The Prevention of Plantar Ulceration in the Diabetic Foot Through the Use of Running Shoes

Many diabetes-related amputa tions are the result of plantar calluses that become ulcerated, infected, and gangrenous. One hundred diabetic volunteers with plantar calluses were studied for 18 months in Salt Lake City. The patients' calluses were measured monthly. To provide a base line for comparison, the patients wore regular shoes for a minimum of three months, after which they switched to run ning shoes. The study found that the wearing of running shoes reduced the size of the patients' calluses significantly, leading to the conclusion that running shoes may contribute to a reduc tion in foot problems of persons with diabetes.