Insights & Stories

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.

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.  

You want your shoes to be comfortable. You want them to fit your feet well. And if you have trouble with swelling in your feet, you absolutely want to find the best shoes for edema. Too often, however, we struggle with finding the right shoes for edema feet. It can be challenge to find shoes that are comfortable, fit well and meet the right tone for various occasions. This is why we settle on shoes that might not be totally comfortable all of the time. Or we risk embarrassment by wearing comfortable shoes that are not appropriate for various events or activities. Nobody wants to wear shoes that don’t fit. And nobody wants to waste money and time on returning shoes. That’s why it is important to try to find the right edema shoes when you are looking for the best shoes in your situation. It’s easy to understand how you might wind up with the wrong shoes, of course. We all make mistakes. Here are the most common mistakes everyone makes when buying edema shoes. 1. You bought the wrong size Many of us don’t actually know our own shoe size. You might have an idea in your mind about what size shoe you wear, but that doesn’t mean it is actually the correct size. Buying shoes in the wrong size isn’t just a problem with shoes for edema patients. It’s a universal problem. What is most important to note is that you will never wear a single shoe size. Shoe manufacturers have different size guidelines and different styles of shoes fit your feet differently. You might wear a 7 in dress shoes, but need a 6.5 in sandals to keep them on your feet and even an 8 in athletic shoes. This can make shoe shopping a challenge, even before you add in the swelling that creates problems finding shoes for edematous feet. Your best bet is to first get measured for shoe sizes on a regular basis. Feet grow and spread over time. Your feet can change shape. Get measured every six months to a year to be sure you’re wearing the right size shoe. Then, try on your shoes as best you can before you buy them. If you know that in one brand you wear a larger size than in another brand, you can use that information as you shop online for shoes. Or, even better, skip the sizing issues all together and simply buy adjustable shoes for edema. 2. You didn’t read reviews Shopping online has tremendous benefits over shopping in stores, specially for shoes for people with edema. You have greater options in footwear. You have expanded sizes. You also have specifically made shoes for edematous feet. But what makes online shopping even better is that you have access to reviews as well. If you are looking at edema footwear, but want to know more about how the shoe fits, what other customers are experiencing with the shoe or simply what the material feels like, you can read the reviews. There are multiple websites dedicated to reviews on footwear and to the companies that make it. If you don’t read the reviews, you may not know what to expect in terms of delivery and returns, or if the shoes tend to run big or small. Read what others have said, and write up your own experience in turn to help those shopping later. 3. You didn’t fit the widest part of your foot Edema footwear needs to fit the widest part of your foot. If you suffer from edema and also have high arches or a bunion, you should take that into account when you’re shopping. Just like you should buy clothes for the widest part of your body, you should be buying shoes for the widest part of your foot. If you realize that your shoes are too loose in other ways once you fit the widest part, it may be that you need to shop for another brand of shoe, another style or perhaps just find a pair of adjustable shoes for edema. 4. You chose fashion over comfort We all want to look and feel good in our shoes. But looking good shouldn’t matter more than feeling good. If you choose fashion over function, you might get away with it for a little while. But eventually you’re going to have problems. Fashionable shoes often are made without much consideration for comfort, and they are certainly not designed to accommodate wider feet or those with feet that swell during the day. Even if you absolutely love a pair of shoes because they are so stylish, forcing your feet into those shoes can lead to long-term foot damage and short term pain. Buy shoes that fit comfortably instead. 5. You didn’t leave room for growth Buying shoes for children requires leaving a bit of room in the toe for feet to grow. Buying the best shoes for edema means almost the same thing. You need to buy shoes that have some wiggle room or give to accommodate your feet and ankles throughout the day. Adjustable shoes for edema offer plenty of ways to make room as your feet swell, especially if your feet swell a great deal during the day and then come down in size overnight. But even without adjustable shoes for edema, choose your shoes carefully to be sure they have room at the sides and the top of the shoe to accommodate swelling. 6. You bought a shoe designed for men If you’re a man looking at men’s shoes for edema, this is a mistake that doesn’t apply to you. However, if you’re looking for shoes for women with edema, you might be tempted to check out the selection for men. This might be a mistake, however, because women’s footwear is not the same as men’s. While some shoes are interchangeable between men and women – slides, for example – others are not as versatile. If you are looking for professional shoes tailored to a woman’s smaller foot, you can’t just buy men’s shoes and expect them to fit the bill. The best shoes for women with edema are shoes that incorporate feminine styles but include options for growth and stretch during the day. Men’s shoes are often bulkier, heavier and might not be much wider than traditional women’s shoes. 