so I made up my mind and I’m going to give bjj a shot again. I had taken a few classes in the past and so I want to get back in it for health and self defense reasons. The times I’ve done bjj classes in the past I’d always wind up with bad may burns on top of my toes and feet which is a big no no for diabetic folks due to hard to heal if you have diabetic neuropathy. I haven’t reached that stage yet, but what could I do to stop mat burn on my toes/top of foot? Tape them? If so what kind of tape do I use? I’ve never taped and have no idea how or what to do. Would a white belt look like a newb for doing it? Any suggestions?
Medical tape could help, yes. Get the cloth kind if you're going to go that route. Also another thing I've had success with when I had problem spots is coating them in Vaseline. Not so much that it'll wipe off onto the mat, it should still absorb, but it'll reduce the friction and it's cheap. If that doesn't work there are specific gels runners use to prevent chafing. And who cares what other people think. This is about your health and safety.
Don't rub the top of your feet on the floor, put your weight into the middle of your shin, or knees, you can also buy neoprene grappling socks. If you haven't got diabetic neuropathy you should be fine anyway.
Amazon , Oxide tape. And some neoprene anklets that cover most the foot (bar the toes and heel) If need be, and everyone knows your condition, wrestling boots.
I used to get this when starting out, athletic tape sorted it. It's largely down to technique, dragging the top of your feet instead of traversing on your balls of your feet, or knee. Like everyone else said, if you're worried, put tape on, no one will care.