Is it important to have diabetic shoes? This video explains why diabetic shoes are very different from regular shoes. It is important to have the right shoes when you are diabetic. At BeeHive Homes of Washington Co. we have the podiatrist come in on a regular basis and they make sure our diabetic residents have a new pair of diabetic shoes each year. If you have family members in assisted living centers, make sure they are getting seen by the podiatrist in the facility or take them to an outside source.