Insights & Stories

The 2025 Lymphedema Insurance Coverage Survey closes September 30th. Add your voice to help improve insurance coverage for treatment supplies—and get 15% off your next pair of Pandere Shoes as our thanks.  

The holiday season is upon us, and finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones can be a daunting task, especially for those with unique foot care needs. 

Healing from foot surgery over 60 was challenging, but the right shoes made a world of difference in my recovery.

In this article, we will explore the characteristics, causes, and treatment options for both lipedema and lymphedema to help you distinguish between the two.

In the world of retail and e-commerce, customer satisfaction is the heartbeat of success. At Pandere Shoes, formerly known as Pandere, we take immense pride in the smiles and stories of our happy customers. Our commitment to excellence isn't just about providing exceptional products; it's about fostering a community where every customer feels valued and heard. Our Dynamic 'Happy Customers' Page One of the hallmarks of our commitment to transparency and customer engagement is our Happy Customers page. This dynamic platform is more than just a collection of reviews; it's a living testament to the experiences and satisfaction levels of thousands of individuals who have embraced Pandere Shoes. Here, you can witness firsthand the genuine feedback and testimonials that shape our brand's identity.

Finding suitable shoes for your patients or your parents with swollen feet can be a daunting task. The discomfort and pain caused by edema make it crucial to find footwear that provides both comfort and support. Achieving and sustaining mobility for seniors is critical to quality of life and maintaining the ability to accomplish daily activities.

As a therapist you often encounter patients who struggle and complain about their shoes. PTs, OTs, and LMTs aren't trained in shoe fitting nor do most therapists have time to add this research into their already packed schedules. But you see them every day -- tender swollen feet stuck wearing slippers or crocs or cheap shoes 3 sizes too long.

For Perfect Customized Fit, Laces hold the key. Pandere Shoes are known for their innovative design and ability to accommodate a wide range of foot sizes. However, even with their adjustable features, the laces hold the key to a lot more adjustability than you may be aware of. If you need more room in certain areas, like the toes or midfoot, don't worry! There's a simple solution that can provide you with the extra room you need and enhance the overall comfort of your shoes – adjusting the laces.

RestAngles was invented out of necessity while sitting on very long flight routes from my home in Alaska to my job in Antarctica. I felt pressure on the back of my knees and pain in my lower back, hips, and lower extremities due to my legs dangling off the edge of my seat. My legs were dangling because my popliteal height is only 15 inches. Popliteal height is the distance from the bottom of your feet to the area behind your knees while sitting. The average popliteal height is from 15 to 19.9 inches; the average chair seat height is from 17 to 19 inches, leaving a 2-to-4-inch gap and creating “dangling legs:” This is common in many chairs and seats. Comfortable sitting posture happens when you can rest your feet flat on the floor.

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that results in swelling, usually in the arms or legs, due to a buildup of lymph fluid. It occurs when the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining excess fluid from tissues, becomes damaged or blocked. This can happen as a result of surgery, radiation therapy, infection, or injury. Lymphedema can be uncomfortable and even debilitating for those who suffer from it, but there are ways to manage the symptoms and improve quality of life. One such way is by wearing lymphedema shoes.

The Globetrotter ankle boot isn't just any shoe. It's one of Pandere's best selling swollen feet solutions, and it's ready to elevate your footwear collection. This versatile unisex shoe is available in a range of sizes - both men's and women's sizes - ensuring a perfect fit for everyone.

Thousands of people suffer from swollen feet every day for a variety of reasons and it can make finding a pair of comfortable shoes a big challenge. The best shoes for people with swollen feet are wide or extra wide styles that can be expanded in the midfoot, ankle, and toe box area so that each shoe can be easily tightened and loosened as needed throughout the day. Pandere Shoes provide these special expansion capabilities along with some additional compression that can bring relief for people experiencing feet swelling.

A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint where the base of the big toe meets the foot. As the bunion grows, it causes the big toe to point inward toward the second toe, crowding the other toes and causing pain and discomfort. Bunions can be genetic or caused by arthritis or a foot deformity but they are often triggered by wearing tight, narrow shoes that put prolonged pressure on the feet and compress the big toe.

Many of our customers come to us after they have put up with wearing uncomfortable shoes for years. They are desperate for a comfortable and fashionable shoe that will fit their swollen feet caused by a variety of health conditions. Once our customers try out their first pair of Pandere shoes, they are usually thrilled with the comfort, look, and expansion capabilities that are built into our shoes and unmatched in the industry.

Developing a swollen ankle or swollen foot after foot surgery may be common, but that doesn’t make it any less concerning or uncomfortable. For most foot and ankle operations, tenderness and swelling may be present for three to four months; but it can take a full year or more for swelling to resolve after more complicated procedures. Speak to your doctor for tips about how to take care of your feet after surgery or if you have any concerns about how your foot is healing.

