Ped fans, take a short break from holiday preparations or online ordering to watch this great video about our beloved Cydwoq, which we found posted at shoes.tv.

Isn’t Ari a doll? He’s the designer behind a lot of the latest styles coming out of Cydwoq, working alongside his dad, Rafi, as a true father-son team! Whenever we hear them talk about their philosophy and the effort they put into their shoes, it makes us so proud to carry Cydwoq! We’ve added a few new designs recently and gotten some of your favorites in new colors, so check out the freshest Cydwoq on the sidewalk:

You know by now that the oxford is the shoe of the moment, but Cydwoq’s Classic Oxford is really something special:

As Ari points out in the video, what sets Cydwoq apart is the cut and construction of the leather, as well as the internal architecture, which is so apparent in the way this oxford is put together. When I saw this design for men, I begged Rafi to adapt it for women, and he did! We love!

Another Cydwoq men’s design we cajoled Rafi into doing for women is the Sparta:

What a great lace-up bootie in beautiful washed grey leather! The Sparta’s so practical—easy to wear on all kinds of outings, and it’s sassy with skirts as well as stellar with jeans. (Bet you wish you’d had this number on when you went to pick out your tree!)

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere unchallenged by wintry snow and ice (or if you carry your cool shoes with you to slip into after you’re out of your galoshes), you can’t beat Cydwoq’s brand new Smile Mary Jane for all-season cuteness:

Such a winner in every way, from the stylish ankle strap to the comfortable toe construction! If you have the good fortune to be going on a mid-winter vacation, this is the shoe to pack; it will take you through sightseeing during the day and out to dinner at night. Your tired feet will thank you for keeping them happy!

On the other hand, if what you really need is a good boot, you can’t go wrong with Cydwoq’s new Flood:

This Flood has everything to like: a practical mid-calf height; four adjustable buckles that require no fuss, thanks to an inside zipper; and twin exposed seams running up the back! Plus, the leather is emerald green!!! (You know how I love green…)

As for new colors, we now have the oh-so-chic Pi Bootie in antique silver (oo-la-la):

And the go-everywhere Buckle flat now comes in a to-die-for blue marble:

So whether you’re new to Cydwoq or a long-time fan, it’s a terrific time to indulge in a new pair! There’s nothing like shoes that feel good and that you feel good about wearing—which is the very essence of Cydwoq!

Here at Ped HQ, we’re always curious to know how Ped fans mix and match their Ped purchases with other treasures they already own. Longtime Ped customer, Debi T. in Georgia, took the time to tell us:

I wanted to thank you again for having the perfect Jamie Joseph rings, that I could match up to very special bracelets I have been given by my son and husband.
The oval turquoise ring is a perfect match with a bracelet my son bought me in Kathmandu last year. Just think, they were made on opposite sides of the world! Amazing! I get many compliments on the pair, with lots of questions about where I got those gorgeous pieces!

The pink quartz oval ring I matched with a treasure of a bracelet my husband bought me in Bethlehem, Israel three years ago. The bracelet links are made from ancient Roman glass in varying colors of pink and blue. I couldn’t have found a better match for that bracelet than the pink quartz ring.

I absolutely LOVE my Jamie Joseph rings!!! Thank you Dayna for loving what I love!

P.S. Last weekend I attended the annual “Midwives Alliance of North America” conference, and wore my Trippen “Holy” boots. A midwife who traveled all the way from Africa commented that she loved my boots and wanted to know where I got them. She was glad for the information. I don’t know if you will get an order from Africa or not, but now they know!

Beautiful Debi T. in her Jamie Joseph rings and Trippen Holy Boots. (Of course, what really sparkles is her lovely smile!)

We’re so grateful you’re spreading the Ped love, Debi! To thank Debi for telling us how she wears her Ped and for letting others know where she shops, we’re giving her $100 in Ped credit!

Do you have a Tale of the Sole? Tell us—and show us (we LOVE pictures!!!)—what happened to you while wearing a Ped item, and you, too, might be the recipient of $100 in Ped credit. Each month we pick the most sole-ful tale to share on the blog. So, let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!

