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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe most effective daily habit for preventing a diabetic foot ulcer is to inspect both feet, including the soles and between the toes, every day—even when they feel normal. Nerve damage can hide a cut or blister, while reduced blood flow can slow healing. Wear socks and comfortable, protective shoes rather than walking barefoot, and have your feet examined regularly by a health professional.
Daily checks do not replace medical care. A suspected ulcer needs prompt assessment, and people with loss of feeling, a changed foot shape, poor circulation, or a previous ulcer or amputation may need a footwear plan and examinations tailored to their risk.
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Why a painless spot can become a serious wound
Diabetes can damage nerves in the feet, reducing the ability to feel heat, pressure, friction, or an injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about half of all people with diabetes have some kind of nerve damage. That figure describes nerve damage, not the rate of ulcers or the effectiveness of a particular shoe.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchCirculation can also be impaired. When blood flow is reduced, a wound may receive less oxygen and nutrients and can be harder to heal. Pressure from a seam, a pebble in a shoe, or a small blister may continue for hours because there is no pain to make you stop.
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The CDC’s practical instruction, on its page reviewed May 14, 2024, is direct: “Check your feet every day, even if they feel fine.” A daily inspection is an early-warning system, not a guarantee that an ulcer cannot occur.
Risk is not identical for every person with diabetes. Loss of protective sensation, peripheral artery disease, an altered foot shape, a pressure-related skin change, or a previous ulcer or amputation can make a seemingly minor rubbing injury more dangerous. These findings affect how often your feet should be examined and whether ordinary shoes are adequate. Tell your clinician about any of these issues so prevention is based on your actual feet rather than a generic product label.
How do I check my feet every day?
Choose a time you can repeat consistently, such as when you remove your shoes in the evening. Use bright light and allow enough time to examine both feet rather than glancing at only the tops. Removing shoes at the same place each day can make the inspection automatic.
- Look at the tops and sides. Check the skin, the edges of the feet, heels, ankles, and toenails.
- Inspect the soles. Raise one foot over a mirror, or place a mirror on the floor. If you cannot see the soles safely, ask a family member, caregiver, or another trusted person to help.
- Check between every toe. Separate the toes gently and look for cracks, moisture, discoloration, or broken skin.
- Compare both feet. A new area of redness, swelling, warmth, or a change in shape is easier to notice when you compare one side with the other.
- Note changes. Write down the location and date of anything new, or take a photo for comparison if your care team finds that useful. Do not use a photo or diary as a substitute for contacting a clinician about a concerning change.
Look at the heels and the outer edges as carefully as the ball of the foot. Pressure points may occur where the foot contacts the ground or where a shoe’s upper, tongue, seam, or stiff edge touches. A mark that seems small can identify a fit problem before the skin opens.
People with poor eyesight, limited flexibility, tremor, or difficulty reaching their feet should arrange a reliable inspection method rather than skipping the check. A mirror is a simple aid; help from another person may be safer when bending or balancing is difficult. If another person checks, ask them to use good lighting and inspect the entire foot, not only areas that are easy to see.
What should I look for on my feet?
Check for any break in the skin and for signs that pressure or inflammation has started. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and CDC advise looking for:
- cuts, cracks, sores, or areas that are not intact;
- blisters, corns, or calluses;
- redness, swelling, or a spot that feels warmer than the surrounding skin;
- bruising or dried blood, including blood trapped inside a callus;
- skin that has become unusually dry, split, or discolored;
- changes in the toenails, such as thickening, an edge growing into skin, or other new damage; and
- a change in foot shape or a pressure point where footwear touches.
Compare a questionable area with the same location on the other foot. A change in warmth, color, swelling, or contour is important even if the area is not painful. Do not wait for pain before acting. Reduced sensation can make a significant injury feel like nothing, and a painless wound is still a wound.
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Look for evidence of repeated friction, such as a persistent red mark, a thickened callus, or a blister appearing after a new pair of shoes. These findings are reasons to stop using the offending footwear and ask your health care team for advice, because continued pressure can turn a pre-ulcerative lesion into an open wound.
How should I wash and care for diabetic feet?
Gentle daily care protects the skin barrier without creating new injuries.
- Wash with warm, not hot, water. Do not soak the feet. Prolonged soaking can leave skin waterlogged and more vulnerable to damage.
- Dry carefully. Pat the entire foot dry, especially the spaces between the toes.
- Moisturize dry skin. Apply lotion to the tops and bottoms of the feet, but keep it out of the spaces between the toes, where excess moisture can contribute to skin problems.
- Do not cut corns or calluses yourself. Avoid medicated or chemical over-the-counter corn and callus removers; they can burn or break the skin.
- Trim nails only when it is safe. If you can see, feel, and reach your feet reliably, trim toenails straight across. Ask a foot-care professional for help if nails are thick, grow into the skin, or if vision, sensation, or flexibility makes self-care unsafe.