Ingrown toenails are the most common nail impairment, and affect millions of people worldwide  It is amazing how something as simple as toenails can have a huge impact on our well being. We wanted to remind our customers how important foot care is and help people recognize when they need to get help. Many people with chronic foot conditions such as diabetes, vascular diseases and swelling from lymphedema or pregnancy, may be flirting with disaster by ignoring toenail and foot skin problems. Lack of nail care can aggravate pain or lead to wounds, and reduce mobility. Any of these can trigger a bad health cycle to set in. Today we are sharing some advice from the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association) on how to identify ingrown toenails, when to consult a podiatrist and some best home-care practices to keep you and loved ones on their feet, and feeling better.   What are Ingrown Toenails?  The Mayo Clinic describes ingrown toenails as “a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, an infection.”  Usually, toenails grow straight out. Sometimes, however, one or both corners or sides curve and grow into the flesh. The big toe is the most common location for this condition, but other toes can also become affected. Ingrown toenails are most commonly caused by improperly trimmed nails, shoe pressure, crowded toes due to poorly fitting footwear, repeated trauma to the feet, as well as heredity. Many people with chronic foot conditions forget to check their nails in the midst of caring for their other ailments. This can turn a once small problem turn into a much bigger medical crisis. Additionally, people with swelling, bunions and braces commonly cannot find shoes to fit their feet properly and end up wearing tight shoes that can impede proper nail growth.  People with ingrown toenails may experience pain, redness and swelling, drainage, odor, or skin issues. With any one of these symptoms (or, heaven forbid, all of them) walking and exercising, and focusing on work or family, becomes challenging and even impossible at times. Immediate medical attention is needed if you or a loved one is experiencing any of the above symptoms.  Any podiatrist will tell you, this is NOT a time to grin and bear it.  Here are the top three recommendations for foot care from leading US podiatrists.  If you suspect you have an infection due to an ingrown toenail, immerse the foot in a warm salt water soak, or a basin of soapy water, then apply an antiseptic and bandage the area. People with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or other circulatory disorders must AVOID any form of self-treatment and seek podiatric medical care as soon as possible. Other “do-it-yourself” treatments, including any attempt to remove any part of an infected nail or the use of over-the-counter medications, should be avoided. Nail problems should be evaluated and treated by your podiatrist, who can diagnose the ailment, and then prescribe medication or another appropriate treatment. Podiatrists are experts for Feet and Foot Problems When it comes to ingrown toenails, however, things can go from mild to very bad very quickly.  It is time to visit a podiatrist if your symptoms are not improving. Additionally, you should seek a podiatrist immediately if you have any drainage or excessive redness around your toenail.  While seeking medical advice can seem daunting, a podiatrist will be able to treat your hurting foot immediately, and you should feel relief shortly after. A podiatrist will remove the ingrown portion of the nail and may prescribe a topical or oral medication to treat the infection. If ingrown nails are a chronic problem, your podiatrist can perform a procedure to permanently prevent ingrown nails. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure That sentiment is truer than ever when it comes to footcare. Treat your feet like royalty and you will feel like a King or Queen!  Three tips from podiatrists associated with APMA on toenail care to prevent ingrown nails: Be sure to trim toenails properly: cut them straight across, not longer than the tip of the toes. Do not dig into corners and only gently round off corners with a nail file. Use toenail clippers. Avoid shoes with pointy or narrow toe boxes. NEVER rip or tear edges of nails. Information sourced from APMA.org. https://www.apma.org/ingrowntoenails

