• Avoid fancy footwear . This means no tight socks and, above all, no tight, pointy shoes with high heels.
"Footwear is probably one of the biggest offenders," says Jeffrey Buehrer, MD, a vascular surgeon and wound care specialist at Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky, Ohio. A well-fitted pair of athletic shoes is often a safe bet, or your podiatrist can work with you to have shoes custom-fitted for your needs -- often at no charge through the Medicare therapeutic shoe program. Brem admits that these shoes may not be the most stylish, "But they will likely save your limb."