(By the way, the “Sweet Treat” this week is Cordani’s retro-gorgeous Remy heel! Get 20% off this beautiful shoe by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Remy, where you will find the discount code! So, save a little money, slip your foot into the Remy, and suddenly have all the glamour of a 1940s movie star! Don’t be surprised if someone asks you for your autograph…)

As you Ped fans know, we’re always on the lookout for new shoes and treasures to add to the Ped family. But our standards are almost impossibly high. Our checklist includes ethical and environmentally responsible production, exquisite craftsmanship (preferably by hand), first-rate materials, unusual design, style for miles, and comfort!

Which is why we are beside ourselves with joy to welcome Vialis into the Ped house!

Founded in Barcelona in 1996, Vialis (pronounced Vee-alis) quickly became known throughout Europe for beautifully made shoes designed to meet the demands of modern stylish women. Vialis’s shoe salons in Spain and France became shopping destinations, and in 2004, the company introduced their shoes to the global market. Opening eyes with unmistakable Spanish flair, every Vialis style is constructed from carefully selected leathers and other materials, meticulously put together by hand to create a show that feels just as spectacular as it looks!

Take a gander and you’ll see why we’re wowed!

Since our previous blog post was all about oxfords, let’s start with Vialis’s unconventional take on the classic:

Wow! The Mila shoe is simply the coolest thing going! So urban and edgy, its design suggests an oxford but foregoes the laces. You can tell how supple the leather is simply by looking at the picture (it’s that buttery)!

Moving on to our other must-have style of the season, Vialis puts an equally interesting spin on the ankle boot. First up, the Rambla:

So many things to like: the wooden heel, the exposed nail heads so perfectly placed, the folded-over cuff, and the double-D ring brass buckle in back (which you don’t even have to undo because Vialis has cleverly hidden elastic inserts to let you slip in and out of this bootie in a flash)! Color us enamored!

Perhaps your black bootie quota is filled, and you’re looking for a brown number instead. Then drink in the Guell:

Of course, we love the hand-cut wooden heel, but our favorite design element is the double-layer cuff /collar of this lace-up beauty. You have the option of wearing it down and letting the interior suede show or wearing it up, so it curves around the back of your ankle just so. Either way, people are going to want to steal the boots off your feet! (Don’t fall asleep on the train.)

Perhaps you’ve noticed at Ped HQ we’ve recently developed a thing for blue leather. We can’t get enough, and Vialis is happy to fuel our new passion with the Marcella bootie:

The acme of chicness! The combination of seaming and grosgrain piping gives this minimal boot maximal style! And, needless to say, the blue color is to die for.

Taking things a little taller, Vialis has created one of our favorite mid-calf boots ever:

The way Vialis combines a rich brown leather front with a caramel suede back in the Barceloneta Boot is so eye-opening! Ped’s Laura is beside herself with love for this wood-heeled beauty!

But we’ve saved Vialis’s most innovative design for last! Behold the totally rockin’ Fontana Boot:

Sure, it’s a gorgeous boot that’s ideal for chilly days with a faux shearling-lined suede shaft, but you can whip that off by unsnapping it from the bottom and wear the stylish clog-like shoe on its own! In a word, FABULOUS!!!! We love, we love.

The Spaniards certainly know a thing or two about making artistic shoes that are wonderfully feminine and utterly wearable (witness our other Spanish lines, Argila and Chie Mihara), but Vialis has put its distinctive stamp on Spanish style. We’re thrilled to add their winning personality to the Ped lineup!

Sure, ankle boots are all the rage this season (and Ped has some of the best), but the knee-high boot’s lock on style is still solid! A tall boot always adds extra “oomph” to whatever you’re wearing. At Ped, whenever one of us is scratching her head (Terry is exempt from this) about what would look great with a particular outfit, nine times out of 10, the answer is a full-height boot. Effortless but full of impact, tall boots instantly amp up everything, including our positive attitudes!

Here are a few of the to-the-knee (and over) lovelies currently enlivening the Ped house.

Our arty new line from Israel, Couple Of, has one of the coolest boots at the party:

This Elon embodies everything Couple Of does so well: a clean design with a few key details that escalate the interest, all packaged in a meticulously crafted boot that’s as wonderful to wear as it is to see. We love the faux split spat with its topstitched detailing. So cool! Plus, the washed leather and the discreet elastic insert on the inside of the calf make this boot easy on the leg.

