The Real VA Footwear Benefit and How to Apply for It

• The VA provides therapeutic footwear — not free athletic shoes — to eligible veterans when a VA clinician determines specialized footwear is medically necessary.
• A scam graphic using official VA branding has been circulating online since at least mid-2026, falsely promising veterans free athletic shoes. The VA has confirmed it is not real.
• Qualifying conditions for therapeutic footwear include diabetes, neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, foot deformities, chronic swelling, and prosthetic needs — among others.
• There is no standalone application for therapeutic footwear — the process starts with your VA care team, not an online form or third-party website.
• A separate VA clothing allowance benefit exists for veterans whose service-connected prosthetic or orthotic device damages their clothing — this is a cash payment, not a shoe voucher.
• If you receive an unsolicited offer for free VA shoes, do not click any links, call back any numbers, or share personal information. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

If you’ve seen a flyer or social media post promising veterans free athletic shoes from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you’re not alone — and you should be cautious.

A graphic promising veterans free athletic shoes has circulated online since at least mid-2026, dressed in VA branding. The VA itself published the image stamped in red with a single word: “scam.”

But here’s the thing that makes this fraud so effective: there actually is a legitimate VA footwear benefit — it’s just very different from what these scams claim.

This article breaks down exactly what the real VA footwear benefit covers, who is eligible, and how to access it correctly through your VA care team. We’ll also explain a commonly confused related benefit — the VA clothing allowance — and give you straightforward guidance on how to spot and avoid scams targeting veterans.

What Is the VA Footwear Benefit?

Confusion around VA footwear benefits is common, and understandably so — there isn’t just one program. Two separate benefits get lumped together in conversation, plus a broader clinical service coordinates both.  Understanding the distinction is the first step to accessing what you’ve earned.

The primary footwear benefit is the VA’s Therapeutic Footwear Program.  Under VHA Directive 1173.9, dated October 22, 2021, and updated July 12, 2024, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides therapeutic footwear and in-shoe orthoses when a clinician determines they are medically necessary.

This covers custom-made orthopedic shoes, depth-inlay shoes, healing shoes, and reinforced-toe styles.  Fittings are handled by credentialed specialists.  Certified VA Therapeutic Shoe Fitters are health care professionals specifically educated and trained to provide non-custom therapeutic shoes and non-custom shoe inserts.  These professionals work within VA’s Orthotic, Prosthetic and Pedorthic Clinical Services (OPPCS) — the team responsible for measuring, fitting, and issuing footwear to eligible veterans.

It is important to understand that this is a medical benefit, not a general footwear giveaway.

Real VA shoes are only given when a doctor prescribes medically necessary footwear, not through online sign-ups.

Who Qualifies for VA Therapeutic Footwear?

Any VA-enrolled veteran whose VA clinician determines therapeutic footwear is medically necessary can be referred for it. Diabetes is the most common qualifying condition, but it isn’t the only one.

Neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, foot deformities, pressure points, chronic swelling or edema, and prosthetic needs can all lead to a referral for specialized footwear.

Qualifying conditions also include a high foot risk score, amputation, or mismatched sizing after limb loss.  Additionally, the VA operates a dedicated program for veterans at particularly high risk of foot complications.

A related program, Prevention of Amputation in Veterans Everywhere, known as PAVE, proactively identifies veterans at elevated risk of foot complications — including those with diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or neuropathy — and routes them toward foot care and protective footwear before a serious problem develops rather than after.

The key requirement is VA enrollment and a clinician’s finding of medical necessity.
If you’re enrolled in VA care and your VA clinician documents therapeutic footwear as medically necessary, the VA can provide it through OPPCS/PSAS — this isn’t limited to one diagnosis like diabetes. Your care team will determine the best solution for your needs.

How the Foot Examination Works

Veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria may receive therapeutic footwear from the VA. A foot examination is required prior to referral to Prosthetics, and the foot exam may be conducted by either your primary care team, Podiatry, or Wound Care to determine your needs for footwear.

VA prescribing clinicians are responsible for conducting a foot examination to determine if the veteran meets the medical justification for therapeutic footwear.

How to Apply: The Step-by-Step Process

Unlike many VA benefits, there is no standalone application form you submit on your own to get therapeutic footwear.
The process typically starts with a primary care or podiatry appointment. If footwear is clinically indicated, that provider writes a prescription and refers the veteran to VA’s Orthotic, Prosthetic and Pedorthic Clinical Services team — commonly called OPPCS — for measurement, fitting, and issuance.

Here is what the process looks like in practice:

• Step 1 – Contact your VA care team. Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or VA podiatrist. Mention any foot-related concerns — pain, swelling, neuropathy, difficulty with standard footwear, or a history of foot complications.
• Step 2 – Undergo a foot examination.
  The foot exam may be conducted by either your primary care team, Podiatry, or Wound Care to determine your needs for footwear.
• Step 3 – Receive a referral to Prosthetics (if eligible). If your clinician determines therapeutic footwear is medically necessary, they will refer you to OPPCS/Prosthetics.
• Step 4 – Fitting and issuance.
  VA will then schedule an appointment with you to measure, fit, and modify the footwear according to your condition.
• Step 5 – Annual follow-up.
  Scheduling follow-up with the veteran on an annual basis, or sooner at the veteran’s request, is required. Follow-up must include inspection and evaluation to determine the serviceability of footwear to meet the veteran’s therapeutic needs.

