Summer feels like the easy season when you have neuropathy.
The sidewalks are clear. The ice is gone. It’s light until late. After a long North Dakota winter, getting outside finally feels straightforward again.
And yet summer is when we see a particular cluster of foot injuries — burns, cuts, blisters and wounds that went unnoticed for days.
Not because summer is dangerous in the way winter is. Because the hazards are quieter, and because people relax exactly the habits that were protecting them from November through April.
Here’s what to watch for, and how to have a good summer anyway.
The Problem Nobody Expects: Hot Surfaces
If your feet can’t reliably detect temperature, they can’t warn you about heat any more than they could warn you about cold.
And summer surfaces get hotter than people realize.
Asphalt in direct sun. Concrete pool decks. Sand at the lake. The metal step on a boat or a camper. A deck that’s been baking all afternoon. The floor of a car that’s been parked in the sun.
On a hot day, any of those can be hot enough to cause a burn — and the reflex that normally makes you hop off something too hot depends entirely on feeling it.
This is the single most common summer injury we see in people with reduced sensation, and it’s almost always the same story: a short walk across a surface that didn’t seem like a hazard, and a burn discovered later.
What to do:
Test surfaces with your hand before your feet — if your hands have normal sensation. If both are affected, assume hot and keep your shoes on.
Never go barefoot outdoors in summer. Not across the pool deck, not down to the water, not across the driveway.
Keep shoes on at the lake and the pool. Water shoes exist for exactly this.
Check the car floor before driving in sandals or bare feet.
And check your feet after any outdoor day, looking for redness, blisters, or areas that look different from the rest.
The Barefoot Season
Summer is when the no-barefoot rule quietly lapses.
It feels unnecessary. It’s warm, you’re at the lake, you’re in your own yard, you’re just walking from the house to the deck.
But the rule exists for reasons that don’t take the summer off:
Glass, stones, thorns, splinters, and sharp objects in the grass.
Insect bites and stings — which can go entirely unnoticed and become infected.
Hot surfaces, as above.
Pool chemicals and rough concrete.
And the yard is one of the more common places people pick up puncture wounds they don’t discover until days later.
Keep something on your feet, indoors and out. It’s a small concession for the protection it provides.
Sandals: What to Look For
Nobody wants to spend a Grand Forks summer in winter boots, and you shouldn’t have to.
But most summer footwear is built for appearance rather than protection.
What to avoid: flip-flops and backless slides. They offer no protection, no structure, and — because you have to grip with your toes to keep them on — they change how you walk, which matters when your balance is already compromised.
What to look for:
A secure heel strap, so you’re not gripping to keep it on.
A closed toe, or at least substantial coverage.
A structured sole with decent tread.
Enough depth and width that nothing rubs. And because feet swell in heat, a sandal that fits in the morning can be tight by evening — so allow for that.
A removable footbed if you wear any kind of insert.
And check inside before putting them on, every time. Sand, grit and small stones collect in open footwear constantly.
Heat, Swelling and Balance
Two things worth knowing about summer heat specifically.
Your feet swell. Heat causes blood vessels to dilate and fluid to pool in the lower legs and feet, particularly after standing, sitting still, or traveling. Shoes that fit comfortably at 8am can be creating pressure points by 4pm — and pressure points on feet that can’t feel them become wounds.
Check the fit through the day, not just when you put them on.
And heat affects balance. Dehydration, heat stress and blood pressure changes in hot weather can all cause lightheadedness — which, stacked on top of reduced sensory feedback, raises fall risk meaningfully.
Drink before you’re thirsty, take breaks in shade, and be particularly careful standing up quickly on hot days.
Yard Work, Gardening and the Lake
The activities that define summer here come with their own specifics.
Mowing. Closed, sturdy shoes always. Mower injuries to the feet are severe, and reduced sensation offers no protection.
Gardening. Kneeling for long periods puts sustained pressure on skin that may not complain. Use a kneeler, change position regularly, and check your knees and feet afterward. Gloves for your hands too, if sensation is affected there.
Boating and docks. Wet surfaces, metal that heats up, uneven footing, and often a step down into a boat. Shoes with grip, and take your time with transitions.
Fishing and wading. Water shoes, not bare feet. Rocks, shells, hooks and debris are all hazards you may not feel.
And travel. Long drives and flights mean hours of sitting, which causes swelling — and vacations usually mean considerably more walking than normal, often in newer shoes. Both are reliable blister producers. Build in breaks, move your ankles regularly, and don’t take brand-new footwear on a trip.
The Thing Summer Gives You
Now the good news, because there’s a genuine advantage to these months.
Daylight is your friend.
When sensation in your feet is reduced, vision takes over a large share of the balance job. That’s why walking in the dark is so much harder for people with neuropathy.
In June, Grand Forks has daylight into mid-evening — which means a much larger share of your walking happens with your main compensation fully available.
Which makes summer the best season of the year to build balance and strength.
Use it deliberately:
Walk more, on varied surfaces, while conditions allow it.
Do your balance work outdoors on grass, which challenges the system more than a flat floor.
Build strength now, so you arrive at next winter in better shape than you arrived at this one.
The people who do best over the long run are the ones who treat summer as a building season rather than a break.
The Foot Check Still Matters — Arguably More
Daily foot checks shouldn’t lapse in summer. If anything, there’s more to find.
Look at all surfaces, including between the toes and the soles, using a mirror or asking someone if needed.
Look for: redness, blisters, cuts, puncture wounds, insect bites, burns, cracks, color changes, or anything new.
Moisturize, since summer sun and pool chemicals dry skin — but not between the toes.
And check your feet after any barefoot moment, however brief, however safe it seemed.
Seek Prompt Medical Care For
Any new wound, blister, burn, cut or puncture on a foot with reduced sensation.
Signs of infection — redness spreading, warmth, swelling, drainage, or feeling unwell.
A burn of any size.
An insect bite that becomes red, swollen or painful.
Any fall, even one you weren’t hurt in.
Rapidly worsening numbness or weakness.
And emergency care for sudden numbness on one side of the body, particularly with facial drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking.
Make This Summer Count
The months when the weather cooperates are the months to build the strength and balance that carry you through the rest of the year.
Morgain Physical Therapy offers a Free Discovery Visit at no cost and no obligation. You’ll get an assessment of your balance, strength, walking and fall risk here in Grand Forks, plus a practical plan for staying safe and active while conditions are on your side.
We work alongside your physician, not instead of them.
Book your Free Discovery Visit today. Or call us on (701) 599-3848.