If you like your boot to shout a little louder, then take a listen to Cydwoq’s Alpha!

Get down with your bad self—how kickass is this boot? We’re down for the count over how the six nickel silver buckles complement the marbled black leather of this knockout. And word to the wise: adjust the buckles to get an ideal fit for your calf, and then use the inside zipper to whiz in and out of this boot in a flash. (By the way, I bought this one for myself, and I’m going to rock it on the streets of Paris later this week!)

Perhaps you appreciate the take-no-prisoners style of the Alpha, but you want something a little more feminine with a heel. Presented for your approval, the Cydwoq Vintage Kappa:

Be still our boot-loving hearts, this one is over the top! The color—unbelievably beautiful! The design (especially the back)—drop-dead gorgeous! And because the Kappa is from Cydwoq, its heel is placed in the sweet spot directly under your weight for maximum stability and comfort. So much to savor!

On the other hand, there’s a place in every closet for a simple black boot with a sophisticated heel. This season, Coclico’s got just the ticket:

The Niben boot may be minimal, but it’s far from plain! The design is ultra clean, and the stained wooden heel and platform sole give this buffalo leather boot just the right kick. This is a boot to work many ways on any number of occasions, and you’ll always know you look spectacular!

Some of you Ped fans, though, enjoy the high drama, so we’ve saved our true boot diva for last: Fiorentini + Baker’s Beck boot!

Yes, applause, please! What a boot! This gorgeous black number looks terrific cuffed and laced behind your knee, BUT you also have the option of unlacing the back and unfolding the top to create a true over-the-knee boot! So saucy! And so beautifully crafted because it’s from F+B, the Italian wizards of boot-making!

As always, there are many more tall boots to choose from at the main Ped site. So, go get high—it’s perfectly legal!

(Although it’s not up to your knee, this week’s “Sweet Treat” is still delectable! Get 20% off Argila’s Josephine Boot by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Josephine and the sought-after discount code! Laceless is riveting!)

Ped fans, remember when I told you last spring that I was bringing several new lines to Ped? You’ve already met Couple Of! Now let me introduce you to the wondrous Ellen Verbeek!

Based in Belgium, Ellen Verbeek designs eye-opening shoes and boots, which she entrusts to master craftsmen in Italy to make, knowing they will meticulously attend to every detail. She takes a playful attitude to creating feminine shoes designed for real women—i.e every style feels as good as it looks! She uses only vegetable-tanned leathers and is a stickler for details, paying attention to clean lines and balance in her designs. Known for her wooden heels, Ellen Verbeek has mastered the ability to combine elegance, sex appeal, and innovation!

See for yourself!

Ellen’s Angeline Bootie left us gobsmacked at last spring’s European shoe show:

Unlike anything else we’ve seen, this ankle boot radiates modern sophistication! The lines are so clean, and the cutouts perfectly placed for a flirty flash of skin, colorful tights, or funky knee-highs. But the thing that really makes this boot work is Ellen Verbeek’s exquisite wooden wedge heel with its leather detailing. Delicious!

This lovely heel also spices up the Elise Bootie:

The caramel leather of this lace-up is so supple that it’s almost sinful (but it’s not, so no penance required!). The collar folds down just so, and we’re crazy about the brass grommets and rivets that structure the lacing.

If you’re looking for a taller boot, Ellen’s signature wedge heel also supports the mid-calf Karlina Boot:

We are always on the lookout for minimal black boots that have something extra to keep them from being boring. The Karlina illustrates just what we mean because it’s quiet yet explosive with style! Utterly elegant and versatile, this is the boot to wear everywhere.

Another wonderfully versatile boot in Ellen Verbeek’s lineup is the Camille:

A chunkier wooden heel gives an air of ruggedness to this caramel beauty’s sophisticated styling. Meanwhile inside, the leather lining and padded footbed give your foot the posh treatment it deserves!

As we said, utterly gorgeous! We are so glad to welcome our Belgian sole sister, Ellen Verbeek, into the Ped family! Trust us, you’re going to love her!

(In case you haven’t checked it out yet, the “Sweet Treat” this week is Couple Of’s Ava Oxford! Get 20% off this shoe that gives wrinkles a good name by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Ava, where you will find the discount code! One of the coolest oxfords in the Ped house!)