It's the question anyone trying to buy online is thinking! If you’re trying your first pair in a new brand, it can feel like you're flying blind. If you have foot swelling, venous insufficiency, or any other foot anomalies, it can go from frustrating to impossible very quickly. Pandere has figured all of this out for you! We have two great ways to determine your size, even when you’ve never bought from Pandere before. Option A: Let us size you   -   Option B: Size yourself Both of these options are novel. There is nobody else in the shoe industry using our proprietary sizing process. And there is nobody else that’s providing sizing charts like ours either.  And there is a reason for this. One of the secrets behind our success is that unlike every other shoe company, we have added an extra measurement to consider when determining size. Every other company looks at only length and width. But if you have swelling or bunions or wear a brace, length and width alone will not do the trick. We need a third dimension in order to tell if your swollen foot or brace (or other issue) will fit into the shoes. This is where Pandere excels in sizing people online. It’s another one of our hidden superpowers! Let’s walk through the two options together so you can determine which one makes most sense for you. Option A: Let us size you Full disclosure. We always prefer that you let us size you because the size recommendation is based on more data points than when you size yourself. (Eight data points, to be exact.)  We need four foot measurements to size you, plus answers to four questions. How do I measure? Step 1. Foot length - Measure from heel to longest toe The easiest way to measure is to trace around your foot on a piece of paper. Then measure the distance between the heel to the place on the page where your longest toe ends.  If you are wearing any daily device or garment (examples: a brace or wraps) you’ll need to measure while wearing your item Don’t add any additional length for room. We add the extra room on our end. Step 2: Circumference of the ball of your foot (all the way around your foot) The ball of your foot is at the base of your toes meet the main part of your foot. It’s the same area that has the padding on the bottom of your foot. Step 3. Circumference of the instep (all the way around your foot) The instep is in the middle of your foot. This where many people have difficulty fitting into traditional shoe sizes. You might have swelling on the top of your foot or just a high instep. Step 4. Circumference of ankle (all the way around your ankle) We are looking for the measurement near your ankle. If you have lower leg swelling that interferes with putting shoes on (overhang) or if you are wearing a brace or any other device that takes up space in the ankle area, please let us know. Step 5. Input your measurements on our website Go to our FIND YOUR SIZE page and then input measurements into the Size Finder tool. Once in a while we hear a report that the form won’t submit or other frustrating obstacles. If this happens to you, just email us the measurements and we can enter the data manually. Email us at hello@pandereshoes if you have any problems or questions!  What happens next?  We will analyze your data and make a custom recommendation on both size and style for your particular circumstances. We will email you within 24 hours of submitting measurements. (Often less than 24 hours!) If it’s been 24 hours and you haven’t received our email with recommendations, please check your spam folder. That is usually the top culprit! If you didn’t receive anything from us, email us at hello@pandereshoes.com or chat with a Fit Specialist on our website. Option B: Size Yourself Some people just want to have the tools to determine their own size. This is fine if you don’t have a lot of complicated issues. In our happy perfect world, would love to have everyone give us foot measurements and then we would tell them what size would be recommended, because that leads to the highest success rate. We have posted new sizing charts for our Closed Toe shoes and if you follow the steps, you can probably get pretty close to what we would recommend. We would always encourage you to chat with us if you have any questions or if the outcome of the size chart doesn't seem right to you. Generally speaking, we find that lots of people need a larger size than they expect. We have developed our size charts very (VERY) differently than a size chart you'll find on any other website. (If you find anyone who has a chart like ours, they copied ours!) How do I use the chart? Step 1. Measure your foot length.  Put your larger foot on a piece of paper Trace around your foot with a pen/pencil Measure the longest length from heel to toe Go to the chart and find the size that your foot length fits into Find the shoe size that your foot length falls into on the chart Make sure that your foot length is not smaller than the Minimum Foot length Then make sure your foot length is not longer than the Maximum Foot length Step 2. Measure all the way around your instep Find the middle of your foot - this is where your arch is on the bottom and your instep is on the top Measure the circumference all the way around the middle of the foot Make sure your instep circumference measurement does not exceed the Maximum Instep circumference on the chart Pro Tips for sizing yourself! Don't size down! If you're on the Minimum Foot length, don't size down to the size smaller. This is especially true if you have foot swelling or any other condition that impacts shoe fit. Wear any garments or devices that you will be wearing with shoes. For example, wear your socks or compression garments when you're measuring. Wear your brace or velcro compression system when you're measuring. Chat with us if you have questions. We can help! What do I do if the shoes don’t fit? I wish we could claim that we get it right 100% of the time, but we don’t. Our customers come to us often with a lot of foot problems. Sometimes people measure wrong. (Actually this happens a lot - but we have a built in flag for this when you let us size you.) And other times, the measurements don’t take into account certain issues that don’t get captured through measurements. But it’s ok! We have an ah-Mazing exchange policy and you’ll hardly have to wait for your exchange pair to arrive. Exchanges are always Free! We pay shipping in both directions. We do this because a lot of our customers are hard to fit and we know that sometimes it takes more than one try. We prefer to have your foot measurements before you exchange because it helps us get an idea of foot shape and we can make pretty good predictions about what size and styles will work best for you.  Bonus! We don’t even make you wait for the original pair to get back to the warehouse! As soon as you request your return label through the return portal, we will set up the exchange order so it ships out the next business day! Return labels are emailed to you. If you need us to snail mail you a return label, just ask. We’re happy to do it!

Pandere CEO Laura Oden’s lymphedema really took a hold of her life in 1998. By this point, she realized cute shoes were probably out of the picture for good. Adding to the challenges, her chronic swelling was just in one foot. The other foot was perfectly normal.