7. You bought shoes too quickly If you grab the first pair of shoes that comes in your size, you may be buying your shoes too quickly. Shoes fit differently and they can vary in fit even in the same manufacturer. Don’t just grab the first pair you try on that seem tolerable. Instead, try on a few different pairs or buy multiple pairs online with plans to return the ones that don’t fit well. Just be sure you research the return policies first! Trying on multiple shoes before committing to a purchase allows you to test different brands and different styles. Grab and go footwear purchases might leave you a pair that fits, but you might have missed an opportunity to get something much better. At the very least, you’ll have a better idea of sizes and fit across multiple brands and shoe styles by trying on a large selection. 8. You think all shoes are naturally a bit uncomfortable If you’ve been wearing regular shoes instead of edema shoes, you have likely experienced some of the discomfort that comes from poorly fitted footwear. But if you’ve been jamming your feet into poorly fitted shoes for a long period of time, you may not even recognize how accustomed you’ve become to discomfort. It is not normal for your shoes to be uncomfortable. Your feet should not hurt every time you have to wear your shoes. If you can’t find comfortable edema shoes, then consider new brands or special adjustable shoes for edema that you can customize to your liking.   9. You didn’t buy shoes with enough support One thing that has been known to happen when looking for edema shoes, is trading too much comfort for a lack of support. Not having a solid shoe supporting your arches and heels can result in foot and even hip pain over time. You need plenty of give and room in your edema footwear, but wearing slippers all of time can be dangerous to your ongoing foot health. Find shoes that are soft like slippers around your feet, but blend that softness and comfort with a study sole that includes proper arch support and some give for when you walk to protect your feet, especially if you are on your feet for long stretches of time on a daily basis. 10. You didn’t try your shoes on with socks If you are used to wearing slippers or slides on a regular basis, you might have gotten in the habit of wearing your shoes without socks. But when you go to try on your shoes for edema feet, you need to be sure that you are trying on shoes the way you’re going to wear them on a regular basis. That means if you are trying on shoes for work, then you need to be trying on your shoes with socks. Shoes fit differently over bare feet than they do over socks. Different socks also can make a difference as well in how shoes fit as well. Thicker socks can help protect your feet, especially as feet adjust in size throughout the day. Thinner socks can help shoes fit more smoothly over your feet. Be sure that you try on shoes with the socks you plan on wearing with them on the daily basis. 11. You shopped for shoes in the morning All feet grow in size over the course of the day. This is especially true for those suffering from edema. Edema shoes should take this natural growth into account, but we don’t always remember how much our feet can swell if we shop for shoes in the morning. The best time to shop for new shoes for people with edema is when your feet are most swollen, likely at the end of the day. This ensures that you have shoes that fit comfortably when your feet and ankles are at their least comfortable. Even if you are shopping online for new shoes for edema patients, be sure to measure your feet at the end of the day and use those measurements as you are finding the proper size. Remember that adjustable shoes for edema will have the most grace in sizes, often allowing you to change the size of the overall shoe as the day progresses so that the time of day doesn’t matter as much for shoe shopping purposes. 12. You only tried on one shoe We’ve all done it. You’re in a hurry or trying on lots of pairs of shoes, so you simply try on one shoe in the pair to get an idea of how they fit. This can be a mistake. Everyone’s feet are different sizes. And when your feet swell due to edema, they are going to be even less evenly matched. To decide if a shoe fits comfortably, you should be trying on both shoes in a set. It is very possible that a shoe may fit your right foot differently than it fits the left. To find the best shoes for edema, you need to try on the full set – don’t buy a pair of shoes when you’ve only tried on half of the purchase. 13. You assume a shoe will stretch over time In the case of leather shoes and boots, you can expect a bit of stretch over time. Some people still buy shoes a bit snug anticipating some stretch over time. After all, if a shoe stretches too much, it will wind up too big. This is not the right advice for edema footwear, however. You can count on your feet growing over the course of the day and possibly the week. Modern shoes are often not constructed of leather, which means they aren’t going to do any stretching. If they do, it will be minimal and it will come at the expense of your feet. Buy shoes that fit the first time you try them on. Don’t assume the shoes will stretch to accommodate your feet, because they probably won’t. 14. You bought one pair of shoes for all occasions Edema shoes can be a challenge to find, and when you find a pair that is comfortable and fits well, it’s natural to want to wear that shoe as often as possible. After all, isn’t a comfortable set of edema shoes the goal? It is absolutely true that you want your edema shoes to be comfortable. But you don’t want a single pair of shoes for all occasion. Don’t fall into the trap of buying a single pair of shoes and then trying to make that pair work for every single thing you do over the course of the day or week. You can’t jog in your work shoes. You can’t work in an office in the same shoes you use to cut the grass. Find a brand of edema shoes that works for you and fits well. Then invest in multiple pairs to help you cover the range of activities you can expect in your daily life. 

