Diabetic Foot Care: Daily Checks, Warning Signs & Prevention
Diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels in the feet, making blisters, cuts and pressure injuries easier to miss and harder to heal. Daily inspection, properly fitting footwear and regular professional foot exams can help catch problems before they become ulcers or infections.
Why does diabetes put feet at risk?
Two complications are especially important: peripheral neuropathy, which can reduce sensation, and peripheral artery disease, which can reduce blood flow. Together they can make it easier to develop a wound without noticing it and harder for that wound to heal.
NIDDK explains that a person who has lost feeling may not notice a pebble in a shoe, a blister or another injury. Small problems can then progress to sores or infection before they are discovered.
Pain is not a reliable safety signal when sensation is reduced.
A diabetic foot ulcer may hurt, but it may also be painless. Visual inspection matters precisely because neuropathy can remove the warning sensation that would normally make someone stop walking on an injured area.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy can cause tingling, burning, shooting pain, numbness or loss of sensation. It often begins in the toes and feet. Our separate guide to burning feet at night explains the sensory symptoms in more detail.
Reduced circulation
Diabetes is associated with peripheral artery disease. Reduced blood flow can slow healing and increase the consequences of a wound or infection. Warning signs can include changes in skin color or temperature, slow-healing wounds and other circulation-related symptoms.
How to check diabetic feet every day
CDC and NIDDK both recommend daily foot inspection for people with diabetes. Pick a consistent time—such as before bed—so it becomes automatic.
Your 60-second daily foot check
- Look at the tops and sides of both feet. Check for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling and color change.
- Look between every toe. Check for moisture, peeling, cracking, fungal skin changes or sores.
- Inspect the soles and heels. Use a mirror or ask someone for help if you cannot see them clearly.
- Check nails and pressure areas. Look for an ingrown nail, thick nail, corn, callus or spot where the shoe has rubbed.
- Compare the two feet. A new difference in color, temperature or swelling can be meaningful.
Do not rely on feeling alone. A person with neuropathy may have a blister or ulcer and feel little or no pain.
Washing, drying and moisturizing
Use warm—not hot—water
Wash the feet daily in warm water and dry them thoroughly. If sensation is reduced, test water temperature with a hand or thermometer rather than trusting the feet to detect excessive heat.
Dry carefully between the toes
Moisture between the toes can encourage fungal skin problems. Pat rather than aggressively rubbing fragile skin.
Moisturize dry skin—but not between the toes
Dry, cracked skin can create an opening for infection. NIDDK recommends using lotion or petroleum jelly on the tops and bottoms of the feet while avoiding the spaces between the toes.
Toenails, corns and calluses
Toenails
If you can see, reach and safely trim your toenails, cut them straight across and smooth sharp edges with a file. Do not cut deeply into the corners.
If the nails are very thick, deformed, painful, difficult to reach or you have significant neuropathy or circulation problems, professional nail care may be safer.
Corns and calluses
Do not cut corns or calluses yourself and do not use medicated corn-remover products without medical guidance. These products can injure surrounding skin, which is particularly risky when sensation or circulation is impaired.
A callus can also signal repeated pressure. Reducing the pressure source is more important than simply shaving away the hard skin.
Shoes and socks for diabetes
You do not automatically need a shoe labeled “diabetic.” The most important features are correct fit, adequate room, protection from friction and a shoe that suits the shape of your foot.
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Check inside shoes before putting them on | Walking barefoot, even indoors, if you have reduced sensation |
| Wear shoes that fit without rubbing or squeezing | Continuing to wear a shoe that creates redness or a blister |
| Use clean socks and change damp socks | Socks or seams that create tight pressure points |
| Break new shoes in gradually | Assuming a pressure point is safe just because it does not hurt |
| Ask about therapeutic footwear if you have deformity or previous ulceration | Buying expensive “diabetic” footwear without addressing fit and clinical need |
People with significant foot deformity, previous ulceration or other high-risk findings may benefit from specialized footwear or inserts prescribed as part of a prevention plan.
How often should diabetic feet be professionally examined?
The American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 recommend a comprehensive foot examination at least annually for all people with diabetes, with more frequent assessment for people at higher risk.
A comprehensive foot exam can include:
- Visual inspection of the skin and nails
- Assessment for deformity and pressure areas
- Checking pulses and circulation
- Testing protective sensation with a monofilament and/or other sensory methods
- Reviewing previous ulcers, amputations or other risk factors
If you already have neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, deformity, a history of ulceration or another high-risk finding, your clinician may want to examine your feet more often.
Diabetic foot ulcers and infection
A foot ulcer is an open sore or wound. Neuropathy can allow repetitive pressure to continue without pain, while reduced circulation can impair healing.
Ulcers require professional assessment because treatment may involve pressure off-loading, wound care, infection management, circulation assessment and other measures based on the specific wound.
Do not “wait and see” with a diabetic foot ulcer.
NIDDK notes that delayed recognition and delayed treatment of ulcers worsens prognosis. A new open sore, blister that is not healing, or draining wound deserves prompt medical evaluation.
Possible infection signs
- Increasing redness or warmth
- Swelling
- Drainage or pus
- Bad odor from a wound
- Increasing tissue discoloration
- Fever, chills or feeling generally unwell
What about athlete’s foot and toenail fungus?
Cracked skin from athlete’s foot and thick fungal nails can create additional foot-care problems. Treat skin infections early and avoid damaging the surrounding skin while trimming thick nails.
See our separate guides to athlete’s-foot treatments and toenail fungus treatment.
When should you contact a doctor or podiatrist?
Contact your regular clinician or foot specialist for a new or persistent:
- Blister, cut, sore or wound
- Ingrown toenail
- Redness, swelling or temperature change
- New burning, tingling, numbness or loss of sensation
- Thick callus over a pressure area
- Change in foot shape
- Fungal skin or nail infection that is not improving
Seek urgent medical care for rapidly spreading redness, severe swelling, black or blue tissue, pus/drainage with systemic symptoms, fever/chills, or a wound that appears significantly infected. A painless wound can still be serious.
Frequently asked questions
Should people with diabetes check their feet every day?
Yes. CDC and NIDDK recommend daily inspection because neuropathy can make cuts, blisters and other injuries difficult to feel.
How often should someone with diabetes have a foot exam?
ADA Standards of Care—2026 recommend a comprehensive foot examination at least annually, with more frequent assessment for higher-risk individuals.
Can I walk barefoot if I have diabetes?
If sensation is reduced, barefoot walking increases the chance of an unnoticed cut, puncture or burn. NIDDK and CDC foot-care guidance recommends wearing footwear to protect the feet.
Can I soak my feet if I have diabetes?
Long soaks are generally discouraged, particularly when sensation is impaired. Warm—not hot—washing followed by careful drying is safer than prolonged soaking.
Should I cut my own calluses?
No. Cutting calluses or using chemical corn removers can damage the skin. A clinician or podiatrist can treat them more safely and help identify the pressure causing them.
Does a diabetic foot ulcer always hurt?
No. Neuropathy can reduce sensation enough that an ulcer causes little or no pain. This is why visual inspection and prompt treatment are so important.
Medical sources
Related FeetHealth guides
Medical disclaimer: FeetHealth.org provides general educational information and does not diagnose or treat medical conditions. Diabetes-related foot problems can become serious quickly. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for wounds, ulcers, infection signs, new loss of sensation or treatment decisions.