Test bath water with a hand or another reliable method rather than a numb foot. Avoid heating pads, hot water bottles, and other direct heat sources if you cannot reliably feel temperature. These precautions follow the same principle as daily inspection: lack of sensation is not proof that skin is safe.
These steps are preventive care, not treatment for an open sore or infection. A clinician should assess a wound rather than having you try to remove surrounding tissue or apply a chemical product at home.
What shoes should I wear if I have diabetes?
For routine daily wear, NIDDK identifies well-fitting walking shoes and athletic shoes as suitable choices. The key is the fit and the protection they provide, not a marketing label. Shoes should accommodate the shape of your feet, leave room for the toes, and avoid rubbing or concentrated pressure.
Wear socks and protective indoor footwear
Wear socks with shoes and use protective footwear indoors instead of going barefoot or walking in socks alone. Socks create a layer between skin and the shoe, but they do not protect against sharp objects or pressure by themselves. Indoor floors can contain objects you do not notice, and a sock-only step offers little protection from them.
Check the shoe before every use
Run your hand through the inside of each shoe before putting it on. Remove pebbles, foreign objects, and anything rough or torn that could press against the foot. Check under the insole if it is removable and feel for a folded lining or damaged seam. A small object can cause damage that you may not feel.
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Introduce new shoes gradually
Wear a new pair for short periods at first and inspect your feet afterward for a sore area or other skin change. Increase use only when your skin remains clear. Stop using footwear that rubs, leaves a persistent red mark, or causes a blister, and ask your health care team what change is appropriate. Do not try to “break in” a painful shoe by wearing it for longer periods.
Think about use in every setting
Footwear that is protective outside but removed inside does not protect you during indoor walking. Keep a suitable pair where you normally walk and use it consistently. For people with a healed plantar ulcer, the 2023 International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) guideline encourages therapeutic footwear during both indoor and outdoor walking when prescribed for pressure relief.
Do I need “diabetic shoes”?
Not everyone with diabetes needs prescription or custom footwear. The appropriate choice depends on sensation, circulation, foot shape, pressure points, and ulcer history. The 2023 prevention guideline from the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) uses risk-specific recommendations.
| Foot situation | Footwear approach | What the recommendation is addressing |
|---|---|---|
| No significant deformity, no pre-ulcerative lesion, and no history of a plantar ulcer | Footwear that accommodates the foot shape and fits properly; well-fitting walking or athletic shoes may be appropriate for ordinary daily wear. | Preventing avoidable rubbing and pressure while allowing consistent use. |
| Significant deformity or a pre-ulcerative lesion | Extra-depth shoes, custom footwear, custom insoles, and/or toe orthoses may be considered with clinical advice. | Creating space and redistributing pressure around a vulnerable area. |
| Healed plantar ulcer | Therapeutic footwear with a demonstrated plantar-pressure-relieving effect during walking; consistent indoor and outdoor use is encouraged. | Reducing the chance that high pressure at the previous ulcer site causes another wound. |
The table does not replace an examination. A clinician needs to identify deformity, loss of protective sensation, circulation problems, and pressure-related lesions before recommending a custom or therapeutic solution. Conversely, buying specialized shoes without checking whether they fit your actual risk does not ensure protection.
Ask what problem a proposed shoe or insole is intended to solve. Extra depth may create room over a deformity; a custom insole may redistribute pressure; therapeutic footwear after a healed plantar ulcer should have a demonstrated pressure-relieving effect during walking. These are different goals, so a product designed for one situation may not address another.
How do I judge whether a shoe fits safely?
- Allow toe room. Your toes should not be compressed against one another or the front of the shoe. Bunions or hammertoes may require extra-wide or deeper shoes.
- Match the shoe to the foot’s shape. The upper should not press over a bump, bend a toe, or create a seam directly on a sensitive area.
- Look for comfortable pressure distribution. A shoe that feels tight, pinches, slips, or rubs is not made safe by wearing it longer.
- Consider your highest-risk area. A person with a previous plantar ulcer needs a different pressure-relief discussion from someone with no deformity or prior ulcer.
- Check both feet after wearing. Feet can differ in size or shape, and a shoe that seems comfortable at first can still leave a pressure mark after walking.
Try shoes with the socks you normally wear and assess both feet, because one foot may be wider or more deformed than the other. Look inside the shoe for rough stitching, a folded lining, or an object before each use. Recheck the skin after walking, especially during the first days with a new pair or after a change in insoles.
Because reduced sensation can hide injury, do not rely only on how a shoe feels. Combine a comfortable fit with visual checks before and after use and professional assessment when risk is high. A comfortable marketing claim, a “diabetic” label, or a high price is not evidence that a shoe relieves pressure at your vulnerable location.
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Common prevention mistakes to avoid
- Checking only when there is pain. Neuropathy may remove the warning signal, so a painless blister or cut still needs attention.
- Inspecting only the tops. Ulcers can begin on soles, heels, edges, and between toes; use a mirror or helper.
- Going barefoot indoors. Floors do not eliminate the risk of sharp objects, heat, or pressure.
- Using socks as the only protection. Socks do not replace shoes or protective indoor footwear.
