Living with lymphoedema can present daily challenges - from managing swelling and discomfort, to finding clothing and footwear that truly fits. That’s where Lymphoedema United comes in. Founded by someone with first-hand experience of the condition, this organisation is dedicated to connecting, educating, and empowering those living with lymphoedema.
Cosyfeet is proud to partner with Lymphoedema United, offering members exclusive discounts on our extra roomy footwear, socks, and hosiery designed to provide all-day comfort and support. We’re also delighted to offer VAT relief for those with long-term medical conditions, including lymphoedema.
We recently caught up with Matt Hazledine, Founder of Lymphoedema United, to learn more about his personal story, the organisation’s mission, and how partnerships like ours can make life a little easier - and more comfortable - for people living with lymphoedema.
1. Can you tell us about your own journey with lymphoedema and what inspired you to start Lymphoedema United?
In 2011, at the age of 40, I experienced a severe episode of cellulitis in my left leg, which hospitalised me for two weeks. This triggered lymphoedema, resulting in my left leg being 56% bigger than my right. Lymphoedema is a chronic life-long disease, currently with no cure and it is truly life-changing both physically and mentally. When I was first diagnosed with lymphoedema, it was extremely daunting and isolating because I didn’t know where to go for help. I didn’t know which experts I needed to be referred to and, at that time, neither did my GP. I didn’t know which products were most effective, and I didn’t want to talk about it and when I finally did, I didn’t know who to contact.
During the pandemic in 2020, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my working life. I knew I was passionate about raising awareness of lymphoedema and motivated to fundraise for lymphoedema charities, but was it my purpose? This gave me the idea to create Lymphoedema United, a patient-friendly website, with trusted information written by the experts, product solutions and clothes, along with opportunities to connect with others with lymphoedema. It’s a free membership website with loads of benefits for our members. Our main objective is to help people to live better with lymphoedema.
2. What are some of the biggest day-to-day challenges for people living with lymphoedema, especially when it comes to finding footwear that fits comfortably and looks good?
I have discussed this with many members of Lymphoedema United and the same challenges are mentioned regularly. These include sourcing properly fitting compression garments, avoiding a serious infection called cellulitis and repeat occurrences, and finding clothes and shoes that look good and fit well. Lymphoedema causes the limb(s) to swell, sometimes significantly bigger in size than a non-affected limb. Therefore, it is often very difficult, and for some it is impossible, to buy clothes and shoes ‘off the rack’ in a shop or online. This can mean wearing baggy, non-flattering clothes to hide the swelling, or buying wide-fit trainers or shoes with adjustable straps to allow for the increased size of one or both feet.
Well-fitting footwear in and out of the home is so important for all of us. It is advised not to walk around in bare or socked/stockinged feet, as this provides no protection and increases the risk of breaking the skin, which can potentially result in infection, in particular cellulitis. Wearing sturdy slippers or house shoes, provides vital protection for our feet. It is also very important to wear comfortable shoes that do not rub, and cause blisters, which can break the skin, leaving it vulnerable to infection. Shoes which are suitable for people with lymphoedema are available from a variety of retailers, including Cosyfeet.
3. Lymphoedema United has partnered with Cosyfeet to help support your members. How did that partnership come about, and what makes Cosyfeet’s footwear, socks and hosiery such a good match for your community?
People with lower limb lymphoedema, especially with swollen feet, often struggle to find comfortable shoes that fit and provide adequate support. When I was first diagnosed with lymphoedema, my therapist gave me a Cosyfeet brochure and I have been aware of the company ever since. Cosyfeet is a good fit for the lymphoedema community as they provide a wide range of styles, designs and sizes to accommodate people with swollen feet. Cosyfeet contacted me to find out more about Lymphoedema United and the work we do within the community. They were keen to support us, and we were delighted to be able to add Cosyfeet to our Meet the Suppliers section of the website, showcasing a selection of products from their comprehensive range. Our members can receive 10% off all products purchased using the unique Lymphoedema United discount code, in addition to 20% off if they qualify for VAT relief, available to patients living with this chronic condition.
4. From your own personal experience, how can wearing properly fitting, extra-roomy footwear, like Cosyfeet’s, make a real difference to comfort, mobility, and confidence?
The noticeable benefit from wearing properly fitting shoes primarily, is comfort. When my feet get warm or hot, they swell, and if I’m wearing ‘normal’ shoes that don’t have some extra ‘wiggle room’ my affected foot becomes painful, especially when driving. The pain can be unbearable and cause me to get out of the car, usually at a motorway services, and walk around for a bit. In some cases, I have to take my shoe off completely if I am a passenger. Wearing a Class 4S compression garment exacerbates this problem, as it is quite thick and I usually wear socks over the top, so there isn’t much room left in my shoes. Therefore, if I am travelling long distances, I tend to wear loose fitting trainers or wider fitting shoes to try and prevent this from happening. Wide fitting shoes or trainers, such as Cosyfeet's, have extra room to accommodate increase in swelling definitely provide more comfort and assist with mobility.
