The development of foot problems is not an inevitable consequence of having diabetes. Indeed, most foot lesions are preventable. However, recent statistics are somewhat depressing: approximately a quarter of all people with diabetes worldwide at some point during their lifetime will develop sores or breaks (ulcers) in the skin of their feet. Moreover, as the number of people with diabetes rises worldwide, there can be little doubt that the burden of diabetes-related foot problems will increase in future years, particularly given that at least one in 10 people at the time of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has risk factors for foot damage. In this overview, Andrew Boulton summarizes the epidemiology of diabetic foot disease, outlines the risk factors for foot lesions, and describes the current global status of care.