Pandere Shoes CEO Laura Oden’s Lymphedema Story Laura Oden, Pandere co-founder and CEO, shares the story of growing up with lymphedema, and how her personal struggles inspired the creation of Pandere Shoes. Diagnosis, surgery and lymphedema My obsession with shoes began in my teens. My mother led the way with a closet full of shoes. The collection included everything from 1970's hippie fashion to glam pumps from her college years. She was a fashionista. When I was 16, any path following my mother’s footsteps was permanently derailed. I was diagnosed with melanoma. Late 70's treatment meant having all of my lymph nodes removed. Like many others, surgery stopped the cancer but also started a lifelong struggle with lymphedema, an incurable condition that caused chronic swelling in my right leg and foot. Lymphedema's no fun for a fashionista Lymphedema is miserable. Not just physically, but psychologically as well. My lymphedema made it impossible to find cute shoes that fit. Between my teens and 30's, I would often buy shoes one or two sizes too big to accommodate the swelling, but then I would just end up with ill-fitting, uncomfortable shoes that were difficult to walk in and frankly, made me feel miserable. At that time, I didn’t even know that wide shoes or extra wide shoes even existed. There certainly were no wide shoes for swollen feet. Not being able to find wide shoes that fit my feet impacted my life in unimaginable ways. Aside from inhibiting my mobility and affecting my basic health, I found myself struggling with self-esteem and confidence during critical times in my life. The search for a solution I lived my lymphedema life in isolation. I was unaware of the millions of others who shared my struggle. My doctors had little or nothing to offer me. They became a repetitive chorus of “I don’t know what to tell you” or “it doesn’t seem that bad”, or “maybe you can stay off your feet more.” In the early years of my lymphedema, the conventional wisdom was to prescribe diuretics. Dutifully, and desperately, I took my daily pill to eliminate excess water from my system. I stopped on my own because of the obvious futility of the effort but many years later learned that diuretics are completely contraindicated for lymphedema. I did not wear compression stockings in the 70's and 80's because they offended my young sense of self. How could I possibly wear those contraptions and feel anything other than mortified? I came to regret this decision, but not until my lymphedema was so debilitating that I feared I might end up unable to walk, or worse, dead. The darkness before the dawn I spent two full decades in utter misery until my daughter was born. After an emergency C-section, my lymphedema dramatically worsened. My leg blew up like a blowfish and I had a baby that weighed only two and a half pounds. My mom had died two weeks prior to my daughter’s birth and now I could barely stand up, let alone put on a pair of shoes. As a new mom, staying off my feet was hardly an option. I was running my own business and taking care of an infant and crying myself to sleep every night. Worst of all, I was silent. I stuffed it down. I womanned up. Or at least until I could fall apart the next night. Fighting back as best as I could Having a C-section for a preemie was what finally got me into lymphedema treatment. This was the beginning of a 20-year odyssey of learning to live with lymphedema. The early treatment was not very effective, but at least I did make an effort to wrap compression bandages every day for six months and wear compression stockings. For me, over-the-counter compression stockings created a terrible sense of frustration. On the one hand, I knew I needed them. On the other hand, most of them cut into the back of my knee like a tourniquet. The pain associated with swelling, not to mention the pain of the stockings cutting off behind the knee, simply cannot be understated. Plus, they just didn’t work very well. At the end of my day my leg still swelled up significantly, even with stockings. It was hard to tell what, if any difference the stockings were making. I tried everything. I tried 2 stockings on top of each