I was given an awesome pair of socks recently, which led me to write about socks and diabetes. All of my diabetes life I have heard claims about “diabetic (sic) socks.” First of all, how could socks possibly have diabetes?
I’ve never given a lot of thought to these “special” socks. I’ve never recommended them and I’ve never bought any.
I started wearing wool socks a few years ago mainly because I live in Steamboat Springs and this is the home of SmartWool and Point6 socks. Maybe instead of Ski Town USA Steamboat Springs should be called Sock Town USA.
These socks really are wonderful. They keep feet warm and dry in the winter and they wick, so they keep feet cool and comfortable in the summer too. I have ski socks, athletic socks, every day socks, thicker ones I use like slippers, etc.
I imagine that people at risk for sores on their feet would want to avoid scratchy seams. I have never noticed the seams on my wool socks, so that’s a good sign. The only drawback I can think of with wool socks is they might actually keep someone’s feet too dry, since dry skin can be an issue for people with diabetes. I use cream on my feet every day, and I don’t have a problem with dry skin. Some people might need to apply cream twice a day, for instance, in the morning and before bed.
Do you buy special socks? What kind of socks work well for you?