Insights & Stories

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.

Swelling after foot surgery is common — but finding shoes that fit comfortably during recovery can be challenging. Learn what to expect after surgery and how flexible, volume-adaptive footwear can help during the healing process.

Having a community who understands your struggles and is there to help is at the cornerstone of staying healthy. For many years, people with lymphedema, lipedema, and other conditions that cause swelling or anomalous foot/hand shapes were isolated. While millions of people suffer from lower limb swelling, only recently

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!

I finally had a come to Jesus moment. And I was like, I if I want to feel better, I have to just wear the damn thing! It was that kind of roller coaster we go through. We're in resentment, we're in denial. We don't want to even acknowledge it and then gradually, it becomes -- well, this is not going to change. But I can make it a little a little better to live with if I just do what I'm supposed to!

Let’s face it, wearing compression can be really hard. Especially if you have a condition like lymphedema or lipedema that causes chronic swelling. Not wearing compression can be far worse! Avoiding or neglecting compression or treatment can put you further down the path of pain or debilitation. 

Cara Cruz is a blogger, influencer, and mother. She promotes a body positive message and is a proud #lymphedemawarrior and #lipidemawarrior. Pandere is a big fan and we sat down to talk with Cara about her life and journey.

Shopping for shoes online when you have hard-to-fit feet can be a huge challenge!  With no salesperson to talk to and no shoe to try on before you buy, the purchase is always a gamble.

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.

Pandere Co-founder Ayla Rogers shares her story growing up in rural Alaska and how Pandere Shoes changed her life.

This week, we have another In Your Shoes story to share with you, a great conversation we had with Candace from North Carolina! What has your lymphedema journey looked like? It was scary. Everything happened so fast. I got a job where I was sitting down all day, and I noticed my leg would get so heavy, falling asleep...and it got to the point where it was hurting!I went to the doctor and eventually found out I had lymphedema. I was like, "Lymphe-what!?" How did lymphedema change how you dressed? I was wearing regular shoes, but my feet were aching so bad. I started wearing Crocs, which are OK, but you can't wear them all day. So, I looked online for lymphedema apparel, and it just so happened that I came across your shoes!I was like, "OK!" because I thought I would have to wear diabetic shoes, which are so ugly! I was looking at your shoes, and thinking how pretty they are. These are shoes I can wear with my regular shoes and they look so good on my feet! What did you think when you put on your Pandere shoes? Oh my God, I was like, "Mommm, these shoes are so good."The fact that they're adjustable so I can deal with any flare-ups I have in the day is amazing. These shoes feel so so good. How are they working out for your everyday life? I'm able to stay on my feet all day shopping with my Mom without having to complain about my feet. With other shoes, I'd have to stop every hour to give my feet a break.I've been using them to walk my dog as well. I love how durable they are. With certain shoes, especially when you have swelling, your feet can start to slant in the shoes, but I haven't had that problem!Want to see more from Candace? You can see our follow this #lymphedema warrior Instagram at @inaturally_can

This week, we are so excited to share our first In Their Shoes story with you, from Amy R.! During this series of interviews, we share our customers' stories as they walk us through their journey and their experience with Pandere Shoes.  What has your shoe journey looked like? Like others who live with lymphedema, finding shoes can be a struggle. Trying to find a shoe that fit both feet was impossible and you can forget about looking stylish. There was no such thing for us lymphedema folks until now. I often found myself staring at women’s feet as they walked by, secretly wishing I could wear their fabulous shoes. What Pandere shoes do you own? The Barista shoe - I was so excited to open the shoes that I ripped the box! As you can see, they have adjustable toggles at the top and back of the shoe. The Pandere foot bed is made from high resilience Polyurethene (PU). The cushion does not have "memory" so it does not flatten or compress over time. This extends the life and durability of the footbed. PU uses a higher quality material than memory foam or EVA. This is great if you are like me and swell throughout the day or must wear multiple compression garments.                     It gets even better! The anti-slip bottoms are made from recycled rubber for increased durability and mobility. The insole is made with a heel cushion and arch support. The insole is removable as well. Pandere's designs are meant to accommodate different levels of swelling. I put the shoes to the test and went to the zoo! I must admit, I think I had more problems with my face mask rather than my shoes! I did make one adjustment throughout the day but that was on my left foot (my good foot). I just tighten the shoe up a little bit by pulling the toggle on the back heel a little tighter.