Why I Talk So Much About Shoes in My Consultations I’m Dr. Adrián Lambraño , an orthopedic surgeon specialized in the prevention and integral management of diabetic foot . If you’ve ever been to my office, you’ve probably noticed something: I always end up checking your shoes. Why? Because I know that a shoe can be the starting point of an ulcer… or the barrier that prevents it. We know that diabetic foot —ulcers, infections, gangrene—is one of the most feared complications of diabetes. Between 4% and 10% of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers , and the lifetime risk can reach 25% . In about 85% of cases, these ulcers precede a lower-limb amputation . With numbers like these, it’s easy to think only about surgery, antibiotics and hospital stays. But very often the story begins much earlier, with something as everyday as a poorly chosen shoe . 1. Why Footwear Matters So Much in Diabetic Foot The core problem comes down to three factors that we see over and over again in stu...