Shoe requests are ubiquitous in correctional settings. Footwear is often treated as a commodity — coveted, traded, sold, and sometimes stolen — creating operational and security challenges. Yet there are legitimate medical indications for alternative footwear, including diabetes, orthopedic conditions, edema, injury recovery, and fall prevention. This session explores how to distinguish clinical need from preference, apply clear criteria for medical issuance, and collaborate with custody to ensure consistent, defensible, and patient-centered decision-making.

Educational Objectives:

• Explain why patients often request special shoes
• Discuss the differences between standard-issue footwear and medical-issued footwear 
• Describe a consistent approach to the evaluation of the need for medical or alternate footwear