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Doctor Crocs

WITH RISING HEALTH awareness among UAE residents, shoe company Crocs has unveiled a footwear line to relieve and help prevent the effects of diabetes on the feet.

With its medical and therapeutical applications, the CrocsRx series are targeted at diabetic patients and medical professionals, as well as being attractive to shoe lovers.

We spoke to Allison Snyder, Director of Products for Crocs Asia to find out more.

What risk does diabetes pose to the feet? What is the worst-case scenario?

Foot problems are very common in diabetic patients. This is connected to nerve damage and can lead to deformities in shape, poor blood flow, severe dryness of the skin and a loss of feeling, which in itself can be very dangerous. Ulcers can also pose a very serious threat as the bone can become infected and in very severe cases this can lead to amputation. As a result the correct footwear is essential in order to protect the feet from risk of harm or infection. The CrocsRx range has been specially designed to address the needs of patients suffering from diabetes and other medical issues.

What are the contributing factors to getting diabetes?

There are two different types of diabetes, type 1 is identified by a destruction of insulin-producing cells and although there continues to be extensive research into this area, the cause is not fully understood.

Type 2 diabetes is the more common of the two and can often be managed with a few concerted changes to lifestyle. Type 2 is often hereditary but people with high blood pressure, a high fat diet and an inactive lifestyle are also at great risk. These contributing factors are all common in people who are overweight.

How can one guard against it?

Good diet and a regular exercise regime are both simple but very effective ways to guard against and combat the symptoms of diabetes. A good diet plan should keep blood sugar levels balanced, this means avoiding food with high fat, sugar and salt content and replacing with lots of fibre.

Exercise is also key in order to maintain a healthy weight, improve circulation, lower blood pressure and achieve balanced cholesterol levels. Although these things are important for all people aiming to live a healthy lifestyle, they are critical for those suffering with diabetes. Painful feet can dramatically hinder good intensions to exercise and stressed feet often lead to inactivity which in turn leads to these far greater issues.

Why do you think the CrocsRx line will be important to residents of the UAE?

According to the most recent research by the Imperial Collage London Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi, it is estimated that one out of five people living in the UAE have this disease. In 2007 the UAE ranked second highest worldwide for diabetes prevalence and although research continues, many people are unaware that they suffer from the disease. As obesity numbers in the UAE increase so do the cases of diabetes and very painful feet are just one of the many symptoms patients endure.

How do the Crocs help the situation?

The CrocsRx range have been designed to provide comfort to those already experiencing issues with their feet as well as those people who may be prone to problems in the future. Podiatric problems obtained through Diabetes can be very frustrating and debilitating as the symptoms can be so severe and mobility of the patient can be dramatically reduced.

Regular shoes can often be very restricting, especially in the UAE heat. On the contrary, the Crocs range utilises Crocs’ proprietary Croslite material which absorbs impact, provides sculpted support and keeps air circulating with roomy designs and air vents. Great care has gone into these designs so that the weight of the foot is evenly distributed with contoured soles providing relief to ultra sensitive and easily bruised feet. The CrocsRx Custom Cloud, designed specifically for diabetic patients and carries SADMERC (Medicare) approval, has all of these benefits, as well as a protective front toe cap and elevated heel rim that protect the diabetic foot from stubbing and bruising which can lead to further complications.

How and by whom have they been developed?

Crocs’ design team worked with doctors, medical professionals and patients to understand a superior design for diabetes, arthritis and other foot related issues. Through this elaborate process, the range has received professional accolades including the Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association and many CrocsRx styles carry the United States Ergonomic endorsement.

Why has Crocs gone down this path?

All Crocs shoes are made from our proprietary material making them soft, lightweight and they conform to the foot to create a customised fit. This design lends itself to the delicate foot and we found that this was an obvious hole in the market that we could fill.

What do you have planned in the future?

Crocs has always offered comfortable, casual footwear. After developing the CrocsRx line for patients, we recognised that anyone can benefit from the comfort of Crocs shoes. In particular, professionals on their feet for extended time including doctors, nurses and chefs need shoes designed specifically for them which is why we introduced Crocs Work Shoes.