The Daily Diabetic Foot Care Checklist

Why the daily habit matters more than anything else

Most diabetic foot catastrophes are preceded by something small that nobody looked at. A blister from a new shoe. Grit in a sock. A callus that has been quietly building pressure. In a foot with normal sensation, these announce themselves. In a neuropathic foot, they do not.

Daily inspection is the substitute for the pain that is no longer arriving.

The daily checklist

1. Look at the whole foot, including the sole, the heel, and between every toe. Use a mirror on the floor or a phone camera if bending is difficult, or ask someone.
2. Compare left with right. Asymmetry is what you are looking for: one warmer foot, one swollen ankle, one red patch.
3. Feel for warmth with the back of your hand, not your fingertips, and compare the same spot on both feet.
4. Check inside your shoes before putting them on. Run a hand through for grit, loose stitching, or a worn-through lining.
5. Wash and dry thoroughly, especially between the toes. Moisture between toes causes maceration and skin breakdown.
6. Moisturise the skin but not between the toes.
7. Wear socks. Never walk barefoot, including at home.

Weekly and periodic

• Cut toenails straight across, not curved down at the corners. If you cannot see or reach them safely, have them done professionally.
• Check that your footwear still fits. Feet change shape, and neuropathy makes it easy to wear a shoe that is too tight without noticing.
• Attend your scheduled foot review. An annual assessment at minimum, more often if you are high-risk.

Red flags: contact a clinician the same day

• Any break in the skin, however small.
• Redness spreading outward from an area.
• A foot that is suddenly hot and swollen — this can be an active Charcot process and is urgent.
• Any black or dark tissue.
• Discharge, odour, or staining in the sock.
• Fever or feeling unwell alongside any foot problem.

The honest problem with checklists

This routine works. The difficulty is that it is a daily, indefinite, unrewarding task that has to be performed most diligently by exactly the people least able to see or reach their own feet — and it produces nothing visible when it succeeds.

Continuous monitoring should add context, not remove visual inspection from the process. Mi Terro Care Socks are designed to track temperature and pressure patterns during wear while daily checks remain essential.