Take Care of

Your Feet for a

A Guide for People With Diabetes
You can take 

care of your feet!

Do you want to avoid serious foot problems that

can lead to a toe, foot, or leg amputation? 

Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime tells you how. It’s all

about taking good care of your feet.

Foot care is very important for every person with 

diabetes, but especially if you have:

● Loss of feeling in your feet

● Changes in the shape of your feet

● Foot ulcers or sores that do not heal

Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in your

feet. You may not feel a pebble inside your sock that is

causing a sore. You may not feel a blister caused by

poorly fitting shoes. Foot injuries such as these can

cause ulcers, which may lead to amputation.

Keeping your blood glucose (sugar) in good control

and taking care of your feet every day can help you

avoid serious foot problems.

Use this guide to make your own plan for taking care

of your feet. Helpful tips make it easy! Share your

plan with your doctor and health care team and get

their help when you need it.

There is a lot you can do to prevent serious problems

with your feet. Here’s how.
1

Take care of your diabetes.

● Make healthy lifestyle choices to help keep your

blood glucose (sugar), blood pressure, and 

cholesterol levels close to normal. Doing so 

may help prevent or delay diabetes-related foot 

problems as well as heart, eye, and kidney disease.

● Work with your health care team to make a 

diabetes plan that fits your lifestyle. The team may

include your doctor, a diabetes educator, a nurse, a

dietitian, a foot care doctor called a podiatrist 

(pah-DI-ah-trist), and other specialists. This team

will help you to:

❍ Know when to get your diabetes ABCs 

checked: A1C* (blood glucose),Blood 

pressure, and Cholesterol.

❍ Know how and when to test your blood 

glucose.

❍ Take your medicines as prescribed.

❍ Eat regular meals that contain a variety of 

healthy, low-fat, high-fiber foods including fruits 

and vegetables each day.

❍ Get physical activity each day.

❍ Stop smoking.

❍ Follow your foot care plan.

❍ Keep all your appointments and have your feet,

eyes, and kidneys checked at least once a year.

❍ Visit your dentist twice a year.

*A1C is an average measure of your blood glucose over a 

3-month period.

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2

Make sure to call your health care team right

away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your

foot does not begin to heal after one day.

Check your feet

every day.

● You may have serious foot problems, but feel no

pain. Check your feet for cuts, sores, red spots,

swelling, and infected toenails. Find a time (evening

is best) to check your feet each day. Make checking

your feet part of your every day routine.

● If you have trouble bending over to see your feet,

use a plastic mirror to help. You also can ask a 

family member or caregiver to help you.

Check your feet

every day.

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33

Wash your feet

every day.

● Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water. Do not

soak your feet because your skin will get dry 

afterwards.

● Before bathing or showering, test the water to

make sure it is not too hot. You can use a 

thermometer (90° to 95° F is safe) or your elbow.

● Dry your feet well. Be sure to dry between your

toes. Use talcum powder or cornstarch to keep

the skin between your toes dry.

Keep the skin soft

and smooth.

● Rub a thin coat of skin lotion, cream, or petroleum

jelly on the tops and bottoms of your feet.

● Do not put lotion or cream between your toes

because this might cause an infection.

Put lotion on the

tops and bottoms

of your feet.

4

3
4

Gently rub 

calluses with a

pumice stone.

Smooth corns and

calluses gently.

● If you have corns and calluses, check with your

doctor or podiatrist about the best way to care

for them.

● If your doctor tells you to, use a pumice stone to

smooth corns and calluses after bathing or 

showering. A pumice stone is a type of rock 

used to smooth the skin. Rub gently, only in one

direction, to avoid tearing the skin.

● Do not cut corns and calluses. Don’t use razor

blades, corn plasters, or liquid corn and callus

removers — they can damage your skin.

5
555

Trim your toenails

each week or when

needed.

● Have a foot care doctor trim your toenails if you

can’t see well, if you cannot reach your feet, if your

toenails are thick or yellowed, or if your nails

curve and grow into the skin.

● If you can see and reach your toenails, trim them

with clippers after you wash and dry your feet.

● Trim toenails straight across and smooth them

with an emery board or nail file.

● Do not cut into the corners of the toenail.

Trim your toenails

straight across

and smooth them

with a nail file.

Make sure to call your health care team right

away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your

foot does not begin to heal after one day.

6
Wear shoes and

socks at all times.

● Wear shoes and socks at all times. Do not walk

barefoot – not even indoors – because it is easy to

step on something and hurt your feet.

● Always wear socks, stockings, or nylons with your

shoes to help avoid blisters and sores.

● Choose clean, lightly padded socks that fit well.

Socks that have no seams are best.

● Check the insides of your shoes before you put

them on to be sure the lining is smooth and that

there are no objects in them.