other. These were over the counter 40/50 mmhg. I tried putting sanitary pads inside my stockings to cushion the back of my knee. I tried adding bandages or neoprene braces. I tried an early version pump that we all learned later was disastrous for people with lymphedema and probably antagonized the swelling. I tried anything I could think of to improve the compression. During this period of time, mercifully, my body would still reduce the fluid at night when I went to sleep. Eventually my body lost that ability too. The turning point I was working in a healthcare facility. I spoke to doctors and clinicians frequently about my dilemma. Even they had nothing new to suggest. One day, I was invited to a meeting about cancer treatment developments led by doctors from the Mayo Clinic. Afterwards, I tapped on one speaker’s shoulder and asked if he knew about any new developments in lymphedema treatment. The doctor said he had heard that lymph node transplants were being done in Europe. It took me five years to find and learn more about the surgery that I would ultimately undergo. “Lymph Node Transfer” surgery, plus my religious bandaging three months prior to the surgery and one year after, ultimately turned my situation around. Even without the surgery, one full year of bandaging will provide an enormous amount of relief to anyone! My next great discoveries The second thing that turned the tide for me was switching to custom Jobst Elverex stockings. I always wanted higher compression than 40/50 but every fitter told me that I was not a candidate for custom stockings. I was told that custom stockings were only for people who needed a custom shape. Not true. The biggest secret of custom stockings is that they come in much higher compression levels. My Jobst Elverex Stockings. For the last 5 years my compression stocking are 49/70 with a special knee insert that protects the back of my knee (g-bye tourniquet) with double panels of silicon dots at the top. My Tactile Medical Flexitouch Pump I also use a Tactile Medical Flexitouch pump periodically which really helps reduce tightness when I need some extra help. I often pump more after flying on a plane or a demanding week on my feet. Between the bandaging, and the surgery, and the high compression stockings, and the pump, I finally had relief for the first time in decades. I saw the bones in my feet for the first time since I was in my early twenties. My life began to normalize. I was not miserable every minute of every day. Finding strength in the lymphie community And my journey brought me out of isolation. I learned about Facebook groups that acted like support groups that I could tap into day or night. I had no idea that I was not alone. And once I broke free of my isolation, I found myself intensely motivated to do something for us, to make our lives better. After discovering how many others were facing the same challenges as me, I grew determined to face the footwear industry myself. Surely we could do better than what was on the market! I envisioned a stylish, expandable shoe that was also comfortable, adjustable in key places, supportive and made with high-quality materials. Wide shoes for swollen feet that didn’t look like granny shoes – imagine that! Pandere Shoes is born! In 2016, I took my idea to an Anchorage Startup Weekend, an event where entrepreneurs and businesses come together to brainstorm and pitch ideas. At the event, I met Ayla Rogers and Celia Crossett, who would go on to become my Pandere co-founders. There was an immediate chemistry between Ayla, Celia and I, and we soon began raising funds for a shoe prototype. That was the beginning of Pandere, and the beginning of a new chapter of my life in which, uncomfortable poorly fitting shoes no longer held me back! Me and my amazing co-founders Celia and Ayla. I’ve discovered that the right shoes can make all the difference. And the greatest gift for me has been talking to people every day that have the same problems – and helping them find a way out. It’s a deep connection I feel with every customer, and an incredible reward to create shoes that make people feel better. We are changing lives, every day.