Veterans who are unsure whether their VA facility offers on-site orthotics services, or who’ve previously been referred outside the VA for this care, can ask their care team whether that’s changed, since several VA health systems have been actively expanding in-house orthotics access in recent years.

Veterans with questions about eligibility for either benefit can contact their VA prosthetics representative directly, or reach VA at 800-698-2411.

The VA Clothing Allowance: A Separate Benefit

Separate from the therapeutic footwear program, the VA also offers an annual clothing allowance — and these two benefits are frequently confused with each other.

The VA offers an annual clothing allowance, authorized under 38 CFR 3.810, for veterans whose service-connected prosthetic or orthotic device causes unusual wear or tear on their clothing. This is a cash payment, not a shoe voucher.

Eligibility for the Clothing Allowance

Under 38 USC 1162 and 38 CFR 3.810, an annual clothing allowance is paid to a veteran whose service-connected disability uses or has used a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance — such as an artificial limb, brace, or wheelchair — that “tends to wear or tear the clothing,” or whose service-connected skin condition requires a topical medication that “causes irreparable damage to outer garments.”

How Much Is the Clothing Allowance?

The 2026 clothing allowance amount is $1,053.19 per approved allowance — a 2.8% cost-of-living increase over the 2025 rate of $1,024.50.

The figure rises each year with the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) used for disability compensation, and payments are typically issued between September 1 and October 31.

How to Apply for the Clothing Allowance

Veterans who believe they may qualify should check with their prosthetic representative for current deadlines and submission requirements, including VA Form 10-8678.

As of December 29, 2022, the law requires VA to make annual recurring payments without the need to submit an annual application for eligible veterans who do not have any changes to their prescribed devices and/or skin medications.

If you are applying for the benefit for the first time and/or adding additional devices or skin medications to your existing awards, an application is needed.

You can submit VA Form 10-8678 online through My HealtheVet via secure messaging to your Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS), or in person at your local PSAS. Visit the VA’s official Clothing Allowance page for current details and deadlines.

The Free Athletic Shoe Scam Targeting Veterans

One reason misinformation about the VA footwear benefit spreads so easily is that bad actors deliberately exploit it.

The VA is aware of a fraudulent message circulating that falsely claims veterans can receive free athletic shoes from VA. This message is not from the VA.  Scammers are using this tactic in an attempt to collect personal information and potentially steal identities.

The scam is convincingly designed.

The scam has appeared in the form of a convincing flyer that uses VA imagery, recognizable footwear brands, and directions telling veterans how to request shoes. Some versions also include legitimate VA contact information, which can make the promotion appear credible.

It tells veterans they may be eligible for free athletic shoes “at no cost to you,” shows popular shoe brands, steps to “redeem” shoes, and a process that appears to involve a VA provider.

The free athletic shoe promotion did not come from any official VA program, including Veterans Prosthetic Representatives (VPRs), Central Office, or Whole Health.

The phishing scheme could steal login credentials, Social Security numbers, and health information.

This scam exists within a broader pattern of fraud targeting veterans.  Investigators at the Department of Health and Human Services found in 2024 that Medicare lost roughly $1.2 billion to telemarketers who pushed orthotic braces to beneficiaries, often without any meaningful clinical assessment.

One New Jersey jury convicted a marketing company owner in February 2025 for his role in a $100 million scheme along those lines — a case worked on in part by the VA’s own inspector general. Such schemes “compromise the integrity of VA’s programs and services,” according to the VA Office of Inspector General.

How to Protect Yourself from VA-Related Scams

Veterans are frequently targeted because they receive government benefits, interact with federal agencies, and often manage multiple healthcare or disability-related services.  Knowing the warning signs can make all the difference.

If you receive an unsolicited message offering free VA shoes or any other VA benefit through a link, flyer, text message, or social media post, take these steps:

• Do not respond.
  Do not respond. Do not click any links. Do not provide any personal information.
• Do not share the flyer.
  Veterans who encounter the promotion should not reply, click links, scan QR codes, or complete registration forms. Sharing the flyer, even as a warning, could help it reach more potential victims.
• Save evidence.
  Anyone who received the shoe message should preserve screenshots or related communications without interacting with the sender.
• Report it.
  The VA encourages anyone who believes they received one of the messages to report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
  You can file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Get help if your information was compromised.
  IdentityTheft.gov provides recovery steps for people whose information has already been misused.
  You can also call the VA’s fraud assistance line at 1-833-38V-SAFE.

The bottom line: veterans interested in legitimate therapeutic footwear should speak with their VA health care team instead of responding to advertisements or third-party registration pages.

Knowing the difference between a real benefit and a fraudulent offer can help protect both your personal information and your peace of mind.

Military.net is an independent educational resource not affiliated with the Department of Defense, VA, or any government agency. For official benefit information, visit VA.gov.