Toe Blister Beware

I wear steel toe boots. I ordered them really carefully by reading the reviews online and the sizing guide. Everything said that these boots were an exact fit, no need to go up or down a size. 
I work in a warehouse and the floors are poured and polished cement. The first days I was at the new job, I noticed that at the midpoint of my shift, my toes were really aching and when I got home, they were sort of numb. I had done everything I could to make my feet as comfortable as possible. Orthotic inserts, a pair of thin compression socks topped by a pair of thicker socks to prevent rubbing and chafing, and a couple of gel wraps for my little toes so that they did not rub along the side of the leather boot. 
Remember what I said? The boots were right on size. I was basically wrapping them like mummies to provide comfort and cushioning. So, I was cramming a bunch of stuffing and feet into a boot. If I was going to do this, I should have ordered a size up, and gone to a wide boot as well. 
I noticed the small little blister when I was washing my feet. Since being diagnosed, I make it a point to go over my feet really carefully at least one time a week. I look for injuries, blisters, nail and cuticle health, and make sure that each toe is in good condition as well as clean each foot carefully during this little health inspection. I had never found anything suspect, but I kept up with it. 
The blister was on my left foot's second toe. It didn't hurt. It was pretty small, and comparing it to where my composite in my "steel toe" boots hit, it seemed that the blister was at the edge between the regular boot and the toe guard portion. I marked it on my "diabetes calendar" so that I could accurately follow the progress of the blister. 
I then thought about all of the stuff that I was jamming into those doggone boots and decided to remove everything, including the orthotics and just wear a pair of diabetic socks until I could get a larger pair of boots ordered. 
The next day, my toes did not began being numb at the middle of my shift. Coming home, I took my boots off and looked at the toe with the blister on it. I had taken a photo the day before. I took another and looked at it. My blister was actually looking deflated and less angry. I monitored this blister carefully for the next few days. By day five, there was no blister, the skin was just ever so slightly more wrinkled than the other toes at the place where the blister had been. 
I did not apply anything that would soften the skin, such as ointments or lotions. I wanted to have the blister dry out and be absorbed, not apply a humectant to draw or trap moisture at the site. 
By day seven, all traces of the blister were gone. Since that point, I carry moleskin, the felt like protective fabric with a gentle adhesive backing in the trunk of my car with a small pair of safety scissors so that I can protect any tender skin areas on my feet and rest of my body.
I feel that by doing these frequent inspections of my feet, I avoided what could have been a significant issue. I do not have neuropathy, so the issue was not one of not feeling the injury. Instead, by monitoring my skin closely, I was able to catch something happening at early onset. 
​