When you live with diabetes, taking care of your feet isn’t something you should only think about when they hurt.
In fact, one of the most important parts of diabetic foot care is preventing problems before you feel them.
Diabetes can affect the nerves and circulation in your feet, which may make it harder to notice an injury or for an injury to heal normally. Something as small as a blister, cracked skin, or an irritated toenail deserves more attention when you have diabetes.
The good news? Protecting your feet doesn’t have to be complicated.
A few simple habits, practiced consistently, can help you spot changes early and protect your foot health for the long term.
At Pure Podiatry of WNY, we encourage our patients with diabetes to make foot care part of their everyday health routine.
Here are seven important diabetic foot care habits to help you protect every step.
1. Check Your Feet Every Day
One of the most important diabetic foot care habits is also one of the simplest: look at your feet every day.
Why?
The NIDDK recommends checking your feet every day to look for problems such as cuts, sores, blisters, redness, swelling, ingrown toenails, and other changes.
Diabetic neuropathy can reduce sensation in the feet. If that happens, you might develop a blister, cut, sore, or irritated area without immediately feeling it.
A daily visual inspection gives you another way to catch a problem.
Look at:
- The tops and bottoms of your feet
- Your heels
- The sides of your feet
- Between your toes
- Around your toenails
Watch for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, cracks, sores, drainage, calluses, discoloration, or other changes. Pay particular attention to changes around the nails, including ingrown toenails, redness, swelling, or irritation.
Can’t easily see the bottom of your feet? A mirror can help, or you can ask a family member or caregiver to check areas that are difficult for you to see.
What you’re looking for is change.
The more familiar you are with what your feet normally look like, the easier it may be to recognize when something is different.
2. Wash and Dry Your Feet Carefully
Good hygiene is another important part of a diabetic foot care routine.
Wash your feet regularly with comfortably warm water and mild soap. Avoid very hot water, particularly if you have reduced sensation.
Why does temperature matter?
If neuropathy has affected your ability to sense heat, water may be hotter than you realize. Always check the temperature carefully before putting your feet in the water.
After washing, gently dry your feet, paying special attention to the areas between your toes.
Moisture trapped between the toes can contribute to skin problems.
Keeping your feet clean and dry gives you an opportunity to care for your skin while also checking for changes.
3. Keep Dry Skin Moisturized
Dry, cracked skin isn’t just uncomfortable. Cracks in the skin can create an opening where irritation and infection may develop.
If the skin on your feet is dry, your podiatrist may recommend an appropriate moisturizer.
Generally, moisturizer is applied to dry areas such as the tops, bottoms, and heels of the feet rather than between the toes, where excess moisture may create other problems.
If your skin is extremely dry, cracked, peeling, or changing in appearance, mention it during your next podiatry appointment.
And if a crack becomes deep, painful, red, swollen, or begins draining, don’t simply cover it up and forget about it.
If you have persistent or unusual changes to the skin of your feet, foot dermatology care may help identify the cause.
Have it evaluated.
4. Wear Shoes That Fit Properly
Your shoes do more than complete an outfit. They protect your feet from pressure, friction, temperature, and injury.
For someone with diabetes, properly fitting footwear is an important part of preventive foot care.
Shoes that are too tight can create pressure points and rubbing. Shoes that are too loose may allow your foot to slide around, which can also contribute to irritation and blisters.
Before putting on your shoes, quickly check inside them.
A small pebble, folded sock, rough seam, or other object may not seem significant. But if you have decreased sensation, you might not feel it pressing against your foot.
Choose shoes that provide enough room for your toes and feel comfortable without rubbing or squeezing.
If you’re unsure whether your shoes fit properly, bring them with you to your next podiatry appointment.
5. Don’t Walk Barefoot
Walking barefoot around the house may seem harmless.
But it only takes one sharp object, hot surface, rough edge, or accidental bump to injure your foot.
For someone with normal sensation, stepping on something usually causes an immediate reaction: Ouch!
You stop, look at your foot, and take care of the problem.
If diabetes has reduced sensation in your feet, you may not get the same warning.
Wearing appropriate footwear can help protect your feet both inside and outside your home.
This becomes especially important as the seasons change.
In Western New York, colder weather means heavier shoes, boots, dry indoor air, and changing walking conditions. Pay attention to how seasonal footwear fits, particularly if you haven’t worn those shoes or boots since last winter.
6. Be Careful With Toenails, Calluses, and Corns
Routine nail and skin care may require a little more caution when you have diabetes.
Avoid cutting corns or calluses yourself or using over-the-counter medicated corn removers without first discussing them with your healthcare provider.
Trying to remove thick skin on your own can accidentally damage healthy skin underneath.
Toenails also require careful attention.
Improper trimming may contribute to cuts or ingrown toenails. If you have difficulty reaching your feet, poor vision, thickened nails, decreased sensation, circulation problems, or a history of diabetic foot problems, talk with your podiatrist about the safest approach to nail care.
Sometimes the best diabetic foot care decision is knowing when not to DIY.
7. Don’t Wait to Call About a Foot Problem
This may be the most important tip on the list.
Don’t wait for a small foot problem to become a big one.
People often hope a blister, cut, or sore will simply disappear on its own. When you have diabetes, it is especially important to pay attention to wounds and other changes in your feet. If a wound is not healing normally, professional wound care may be necessary.
