Posted By gham Best speak to a specialist. The composite may cause the same problem as steel if it doesn't fit right and places pressure on the foot. It may only be a case of trying a few pairs on till you find ones which are comfortable and don't place pressure on the foot which could cause blisters or brusing. g'

Posted By Fred Pratley I see 2 possibilities in this. One is your employee is trying to get better than the bog standard footwear that you supply to every one else and this (potentially) could open a real can of worms for you. Another is that your employee has been diagnosed and has been frightened by the possible consequences of disregarding or neglecting this condition. I am very familiar with the potential effects of this condition, having known 2 people who died as a result. One from neglecting the advice given, to the point where one limb was amputated, and the other had a very unstable condition and simply fell into a coma despite his own attention to detail and friends and colleagues watching for tell tale signs at work. I suggest you attempt to learn as much as you can about the type of diabetes, how control is to be achieved (diet/pills/injection) etc, so that you have a clear understanding of this persons condition. If the diagnosis has only just been made, this information will not be available yet, so you should keep track of how things progress. I have at least 2 "declared" diabetics (one on injections for many years) and probably several others I am not aware at work. Safety shoes are the norm here, and provided they are a good fit the majority of standard wear should be more than sufficient, so I have not needed to make any special provision. We do provide a range of styles previously agreed with the supplier so that costs are kept in control. As for the composite vs steel toe cap - well to be a safety shoe the composite has to meet with required standards, so as far as the foot is concerned, it will be just a strong and as hard as anything else or it can't be a safety shoe! Trust this helps Fred

Posted By Sarah O'Brien Hi juliet Not sure about the diabetic part, but you can now get a kevlar safety shoe (they use them at Heathrow) they are very light and only cost £15.00 (approx) if needed I can get the supplier details if you wish. Sarah

Posted By Sue Manning Have read the feedback with interest and want to post a response (wishing that I had read this discussion point earlier). We have had a similar instance in our warehouse and agreed to have a pair of 'industrial shoes to diabetic specification' made for our employee - and we have just received an invoice for over £800 (for which we have requested a cost breakdown). Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is this a typical cost? Many thanks, Sue Manning