On the contrary, sport socks are meant to be tight and provide better foot support.
What socks should a sportspersons living with diabetes wear then? In order to avoid most common-diabetes related foot problems, you should be careful to choose athletic socks that have at least the following features:
To save you some time, here are 4 safe sock choices for men that are perfectly adapted to both diabetes and sports! Trust me, we’ve worked hard to find them!
Best Athletic & Sport Diabetic Socks for Men (2020)
#1. Sugar Sox active fit diabetic socks
#2. OrthoSleeve wellness socks for diabetes
#3. Wigwam diabetic sports socks
#4. Teehee viscose bamboo sport socks for diabetes
#5. Best diabetic socks for hiking and outdoor activities!
What should good diabetic sport socks be like?
Are compression socks good for sports when having diabetes?
What other foot care products are recommended for sports with diabetes?
What other features should I look at when buying diabetic socks?
Sugar Sox Men’s active fit cushioned diabetic socks for sports
OrthoSleeve’s WC4 Wellness Socks for Diabetes, Neuropathy & Circulation
Wigwam Diabetic Sport Crew and Quarter socks for men
Teehee Viscose from bamboo cushioned sport socks for diabetes
If what your looking for are diabetic socks specially designed for hiking and outdoor activities. you’re in the wrong article! Here’s our special on reviewing 5 best mens socks for hiking with diabetes. They’re very similar to diabetic sports/athletic socks, but have slightly different features more adapted to and outdoor natural environment.
Good sport socks for diabetes should combine two almost opposite things: a loose fit (in order to help your blood circulating) and a good feet support (in order to gain more foot stability during exercise). Of course, add to that extra breathable and moisture-wicking materials to keep your feet dry and healthy. Oh, and you’ll probably want seamless construction to avoid skin irritation and blisters. Then, depending on personal tastes and foot conditions, it’s often recommended that sport socks for diabetes have anti-bacterial and oder-control properties for obvious reasons, and extra-cushioning or padded soles for enhanced protection and shock absorption.
That makes a lot of things to look at! And that’s why very few companies have managed to design socks that are adapted to both sports and diabetes.
No! We’ve seen that some careless bloggers advise on the web people with diabetes to wear compression socks for sports. Our guess is that they were in a hurry to publish their article and did not take the time to look for actual diabetic sport socks.
People with diabetes should never wear compression socks unless it has been specially recommended by their doctors.
Diabetic socks and compression socks are two completely different kind of socks. While both deal with blood circulation they do so in an opposite way. Compression socks compress the leg and foot in order to improve blood circulation from the leg to back to the heart. Diabetic socks, on the other hand, should be very loose fit in order to improve blood circulation from the heart to the legs and feet.
Wearing compression socks without your doctor’s advice when you have diabetes could actually be dangerous.
It really depends on your activities and specific foot conditions. In general, when having diabetes and doing sports, diabetic footwear is very important. Socks of course, but you could also look at diabetic sport shoes that could play a huge part in alleviating many foot conditions and preventing others.
And don’t forget diabetic foot creams and specialised products. They can really help, especially if your skin often blisters or gets irritated, if you have moist and smelly feet, or if you experience foot pain, excessive sweating, or very dry skin.
Taking care of your feet when you have diabetes is essential. Especially when you’re an active sportspersons. You should not take any risk, and you should get what’s best to protect your feet and legs from potential serious problems such as amputations. Have a look at our diabetes foot care guidelines to know more about how to protect your feet.
As you can see from all the different diabetic socks models available, there is no such thing as a standard diabetic sock. Every model features different technologies and specificities that address different foot problems. It’s not because you have diabetes than any diabetic socks will be good for your feet. You need to choose the diabetic socks features that will best address your own foot problems.
First, don’t forget to ask for your doctor or podiatrist’s recommendations. They’re the ones who will best know what your feet exactly need. Second, this article might help you: “which diabetic socks for which diabetic foot problem?“
And finally, here’s our table linking most common diabetes-related foot problems to diabetic socks features that best address them. You can of course refer to it before buying your new men’s diabetic socks.
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