Ped fans, we hear it all the time: “I love those shoes, but I’m not sure what I’d wear them with…” We understand—the last thing you want is to buy a knockout pair of shoes only to have them languish in the closet! But chances are even the most offbeat color or bold design is easier to wear than you think. Here are a few ideas for how to make things work.

On the other hand, you may prefer your style more muted. Even so, you can still wear a sandal boot and have it look smashing:

All these outfits were created at Polyvore.com, which offers a wonderful way to try out items together when you’re shopping online. It’s also just plain fun! So, if you fall in love with a shoe, don’t resist; in the words of Tim Gunn, you can “make it work.”

(By the way, we’re pretty sure you could make lots of things work with this week’s “sweet treat,” Cordani’s Erin. Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to get 20% off this fresh espadrille platform!)

Blue skies. The deep blue sea. Bluebirds. Blueberries. Some of the most wonderful things in nature are blue!

Here at Ped, we have quite a thing for blue. We love how it’s simultaneously dreamy, peaceful, and uplifting. (Not to mention romantic—there’s a reason why brides carry “something blue.”) Shades like turquoise add a jolt of color! Others, such as grey-blues, are nearly neutral and quietly add style.

Here’s a juicy sample of the many hues of blue at Ped.

Cydwoq sandals are de rigueur for the summer because they’re artistic and supremely comfortable. This season we decided to offer Cydwoq’s Hook in blue:

I bought this sandal myself in brown  a couple seasons ago, but this new blue version has turned my head. If you’re looking for the perfect companion to take on vacation, the Hook makes an ideal sight-seeing friend!

Another favorite shoe that we’ve refreshed in blue is Chie Mihara’s Vaive:

A cluster of violet-blue rosettes blooming on a heeled lace-up oxford—yes, please!!! The Vaive is the way to take your style to work!

Maybe you want something that’s airier than an oxford but not quite as breezy as a sandal? Then drink in the lovely blueness of Cydwoq’s new Border:

This wooden-heeled beauty is sophisticated enough for serious occasions, but it still let’s you celebrate that it’s summer outside! You’ll be as pretty as a bluebell!

If there’s one thing on which all Ped fans agree, it’s the fabulousness of Fiorentini + Baker boots. Meet Eden, the latest member of the Ped F+B family:

This boot’s a slice of blue paradise! Imagine how great it would look with a white prairie skirt and camisole on a hot summer day! Although the Eden danced out of the Ped warehouse as soon as it arrived, we have more on the way. Let us know if you’d like to be notified when the next shipment of Eden lands.

But there’s more blue than just shoes at Ped. Drink in the beauty of the linen Seville scarf that just arrived from Sophie Digard in Paris:

A lacy wonder, this scarf’s sky-blue background makes all the other colors sing so harmoniously! As with every Sophie design, we suggest you zoom, zoom, zoom at the Ped site to appreciate the intricate artistry of the work.

One way to keep a blue sky with you, no matter what the weather, is to slip a Jamie Joseph ring on your finger. Then you can just look at your hand for a little pick-me-up. One of our favorites is her Rainbow Moonstone ring:

The stone’s depth and luminosity are so spellbinding!

Finally, opening your wallet becomes a much less stressful experience when it’s made of wonderful blue leather:

“Yvs Klein Blue” is our new favorite color for 49 Square Miles’ Clingy Wallet!

Oh, and by the way, you can get this week’s Sweet Treat—Cydwoq’s Flap Bag—in teal, which is the loveliest blue green!

Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of this page (or any Ped page) to be whisked to the Flap, where a magic code awaits to enable you to knock 20% off the price at checkout.

So, head over to the Ped site to find your favorite blue to help you keep the blues at bay. Only blue skies for Ped fans!

Don’t panic. We’ve all been there! You want to get something really lovely and stylish for that special gal who makes you smile—girlfriend, daughter, wife, BFF, mom, mentor who got you where you are today—but you’re just not sure what size she wears. No problem! Although we love the footwear here at Ped, we also have lots of gorgeous things that require no knowledge of numbers. So, let us offer a few ideas for what we think would make wonderful tokens of your affection.

If you really want to delight someone, you can’t go wrong with a scarf from Sophie Digard, our favorite Parisian textile artist.

Whatever design you select, the work is guaranteed to be dazzling (use the “zoom” feature at the Ped site to appreciate the intricacy of Sophie’s artistry).

Maybe you’re enamored of Mademoiselle Digard but want to give something slightly smaller. Why not one of her wonderful brooches?

So pretty and what a lovely reminder that spring is not too far away!

But, then again, maybe the razzle-dazzle is exactly what you want, in which case, look no further than Jamie Joseph:

Everyone here at Ped HQ—including Terry—adores this Halo Diamond Pendant. What makes it so special is each of the organically shaped silver ovals moves independently, and the diamonds, well, they’re diamonds—need we say more?

If the woman you admire prefers adorning her lobes, we’re also especially fond of these Indian ruby earrings:

They are simply designed yet absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! Jamie’s hand-selected stones are truly out of this world!

Admittedly, jewelry is a rather intimate gift, so if you’re looking for something lovely but a little less emotionally charged, the 49 Square Miles Clingy Wallet may be just the thing:

Practical and luxurious! (Plus, the leather is so soft.)