Contact your healthcare provider or podiatrist if you notice:
- A new cut or wound
- A blister
- Redness
- Swelling
- Drainage
- Increasing warmth
- Unusual discoloration
- A sore that isn’t healing normally
- New numbness, tingling, or burning
- An ingrown toenail
- A change in the shape of your foot
- A new area of significant pressure or callus
Some changes may require prompt or urgent medical attention. Your healthcare provider can help determine the appropriate next step.
New or persistent chronic foot pain should also be evaluated rather than ignored.
When it comes to diabetic foot health, early attention matters.
Why Does Diabetes Cause Foot Problems?
Diabetes can contribute to foot problems in several ways, but two of the most important are nerve damage and circulation problems.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage that can affect the feet and legs.
Symptoms may include:
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Burning
- Pain
- Changes in temperature sensation
- Reduced ability to feel pressure or injury
Some people don’t realize their sensation has changed until it is identified during an examination.
Learn more about why diabetic foot exams matter even when your feet feel fine.
That means you could have a foot problem without experiencing the level of pain you would normally expect.
Circulation Changes
Diabetes is also associated with an increased risk of blood vessel problems that can affect circulation.
Adequate blood flow plays an important role in healing. If circulation to the feet is reduced, injuries may require closer monitoring and medical care.
This combination of reduced sensation and circulation problems is one reason preventive diabetic foot care is so important.
What Should a Daily Diabetic Foot Care Routine Include?
A simple daily diabetic foot care routine can include:
- Look at the tops and bottoms of both feet.
- Check between your toes.
- Look for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or skin changes.
- Wash and thoroughly dry your feet.
- Moisturize dry skin as directed, but avoid excess moisture between the toes.
- Put on clean socks and properly fitting shoes.
- Check inside your shoes before wearing them.
- Contact your podiatrist if you notice something concerning.
It doesn’t have to take long.
Making these steps part of your morning or evening routine can help you stay familiar with your feet and recognize changes sooner.
Should People With Diabetes See a Podiatrist Regularly?
Regular podiatric care can be an important part of managing foot health for people with diabetes.
A podiatrist can evaluate sensation, circulation, skin and nail health, foot structure, pressure areas, footwear, and other factors that may affect your risk for diabetic foot complications.
How frequently you should be examined depends on your individual health and risk factors.
Someone with a history of neuropathy, circulation problems, wounds, or other foot complications may require closer monitoring than someone without those risk factors.
Your podiatrist can recommend an appropriate schedule based on your feet and medical history.
Can You Have Diabetic Foot Problems Without Knowing It?
Yes. Diabetes-related nerve damage can reduce sensation, meaning a person may not immediately feel a blister, cut, pressure point, or other injury.
That’s why visual foot checks and preventive examinations are so valuable.
Don’t use pain as your only measure of whether your feet are healthy.
Look at them. Know them. Protect them.
Diabetic Foot Care During Fall and Winter
Fall is a great time to take another look at your foot-care routine, especially here in Western New York.
As temperatures fall, sandals and lightweight shoes are replaced by socks, closed-toe shoes, and eventually winter boots.
Before wearing last year’s boots all day, make sure they still fit properly. Check for worn areas, rough seams, or anything inside the shoe that could create friction or pressure.
Proper footwear is also important when you’re staying active during the colder months and trying to avoid foot and ankle injuries.
Cold weather and indoor heating can also contribute to dry skin.
Continue checking your feet regularly throughout the winter, even though they’re hidden inside socks and shoes more often.
Out of sight shouldn’t mean out of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diabetic Foot Care
What is the most important rule for diabetic foot care?
Daily foot inspection is one of the most important habits. Look for wounds, blisters, redness, swelling, discoloration, or other changes and contact your healthcare provider if something concerns you.
Why shouldn’t people with diabetes walk barefoot?
Walking barefoot increases the chance of cuts, punctures, burns, and other injuries. If neuropathy has reduced sensation, an injury may not be noticed immediately.
Should diabetics put lotion on their feet?
Moisturizing dry skin may help prevent cracking, but excess moisture between the toes can cause problems. Ask your podiatrist about the right skin-care routine for your feet.
Why are shoes important for people with diabetes?
Properly fitting shoes help protect the feet from injury, pressure, and friction. Poorly fitting shoes may contribute to blisters, sores, calluses, and pressure points.
What does diabetic neuropathy feel like in the feet?
Diabetic neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling, burning, pain, unusual sensations, or reduced ability to feel touch and temperature. Symptoms vary, and some people may not immediately realize their sensation has changed.
When should someone with diabetes see a podiatrist?
People with diabetes can benefit from preventive foot evaluations even when they don’t have pain. New wounds, redness, swelling, drainage, discoloration, or other concerning changes should also be evaluated promptly.
Protect Every Step With Pure Podiatry of WNY
Your feet carry you through thousands of steps every day.
If you have diabetes, protecting those steps starts with small, consistent habits: checking your feet, wearing appropriate shoes, caring for your skin, and paying attention when something changes.
You don’t have to wait until your feet hurt to make them a priority.
At Pure Podiatry of WNY, we help patients throughout Western New York understand their foot health, identify potential risks, and take a proactive approach to diabetic foot care.
Protect every step.
If you have diabetes and it’s been a while since your last foot evaluation, schedule an appointment with Pure Podiatry of WNY today.
