If you have diabetes, check your feet every day, even when they feel normal. Look at the tops, soles, heels, sides and between the toes for a cut, blister, redness, swelling, cracked skin, drainage or a change in temperature or colour. Wash with warm, not hot, water, dry carefully and wear protective footwear. Contact your healthcare team promptly when you find a new wound or change rather than waiting for pain, because reduced sensation can hide a developing problem.
This routine supports, but does not replace, individual diabetes care. Nerve damage and reduced blood flow can make injuries harder to notice or heal. The CDC’s diabetes foot-care guidance recommends daily inspection and regular professional checks. People with a previous ulcer, poor circulation, loss of sensation or a foot-shape change may need a more specific plan from a clinician or podiatrist.
A simple daily foot-care routine
- Inspect both feet. Use good light and a mirror for the soles. If seeing or reaching your feet is difficult, ask someone you trust to help.
- Wash gently. Use warm water and a mild cleanser. Test the water safely because reduced sensation can make heat difficult to judge. Do not soak your feet.
- Dry completely. Pat rather than rub, and dry between the toes where trapped moisture can cause skin problems.
- Moisturize dry skin. Apply a small amount to the tops and bottoms, but not between the toes unless your clinician has advised otherwise.
- Put on clean socks and shoes. Check inside each shoe for grit, a rough seam, folded lining or another object before wearing it.
- Record a change. A dated photo can help you describe a problem to your care team, but it should not delay contacting them.
Know which changes should not wait
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| A new blister, cut, sore, ulcer, ingrown nail or infected corn | Contact your regular clinician or foot specialist promptly, even if it is not painful |
| Redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, bad smell or skin that is becoming darker | Seek urgent medical advice because these can signal infection or tissue damage |
| New numbness, tingling, burning, pain or difficulty sensing hot and cold | Arrange a medical assessment rather than adjusting footwear alone |
| A change in foot shape, a hot swollen foot or difficulty walking | Keep weight off the affected foot where practical and contact a clinician urgently |
| A wound that is not beginning to improve | Ask your care team to assess it; do not keep experimenting with home treatments |
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains that loss of sensation, poor circulation and infection can combine. That is why “wait until it hurts” is a poor rule for diabetes foot care. If you have fever, feel unwell or see rapidly worsening redness, swelling or dark tissue, seek urgent medical care.
Choose footwear by fit, not by the label
A shoe marketed for diabetes is not automatically right for your foot. The useful test is whether it fits without rubbing, pinching or allowing the heel to slide. Check the toe area, seams, lining and fastening. Try shoes when your feet are at their usual size, wear the socks you expect to use and break in new footwear gradually while checking your skin afterward. Never go barefoot, including indoors, if your care team has advised protective footwear.
People with altered foot shape, a previous ulcer or pressure points may need professionally fitted shoes, insoles or orthotics. Those products should be selected with a clinician or podiatrist. Adding an over-the-counter insert to a tight shoe can reduce space and create a new pressure point, which is the opposite of the intended result.
Toenails, corns and calluses need care
If you can see, reach and safely trim your nails, cut them straight across and smooth sharp edges with a file. Do not cut deeply into the corners. Ask a clinician or podiatrist for help if your vision or reach is limited, your nails are thick, you use blood-thinning medicine, or you have reduced feeling or circulation.
Do not cut corns or calluses yourself and do not use medicated corn-removal pads or liquids unless your healthcare professional specifically approves them. These products can injure surrounding skin. A callus can also hide pressure or bleeding underneath, so it deserves assessment rather than an enthusiastic session with bathroom tools.
Make foot checks part of diabetes care
Ask for a foot check during regular diabetes visits and a complete foot examination at least yearly, or more often when your risk is higher. A proper review can include skin condition, pulses, sensation, footwear and previous wounds. Bring the shoes you wear most often if fit or pressure is a concern.
The best routine is short enough to repeat: look, wash, dry, moisturize appropriately, protect and act on changes. It takes less effort than managing a wound that was easy to miss, and it gives your healthcare team useful information while a problem is still small. For another repeatable part of daily care, use this diabetes meal-planning guide to build balanced meals and track carbohydrates.
