Are surgical shoes providing value for money?

Surgical shoes are commonly prescribed by orthopaedic surgeons and rheumatologists. The shoes include both bespoke surgical shoes, which are specially designed and fitted, and "comfort shoes," which are commercially made soft leather or suede shoes and are cheaper to prescribe. Comfort shoes usually cost 40% less than bespoke shoes and appear more cosmetically acceptable to the patient. All patients need to be reassessed before repeat prescription to ascertain their ability to put on and remove the shoes and to note their acceptance of the shoes' appearance. Many patients now wearing bespoke footwear have deformities that are amenable to the wearing of comfort shoes.