When you have diabetes, a condition that damages nerves and blood vessels, often leading to reduced feeling and slow healing in the feet, skipping a daily foot inspection is like driving blindfolded. You might not feel a blister, a cut, or a sore developing—but it’s still there, and it can turn into a serious infection overnight. This isn’t hypothetical. The CDC says over 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in the U.S. start with an undetected foot wound. A daily foot inspection, a quick, 2-minute check of your feet every morning or night is the cheapest, most effective way to stop that chain before it starts.
It’s not just for people with diabetes, a condition that damages nerves and blood vessels, often leading to reduced feeling and slow healing in the feet. Anyone with peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage that makes feet numb or tingly, or poor circulation, when blood flow to the feet is reduced, making healing harder needs to do this. You don’t need special tools—just a mirror, good light, and five minutes. Look for redness, swelling, cracks, blisters, or anything that looks different from the day before. Check between your toes. Feel for warmth or cold spots. If you can’t see the bottom of your feet, use a hand mirror or ask someone to help. A small cut you don’t feel can become a foot ulcer, an open sore that won’t heal without intervention in days. And once that happens, hospitalization, antibiotics, or worse can follow.
This isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being smart. People who check their feet daily cut their risk of foot-related hospital stays by nearly half. It’s not a chore—it’s a shield. You wouldn’t skip checking your car’s oil before a long trip. Why skip checking your feet if they carry you every day? The posts below show real cases where daily inspection caught problems early, how to do it right without overcomplicating it, what to do if you find something wrong, and why even small changes in skin color or texture matter more than you think. You’ll also find advice for people with limited mobility, tips for seniors, and how to make this habit stick without feeling like a burden. This is one of the few health habits that costs nothing but can save your leg—and your independence.
