24/05/2025
A Toe Too Late
Mr. Ramon was a 62-year-old retired mechanic, known in his neighborhood for always fixing something with a smile. He had lived with type 2 diabetes for over 15 years. He managed his sugar levels fairly well, but like many, he underestimated the quiet danger lurking at his feet.
It started with a small callus on the outer edge of his right foot, just below the small toe. Ramon didn’t pay it much mind—he had walked thousands of miles in those old, worn-out sneakers. He didn’t feel any pain because his diabetes had dulled the nerves in his feet. That callus, however, was masking a deeper pressure ulcer that slowly grew beneath the surface.
He continued walking on it daily, unaware that every step was making it worse. He didn’t have proper diabetic shoes—no offloading, no cushioning, and certainly no custom insoles to redistribute pressure.
By the time Ramon noticed the redness and swelling, the infection had already set in. A quick trip to the clinic turned into an emergency referral. Despite wound care and antibiotics, the damage was too advanced. The only way to save the rest of his foot—and his life—was to amputate his small toe.
“I never imagined losing a toe from something so small,” he later said, looking down at his foot. “If only I had known how important the right shoes were.”
Today, Ramon wears custom diabetic footwear. He visits his podiatrist regularly and checks his feet every morning. He shares his story with others, hoping to spare them the pain and regret he lives with daily.
Lesson: Proper diabetic shoes aren’t a luxury—they’re a necessity. They help redistribute pressure, prevent blisters and calluses, and protect areas of the foot most vulnerable to ulcers. For patients with diabetes, especially those with neuropathy or a history of foot wounds, wearing the right shoes can mean the difference between walking confidently or facing amputation.
Don’t wait for a “toe too late.” Protect your feet—before it costs more than you imagined.