Nobody likes to end the day throbbing feet. But if you have feet that tend to swell with pregnancy, edema or other conditions like diabetes, you already know how shoes that feel comfortable in the morning can be painful by the time you’re able to take them off in the evening. Finding wide shoes for swollen feet is a challenge for many, especially if you are looking for stylish footwear that is also comfortable and practical.   Buying wide shoes for swollen feet If you know your feet swell during the day, you want to find shoes that fit comfortably. A shoe that pinches or squeezes your feet can cause more irritation and lead to blisters and other foot related injuries. Your feet take a beating every day, even without pinching them into shoes that are too small or that don’t support your feet properly.  To try and fit their feet well, many individuals look for wide shoes for swollen feet. They shop traditional styles from traditional brands and look for extra wide men’s shoes for swollen feet. Or perhaps extra wide women’s shoes for swollen feet. Anyone who has walked into a traditional shoe shop and asked about ultra wide shoes swollen feet that can be worn comfortably already knows how futile this search can be.  Sure, manufacturers make wide widths in many of their shoes. But sometimes wide isn’t wide enough, especially if you’re specifically looking for shoes for swollen feet versus shoes for a traditional wide foot.   Wide feet versus swollen feet A wide foot is a foot where the bones within the foot, coupled with the muscle and tendons and other layers, have come together to be wider than the industry norm. While all feet swell over the course of the day, a wide foot starts out wide in the morning and remains wide all day, perhaps swelling a quarter or a half size over the course of a long day. A swollen foot, on the other hand, doesn’t have a width determined by the bone structure within the foot. In a swollen foot, the width of the foot is actually determined by fluids in the foot. Fluids pool in the feet over the course of the day and feet can grow in volume between the morning and the night. If you lose fluids again or in some cases, prop your feet up for an extended period of time, the swelling in your feet can go down again, bringing your foot back to a more traditional width. In short, a wide foot will stay wide. A swollen foot is not always swollen to the same size and width on a daily basis.  This is why trying to buy extra wide women’s shoes for swollen feet or extra wide men’s shoes for swollen feet doesn’t work as well as we would like. Sure, they look good and might even feel good when you try them on, but what happens when your foot swells more or loses some of the accumulated fluid? Suddenly that wide shoe is too narrow or perhaps even too big. That is a very awkward problem to be facing while at work or on the go.   Swelling in the feet, ankles and legs If you’ve ever faced edema, perhaps as a side effect of your diabetes or during pregnancy you know that edema, or swelling caused by fluids, does not confine itself to the sides of your feet. Edema does not simply make your feet wider. It makes them fuller all around, particularly on the top and around the ankles Your feet essentially expand in all directions. This means even a comfortable wide shoe might squeeze your feet in a different direction. Your foot may become too tall as fluid builds up in your arches. You might not be able to lace your shoes or even get your foot in or out of the shoe easily. And swelling doesn’t confine itself to your feet. If you are suffering from swelling in your feet, you are likely also suffering from fluid build up and swelling in your ankles and calves. Shoes aren’t a one dimensional product. The fit of your shoes can be affected by your foot changing sizes in every direction, but your shoes can also be affected by the shape and size of your ankles and caves as well.  A swollen ankle can rub across the top of your shoes and create blisters and sore spots. Boots, even those with wide calves or laces often do not fit over swollen calves or cause restrictions in circulation over the course of the day as the leg grows inside the boot, and the boot doesn’t conform to your calf’s new shape.  It might seem like the best solution to finding shoes for swollen feet is to simply wear flip flops or slippers every day, all day. Or perhaps to fill your closet with wide shoes that fit some of the time. Flip flops and slippers do not provide much needed support. Making do with shoes that have zero support or simply surviving the day in unprofessional footwear isn’t a real solution to the problem. Buying wide shoes, even soft ones or shoes with plenty of extra room just creates a different problem. Your shoes are too big in the morning and possibly too small by the time you get home and can take them off. Shoes that are too big and shoes that are too small can cause any number of serious problems for your feet.   Dangers from wearing the wrong shoes for swollen feet Wearing the wrong size shoes, either too big or too small, can lead to serious consequences for both men and women. This isn’t just a “fashion is painful” argument – this is a matter of health and safety. If you wear the wrong shoe size, you’re facing some serious potential issues including the following common risks.       Blisters A shoe that is too tight or too loose will rub incorrectly on your foot and can cause blisters. Blisters can also be caused by a shoe that is too stiff and lays incorrectly against your foot. Sometimes you can prevent blisters with socks, but wearing a thick sock with your shoes can lead to even tighter, more uncomfortably footwear.       Fall risks Wearing a shoe that is too long can create a tripping hazard. Many people who have swelling have had to settle for sizing up by 1 or 2 sizes to get their feet in. Poorly fitting shoes can make you shuffle your feet instead of walking normally. This can be a problem if you’ve taken to wearing slippers or flip flops  most of the time instead of traditional footwear to try to find comfortable shoes for swollen feet. A loose shoe also fails to provide support and can become at tripping hazard in its own right. If your foot shifts inside your shoe, you can easily trip yourself or even fall off of your own shoe, hurting yourself in the process.       