● Wear shoes that fit well and protect your feet.

Check the inside of

your shoes before

you put them on.

6

7
7

Protect your feet

from hot and cold.

● Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement.

● Put sunscreen on the top of your feet to prevent

sunburn.

● Keep your feet away from radiators and open fires.

● Do not put hot water bottles or heating pads on

your feet.

● Wear socks at night if your feet get cold. Lined

boots are good in winter to keep your feet warm.

● Check your feet often in cold weather to avoid

frostbite.

Protect your feet when walking on hot surfaces.

7

Make sure to call your health care team right

away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your

foot does not begin to heal after one day.

8
8

Keep the blood

flowing to your feet.

● Put your feet up when you are sitting.

● Wiggle your toes for 5 minutes, two or three

times a day. Move your ankles up and down and in

and out to improve blood flow in your feet and

legs.

● Do not cross your legs for long periods of time.

● Do not wear tight socks, elastic or rubber bands,

or garters around your legs.

● Do not smoke. Smoking reduces blood flow to

your feet. Ask for help to stop smoking.

● Work with your health care team to control 

your A1C (blood glucose), blood pressure and

cholesterol.

Put your feet up

when you are 

sitting.

9
99

Be more active.

● Ask your health care team to help you plan a daily

activity program that is right for you.

● Walking, dancing, swimming, and bicycling are good

forms of exercise that are easy on the feet.

● Avoid activities that are hard on the feet, such as

running and jumping.

● Always include a short warm-up and cool-down

period.

● Wear athletic shoes that fit well and that provide

good support.

Walking briskly is good exercise.

Make sure to call your health care team right

away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your

foot does not begin to heal after one day.

10
Be sure to ask your

health care team to:

● Tell you if you are likely to have serious foot 

problems. If you have serious foot problems,

your feet should be checked at every visit to 

your doctor.

● Check the sense of feeling and pulses in your feet

at least once a year.

● Show you how to care for your feet.

● Refer you to a podiatrist if needed.

● Decide if special shoes would help your feet stay

healthy.

Ask your doctor to check 

the sense of feeling in your feet.

10

11
11

Get started now.

● Begin taking good care of your feet today.

● Set a time every day to check your feet.

● Note the date of your next visit to the doctor.

● Cut out the foot care tip sheet in this booklet and

put it on your bathroom or bedroom wall or

nightstand as a reminder.

● Complete the “To Do” list at the back of this

booklet. Get started now.

● Set a date for buying the things you need to take

care of your feet: nail clippers, pumice stone,

emery board, skin lotion, talcum powder, plastic

mirror, socks, athletic shoes, and slippers.

● Most important, stick with your foot care 

program...and give yourself a special treat such 

as a new pair of soft, lightly padded socks. You

deserve it!

Make sure to call your health care team right

away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your

foot does not begin to heal after one day.

12
Ask your doctor about Medicare or other

insurance coverage for special footwear.

You may need special shoes or shoe inserts to 

prevent serious foot problems. If you have Medicare

Part B insurance, you may be able to get some of the

cost of special shoes or inserts paid for. Ask your

doctor whether you qualify for 

● 1 pair of extra depth shoes* and 3 pairs of

inserts, or 

● 1 pair of custom molded shoes (including inserts)

and 2 additional pairs of inserts.

If you qualify for Medicare or other insurance 

coverage and would benefit from the use of the

shoes, your doctor or podiatrist will tell you how to

get your special shoes.

* Extra depth shoes look like athletic or walking shoes, but have more

room in them. The extra room allows for different shaped feet and toes

or for special inserts made to fit your feet.

Tips for Proper Footwear

● Proper footwear is very important for preventing

serious foot problems. Athletic or walking shoes

are good for daily wear. They support your feet

and allow them to “breathe.” 

● Never wear vinyl or plastic shoes because they

don’t stretch or “breathe.” 

● When buying shoes, make sure they are comfortable from the start and have enough room for

your toes.

● Don’t buy shoes with pointed toes or high heels.

They put too much pressure on your toes.

12
For more information, please contact:

American Association of Diabetes Educators 

www.aadenet.org 

800-TEAM-UP-4 (800-832-6874)

American Diabetes Association 

www.diabetes.org 

800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)

American Podiatric Medical Association 

www.apma.org 

800-FOOTCARE (366-8227)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Division of Diabetes Translation 

www.cdc.gov/diabetes 

877-232-3422 

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International 

www.jdrf.org 

800-533-CURE (800-533-2873)

National Diabetes Education Program

www.ndep.nih.gov

800-438-5383

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 

www.niddk.nih.gov 

800-860-8747 

NIH PUBLICATION NO. 01-4285

REVISED JULY 2003
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