- Ignoring a persistent red mark. It may indicate rubbing or excessive pressure before skin breaks.
- Removing a callus with a blade or chemical. Self-treatment can create an opening that is harder to heal.
- Assuming specialized shoes are automatically safe. They still need to fit and match your foot shape and risk.
- Skipping examinations because daily checks look normal. Sensation and circulation problems may require testing that self-inspection cannot provide.
When should I call a doctor about a foot sore?
The American Diabetes Association states that every ulcer should be seen by a doctor right away, even when it does not hurt. Contact a health care professional promptly for any open ulcer or suspected ulcer rather than trying to monitor it at home.
NIDDK also advises calling right away when:
- a cut, blister, or bruise has not started to heal after a few days;
- skin becomes red, warm, or painful;
- you find dried blood inside a callus; or
- an infection becomes black or foul-smelling.
These signs can require assessment of the wound, blood flow, infection, pressure, and sensation. Do not continue wearing footwear that caused a lesion while waiting for advice. Do not put a chemical remover on it, cut the surrounding callus, or assume that absence of pain makes it safe to wait.
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How often should a professional examine diabetic feet?
Daily self-checks are one layer of prevention. Ask your health care team to look at your feet during visits and arrange a comprehensive foot examination at least once a year. The CDC describes a complete examination as including checks of sensation and blood flow.
NIDDK advises thorough checks at every visit for people with an altered foot shape, loss of feeling, peripheral artery disease, or a past ulcer or amputation. Those findings can change how often you need review and whether you need a podiatry referral, pressure assessment, or therapeutic footwear. Tell the clinician about any new shoe-related mark, even if it has not yet broken the skin.
At an appointment, mention changes you recorded, shoes that caused marks, difficulty seeing the soles, and whether you can safely trim your nails. Bring the shoes or insoles that seem to cause pressure if the clinician asks to examine them. A professional can decide whether routine footwear remains suitable or whether extra-depth, custom, or pressure-relieving options are warranted.
A routine that is easy to sustain
Link the inspection to removing your shoes each evening, keep a mirror where you normally sit, and store protective footwear where you will use it. Before each pair goes on, inspect its interior; after new or changed footwear, inspect your skin again. Keep appointments even when your feet look normal, because nerve and circulation problems can be present before an ulcer is visible.
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The goal is early detection and reduced pressure: see every part of each foot, protect it from barefoot injury, use footwear that fits the foot you have, and involve a clinician as soon as a wound or unexplained change appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my feet every day if I cannot see the soles?
Use a hand mirror or a mirror placed on the floor, with good lighting, or ask a family member, caregiver, or another trusted person to inspect the soles and spaces between the toes. Do not skip the check because bending or vision is difficult.
What shoes should I wear if I have diabetes?
Well-fitting walking or athletic shoes may suit routine daily wear when they accommodate your foot shape, leave toe room, and do not rub. Wear socks and protective footwear indoors rather than going barefoot or walking in socks alone. Foot deformity, a pre-ulcerative lesion, or a healed plantar ulcer may require extra-depth, custom, or therapeutic footwear chosen with clinical guidance.
Do I need prescription diabetic shoes?
No. Not everyone with diabetes needs prescription footwear. The decision depends on sensation, circulation, foot shape, pressure points, and ulcer history. A clinician should assess your risk before recommending custom or pressure-relieving footwear.
Can I use corn or callus remover on diabetic feet?
Do not cut corns or calluses yourself or use medicated or chemical over-the-counter removers. They can injure or burn the skin. Ask a foot-care professional for safer management, especially if sensation, vision, or flexibility is limited.
When should I call a doctor about a foot sore?
The American Diabetes Association says every ulcer should be assessed by a doctor right away, even if it is painless. Contact a health professional promptly for a suspected ulcer, a cut, blister, or bruise that has not begun healing after a few days, redness, warmth, pain, dried blood in a callus, or an infection that becomes black or foul-smelling.
How often should my feet be examined by a professional?
Arrange a comprehensive foot examination at least once a year and ask for foot checks during health visits. NIDDK advises thorough checks at every visit if you have an altered foot shape, loss of feeling, peripheral artery disease, or a past ulcer or amputation; your clinician may recommend more frequent review.
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No. Reduced sensation can hide significant injury. Inspect it, stop the footwear that caused rubbing, and contact your health care team for advice rather than waiting for pain or trying to treat it with chemicals.
Can buying special shoes guarantee that I will not get an ulcer?
No. No shoe, mirror, or self-check routine guarantees prevention. Shoes must fit your foot and, when risk is high, provide the pressure relief recommended by a clinician. Daily inspection and regular examinations remain necessary.
The Bottom Line
Inspect every part of both feet daily, protect them with socks and footwear that fits, check shoes before every use, and never wait for pain before responding to a change. A suspected ulcer or nonhealing wound needs prompt medical assessment, while people with nerve, circulation, deformity, or ulcer-history risks may need individualized therapeutic footwear and more frequent professional exams.
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