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Anodyne: Diabetic footwear company focuses on win-win for providers and patients

By LER Staff

Building a brand

“The solution,” according to Bobby Kanter, CEO of Anodyne, “is to find the right partner.”

There is no question that, over the years, the diabetic footwear market has evolved. For many, dispensing shoes and inserts has become more difficult; however, the solution for providers is not to stop dispensing.

With only a small percentage of at-risk diabetic patients receiving shoes in the first place, putting an end to dispensing will only result in fewer patients being treated properly and more suppliers missing out on an added revenue opportunity.

Having launched the company in spring of 2015, Anodyne’s founders Bobby Kanter, Billy Kanter, Brian O’Reilly, and Justin Polikowski are continuing to provide a much-needed shake-up to the diabetic footwear marketplace. Although it’s only been a year and a half, “Feedback from both patients and suppliers has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Kanter.

As a young, entrepreneurial company, the Anodyne team is excited about the progress they’ve made, but is by no means satisfied.

With a significantly lower return rate than industry standard, and industry-leading turnaround times on both standard and custom orders, Anodyne has made it a point to reduce office time spent on dispensing.

“I know it may sound grandiose and perhaps even ridiculous to some, but in all honesty, we fully intend on becoming the best diabetic footwear brand in the history of this industry,” Kanter said. “For us, it’s never been about just starting a business, competing with a few other companies, and being content eating our slice of the pie. We started Anodyne to make sure that diabetic patients are getting the best therapeutic shoes that they’ve ever been able to receive, and to make sure that on the service side, suppliers are having the absolute best possible experience they’ve ever had with a diabetic footwear partner.”

Lofty goals are nothing new to the founding team. Bobby and Billy’s father, Rick Kanter, launched the highly successful diabetic footwear company, Dr. Comfort, in 2002, in which O’Reilly and Polikowski were both integral parts of the company’s eventual success. With Anodyne, this team has a blank slate to incorporate their immense depth of knowledge and understanding of the products, services, and pain points associated with dispensing therapeutic shoes. Incorporating all of these meticulous details on both the front and back-ends of their business has allowed them to create a new diabetic shoe brand that they feel is second to none.

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Time is money

By acknowledging the problems and opportunities that exist within the industry, Anodyne has taken it upon itself to revamp and reenergize provider expectations by delivering on the profits and product quality that they have long yearned for.

When providers consider the profitability of their shoe programs, there are a number of underlying costs that can be eliminated or substantially decreased, depending on the company they decide to partner with. Anodyne has made it a point to highlight and minimize these often unforeseen costs. The result has been increased profitability for its partners.

“It’s easy to become short-sighted and fall into a rut of looking strictly at your per pair product cost rather than the overall, end of year profit,” said Kanter. “When you avoid the hassles and runaround, the profits you generate will be measured not only in shoes sold, but in the time saved and patients served.”

With a significantly lower return rate than industry standard, and industry-leading turnaround times on both standard and custom orders, Anodyne has made it a point to reduce office time spent on dispensing.

“In years past, orthotists, physicians, pedorthists and office staff have spent countless hours on the phone, rescheduling patients, waiting on backordered shoes, sending returns back and forth, and the list goes on,” O’Reilly said. “We’re giving that time back to our providers, so that they can spend it with patients, addressing their needs correctly, on the first go-around, with no hoops to jump through.”

Anodyne is making the dispensing experience seamless for the physician and, ultimately, for the patients who need the products most. With industry-best production times, a proprietary iPad scanner app in place of traditional foams or casts, 24-48 hour order turnaround times, and service-oriented attention to detail and resolution, Anodyne has found itself on the forefront of a diabetic industry desperately in need of a makeover.

Win-win

In 2017, the team plans to expand their distribution, optimize their iPad scanning app, launch more shoe styles, and introduce a line of slippers. Most of all, the company will aim to continue to build awareness for the brand while expanding distribution into offices across the U.S., and beyond.

“Our goal is ‘improvement.’ As individuals, as a team, and as a brand, we’re committed to adapting and evolving. Based on the environment that we’re in, we are and will continue to do absolutely everything we can, to make sure that the shoe program is a win-win for both our providers and their patients,” exclaimed Kanter.

Article sponsored by Anodyne.

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