Several things make some people more likely to get foot ulcers. You are more prone to foot ulcers if you are more than 40 years old, have had a foot ulcer before, have had diabetes-related changes in your eyes, or have kidney disease, nerve damage, or poor blood flow, especially to your feet. Loss of feeling often means you may not feel a foot injury. You could have a tack or stone in your shoe and walk on it all day without knowing. You might not notice a foot injury until the skin breaks down and becomes infected.
Nerve damage can also lead to deformities of the feet and toes.
Your toes may curl up. People with deformed feet and toes should not force them into regular shoes. Ask your health care provider about special therapeutic shoes. Diabetes causes blood vessels of the foot and leg to narrow and harden. You can control some of the things that cause poor blood flow.