Foot ulcers If you have diabetes you may be more prone to foot ulcers that are caused by ill fitting shoes on swollen feet. Any abrasions or skin disruptions can be very serious for diabetics. The shoes press in on the increasing swollen feet and rub, creating sores that eventually become open wounds, or ulcers. Wear the shoes longer or over multiple days and the foot ulcers can worsen, creating significant pain and making it hard to walk at all. Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes and can result in numbness of feet. This can accelerate other problems like frequent tripping.        Infection Any open wound is subject to bacteria, especially when the wound is near sources or bacteria like dirt. Having open wounds on your feet caused by blisters or foot ulcers serve as an invitation for bacteria and subsequent infections.   If you tried shoes for swollen feet that still didn’t fit correctly, you may wind up with open sores. To prevent infection, keep these sores clean and covered so that they can heal. This can be difficult if your shoes are creating additional sores. Open wounds require medical attention. Please see a doctor.        Claw and hammer toes Remember that it is not just the width of your foot that swells, it’s all of the foot, including your toes. Cramming your foot into a wide shoe might force your toes into an uncomfortable vice as they swell throughout the day. Scrunched up toes are not good for you, and over time they can take on an unnatural appearance and become painful claw or hammer toes. Your toes need room to spread out in your shoes, especially since they spread naturally when you walk and help maintain balance.       Ingrown toenails Another condition caused by squeezing your toes into shoes that wind up too small by the end of the day are ingrown toenails. Your toenail is under pressure inside your shoe as well, and this can cause the toenails to grow incorrectly. Often ingrown toenails require surgical or at least medical intervention that can be extremely painful as the doctor must “dig out” the toenail to remedy the problem. You can prevent ingrown toenails by cutting your toenails straight across, and by – of course – wearing shoes that fit properly.        Corns and calluses Calluses and corns, the hard build up of skin on your feet, are caused by shoes that create friction. You can easily build up a corn or callus wherever your shoe rubs in a repetitive way. You might develop corns on the sides of your feet and calluses can develop on the soles of your feet. While not painful in their own right, they can create additional fit issues with shoes for swollen feet.       Bunions A bunion is a bone deformity that is either hereditary or can also be caused by wearing shoes that are too tight. When shoes are too tight, it can exacerbate this problem. The bones in the foot are squashed together and eventually the big toe is pushed toward the other toes. When this happens, the bone at the base of the big toe is forced outward and a bump is created.  This bump of bone, or bunion, protrudes into the side of your shoe making your foot even wider and making shoes even more uncomfortable. Bunions can become painful and can sometimes require surgery to correct.        Lack of mobility Staying active, even moderately active, is required to remain healthy. If you can’t find shoes for swollen feet that are comfortable, you won’t be able to leave your home safely to get to work, to walk the dog, to drive to the store or take care of any of your responsibilities.   Finding the Right Shoes for Swollen Feet So if buying wide shoes for swollen feet isn’t the right solution, what is?  Feet need space to grow during the day, especially if you are dealing with edema and significant swelling in your legs, ankles and feet. Even if you buy ultra wide shoes, swollen feet can still wind up constrained and you can risk long-term damage.  Wide shoes for swollen feet aren’t the answer. Adjustable shoes are. You may be thinking that almost every athletic shoe or lace-up boot is an adjustable shoe, but those are not the right shoes for swollen feet. You can lace your tennis shoes more loosely, but that is only going to give the tops of your room more room – it doesn’t give you more room in the right places. Feet that swell throughout the day are most comfortable in a shoe specifically designed to accommodate edema. These specialized shoes are not just wide shoes for swollen feet, they are made from stretch fabrics and contain adjustable features that can widen the shoe as needed throughout the day. Adjustable stretch shoes for swollen feet are created to grow with your feet throughout the day. A combination of adjustable straps and laces coupled with discrete Velcro adjustment options allows you to enlarge your shoes with your feet as the day goes on. In the morning, when your feet have lost the swelling again, you can adjust the shoes down a size or two to fit again comfortably.   Stylish shoes for swollen feet Slippers or house shoes might feel like comfortable shoes for swollen feet, but they aren’t an option you can wear to work or out socially. Some adjustable or stretch shoes resemble house shoes, but they don’t provide support.. There are stylish adjustable shoes for swollen feet as well. With neutral colors and stylish designs, you can buy adjustable, extra wide women’s shoes for swollen feet that are well constructed, high-quality and indistinguishable from other trendy shoe designs. The same is true for adjustable extra wide men’s shoes for swollen feet as well. Unlike slippers or house shoes, a professionally designed and crafted adjustable shoe will fit correctly, protect your feet even as they swell throughout the day and offer you the necessary support to cushion your feet but remain solid for walking outside or inside hard-floored buildings. After all, walking without adequate support can lead to physical problems even greater than foot pain and blisters.  If you’ve been settling for ill-fitting wide shoes for swollen feet, know that you aren’t limited by traditional styles and designs. Swollen feet aren’t just wide feet. You need proper shoes for swollen feet, and that means shopping from companies that specialize in innovative designs created to protect sensitive feet and ankles while providing the flexibility and support you need to stay active all day long. 