5. Your membership offers exclusive discounts on Cosyfeet products, and we also offer VAT relief on footwear. Why do you believe it’s important for you to provide your members with both practical support and financial benefits like this?
One of the core objectives of Lymphoedema United is to offer solutions and ideas to its members. With the Meet the Suppliers section of the website, we have information from suppliers of compression products or aids, along with clothes and shoes. Having lymphoedema is expensive, and in the early months/years I purchased so many products that I thought would help me, including numerous pairs of jeans and shoes. Unfortunately, many weren’t suitable for me, which meant returning them to the retailer, often at my own cost. Therefore, my mission was to feature trusted companies who are recognised for supplying quality products to people with lymphoedema.
On joining Lymphoedema United, our members are given a discount code to use with our panel of suppliers for as long as they collaborate with us. This obviously reduces the cost to the member, and reduces the time spent searching the internet to purchase appropriate products. In addition to signposting our members to trusted products and saving them money, it is important to inform them that they can apply for VAT relief and save a further 20%, on top of the 10% member’s discount. This provides a significant saving during a financially challenging time for many people in the UK.
6. Cosyfeet have been proud corporate sponsors of the Lymphoedema Support Network since 2003. How do collaborations like this help raise awareness and strengthen the support available for people living with lymphoedema?
Patient organisations like Lymphoedema United and the Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) are extremely grateful for the support offered by companies like Cosyfeet. It is important for corporate sponsors to work with patient organisations and to collaborate on projects, to further raise awareness of lymphoedema and the daily challenges of people living with this incurable lifelong condition. It is equally important to help people affected by this disease to find trusted product solutions that help with their daily challenges. Finding comfortable wide fitting shoes is an excellent example of improving the quality of life for so many. By working together, we can continue to raise awareness of lymphoedema to the wider community and highlight trusted products to help people to live better with lymphoedema.
7. What role do you see partnerships between patient-led organisations and brands like Cosyfeet playing in helping people feel seen, supported, and understood?
For many years, some companies that provide medical garments or products specifically for people with lymphoedema have used picture-perfect catalogue models who do not have the condition that their product is aimed at helping.
We should be able to visually relate to the models who truly represent the disease, Cosyfeet are to be applauded for demonstrating a compassionate visual understanding of their customers’ needs by using people with swollen or bandaged feet in some parts of their catalogue and website. I am delighted that many of the compression companies now use ‘real’ people with lymphoedema in their campaigns, which demonstrates that we are not alone and it’s OK to be seen wearing compression garments with pride, not hiding them under baggy or long clothes. I think this is a tremendous step forward and I would urge other companies, to follow suit and invite those with real problems to get involved in future advertising campaigns.
8. Finally, what’s next for Lymphoedema United? How do you hope to continue growing and working with supportive brands like Cosyfeet, to make a continued difference?
Too many people with lymphoedema feel alone, isolated and sometimes uncomfortable or embarrassed to talk openly about their condition. We are often asked direct questions from strangers, which can feel like an invasion of privacy. Some are prepared to explain, but it can take years to feel confident enough to share your journey. I know this from personal experience and I hear the same thing from many others with lymphoedema - our message to them is ‘You are NOT alone’.
One of our core objectives for 2025/2026 and beyond is to bring people with lymphoedema together, forming local friendship groups across the UK. We have hosted virtual and in-person meet-ups in regions across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales - which have been very successful and welcomed by everyone in attendance.
This gave me the idea to organise Regional Roadshows across the UK, bringing local people together along with the opportunity to Meet the Experts, with several local clinicians attending to form a Q&A panel. In addition, several of our industry partners in the Meet the Suppliers exhibition, showcase products that can improve our quality of life. Finally, we will hold a raffle to raise money for lymphoedema charities. We are also very grateful to Cosyfeet who have supported Lymphoedema United by producing dual-branded brochures and advertising banners to use at these roadshows, (or should they be called roadshoes!?).
Visit Lymphoedema United to find out more.
Through his work with Lymphoedema United, Matt is continuing to raise awareness, build community, and champion practical solutions that help people live well with lymphoedema. At Cosyfeet, we share that same mission - to provide comfort without compromise, supporting those who need a little extra room and a lot of extra care. Together with Lymphoedema United and the wider lymphoedema community, we’re proud to keep making a difference, one step at a time.