Speaking of practical, any woman who has a chilly commute or who has to walk across campus when the mercury plunges will thank you profusely for a pair of Rain + Jack wooly arm warmers:

The colors alone will warm her heart.

We’ve also heard toasty toes are the key to winter smiles! Unlike shoes, socks are pretty much one-size-fits-all, and Antipast makes the socks everyone wants because they’re just so darn cute (and warm):

Any chilly day is going to be a lot more fun with pom-poms!

See? No need to worry about measurements or numbers! Everything above is guaranteed to brighten the holidays for your favorite gal!

And if you see something that sings, “my heart’s desire,”  to you—yes, you!— as you browse around Ped’s site, just click the green box that says, “add to favorites.” Then you can e-mail your wish to the people who’d like to make you happy this holiday season!

As Ped fans know, I have a serious thing for green. Nevertheless, when fall rolls around and the green world of summer transforms into a sea of orange, red, purple, and ochre, my heart sings! To celebrate, here’s a tempting array of Ped treasures to put you in the spirit of autumn.

Who doesn’t love the Fiorentini + Baker Emma boot? Well, now we’ve got your favorite in drop-dead gorgeous red:

People in Berkeley will tell you that I practically live in my black Emma’s, and Ped’s Laura has them in caramel. But this red edition may be the prettiest of them all! Combine old-school Italian craftsmanship with red leather and sexy lacing in the back, and you’ve got an unbeatable boot!

I love green, but the color that has Laura’s heart is orange. So, you’ll understand why this Jamie Joseph ring is on her personal wish list:

The stone is orange chalcedony—thought to encourage happiness and a positive attitude—and it’s beautifully set in 14kt gold mounted on a sterling silver band. Why not put a little fire on your finger?

Everyone at Ped Central burst out with oohs and aahs when 49 Square Miles’ fall bags arrived because those SF girls have added “loganberry” to their leather colors. It makes us think of maple leaves and chrysanthemums:

This Starlet Top Zip is a new style for Ped, too. I fell in love with it because not only does the bag embody the best of 49 Square Miles—supple leather, hammered brass hardware, and fantastic detailing—but its two straps also let you choose between wearing it as a short over-the-shoulder or handheld bag and slinging it  across your body courier-style.

Another beautiful new bag in a rich fall color is Cydwoq’s Oak in “Alma brick”:

Cydwoq’s Rafi took his cue for this design from bowling ball bags. We love the clean-lined shape, and, needless, to say the leather is luscious!

But autumn is not without its greens (yay!)—they just tend to be more of the olive and moss variety, as embodied in the Cydwoq Vote:

This is one of those shoes that once you put it on you won’t want to take it off. It’s practical and comfortable yet unlike any other kick-around shoe you’re likely to find.

Maybe, though, you want a shoe that doesn’t just shine with one fall color. You want one that dazzles with a combination of autumnal hues. Chie Mihara has your number:

Ped just added the Gretchen to our Chie lineup, and it’s instantly become one of our favorites! The tan top-stitching and bow are just so pretty with the deep blue suede toe and cocoa suede heel.

Friends, you don’t have to turn your back on black—just spice it up with some seasonal color! You’ll look as fresh as a crisp fall day.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, everyone at Ped HQ shares nostalgia for that back-to-school excitement that used to fill us with a mix of nerves, sadness that summer was over, and elation at seeing our friends again. Those of you who are who involved in education—whether you’re a grad student, prof, or administrator—still get the thrill of the fall transition, while the rest of us simply live vicariously. To help recreate that zesty, anything-could-happen-this-year feeling, we’ve put together a cool-for-school list that also works outside the ivory tower. Take notes!

1) Book bag.

Let’s face it, 49 Square Miles’ Bookworm Slim Tote is in a class of its own. It’s roomy enough to accommodate files, notebooks, and even a small laptop, but it’s not so large that you’ll end up with a back problem from hauling too much across campus or to the office (allow us be your guidance counselor on this one). And the color! If you’re feeling sleepy in your seminar, just look at this beauty for a wake-up call.

2) Go-with-everything shoes.

When you need a shoe that you can wear day in and day out, whether you’re dolled up in a cute skirt or going casual in your sweetheart’s jeans, look no further than the Cydwoq Dance. This super easy flat is schooled in style, yet it’s comfortable enough to race through a mad dash when you’re running late for class or a meeting (and a bit of rubber on the leather sole will keep you on your feet).

3) BGOC (Big Gal on Campus) Boots.

Of course, your classmates and/or colleagues admire your smarts, but it doesn’t hurt to let them ooh and aaah over your style, too. Brains and beauty, yeah, that’s right, you’ve got it ALL going on—a point you can make clearly by skipping from class to meetings to lunch in Cydwoq’s Native Boots. These knockout lace-ups are at once classic and modern and will just get better the more you wear them. Turn those heads!

4) Chilly days scarf.

Fall weather is unpredictable. Warm days turn chilly and vice versa. Let the mercury rise and fall—when you’ve got a soft and cozy wool scarf from Sophie Digard, you’re all set for whatever the day brings. Hand-crocheted and Parisian chic, a Sophie scarf is the way to look beautiful and stay toasty! We especially love her Check Square design (although it’s so hard to choose—tomorrow we may have a new favorite)!

With these items in your wardrobe, you’ll be a walking lesson in style!