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 may be a gamble that results in an extra trip to the post office to return an ill-fitting shoe. Enter the Pandere Fit Specialist. We know first-hand how challenging it is to find shoes that fit well, whether you’re shopping online or in person. That’s why Pandere offers Fit Specialists whose passion it is to find the right shoe for your foot. Here are 5 reasons why you should chat with a Pandere Fit Specialist. 1. Fit Specialists are real peopleThere’s nothing worse than needing answers and trying to communicate with a bot. Our Fit Specialists are real, living humans sipping coffee at their desks and wearing Pandere shoes, of course. They are part of our core team here at Pandere and are passionate about matching you with the right shoe. 2. Fit Specialists guide you to the right shoe for your footEveryone’s feet are different and Pandere is dedicated to finding the right shoes for your unique feet. Each of Pandere’s styles are engineered to accommodate a variety of foot conditions, including but not limited to swelling, bunions, hammertoe, plantar fasciitis and extra wide feet. Whether you have a medical condition or two differently sized feet, are pregnant, work on your feet all day, have extra wide feet, or are just looking for the ultimate comfort shoe, our knowledgeable Fit Specialists know our shoes inside and out and can help guide you to the right shoe. 3. Fit Specialists provide more in-depth information about our stylesBecause no two feet are alike, our Fit Specialists have an in-depth knowledge of Pandere’s styles and can answer questions and provide information customized to your unique needs. Swelling in only one foot? Plantar Fasciitis? High instep or arches? Our Fit Specialists can help. 4. Fit Specialists steer you away from the wrong style You may already have a shoe picked out and added to your cart, but is it the perfect shoe for your foot? Our Fit Specialists are trained to know how your unique foot needs can best be accommodated by one of Pandere’s styles. Returns at Pandere are easy, but we want to help you get it right the first time! 5. Fit Specialists have insider knowledge We always have a few surprises up our sleeve! Whether it’s a new style or size slated for release, an exclusive discount, or a shoe in production designed to accommodate a specific foot need, our Fit Specialists have the inside scoop and may end up guiding you to a forthcoming style or exclusive discount you didn’t know about.  CONNECT WITH A FIT SPECIALIST We have fit specialists that are experts in helping you pick the right shoe. TALK TO A FIT SPECIALIST

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or even Festivus, the holidays are almost here and chances are you’re already searching for the perfect gift for your family and friends. If you’ve landed here, you – or someone you love – struggles to find the perfect shoes. For loved ones with foot swelling, wide feet, bunions or those who are always on the go like nurses or travelers, the holidays are a perfect time to receive the thoughtful gift of comfort, style and renewed freedom. Here’s our guide for how to surprise them with the perfect shoes this holiday season.

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Getting a business idea off the ground and turning it into a successful product is no easy task, but one Alaskan company, Pandere Shoes, was able to do just that. They started by identifying a problem. “I've had difficulty finding shoes to fit my feet for the last 40 years, because I have a medical condition called lymphedema, so one foot is chronically swollen," said Pandere CEO Laura Oden.

Now that you have finally reached the long-awaited milestone of retirement, nothing stands between you and everything you never had enough free time for – travel, golf, gardening, maybe even ballroom dancing. Nothing, that is, except your tired, aching feet. Foot problems are a common complaint among retirees. Like every other part of the body, our feet suffer from the effects of aging too: