I admit I went a little wild this season expanding the Trippen styles Ped carries. But they’re all SO COOL!!! If you haven’t discovered Trippen yet, you really should! Trippen makes the most comfortable shoes out there without looking like anything else around. Based in Germany, Trippen regularly wins international design awards and is committed to making shoes in a socially responsible way. Each Trippen sandal, boot, or shoe is meticulously handcrafted using vegetable-dyed leather. Plus, Trippen is all about function—the polar opposite of pretty-in-the-box-but-hell-on-the-feet (which is the antithesis of Ped’s philosophy, too). Their shoes are beautiful to view and beautiful to wear!

In order to make browsing easier, we’ve created two categories for Ped’s Trippen styles. The shoes and boots under “Trippen Classic” feature cork insoles that mold to your feet and offer Trippen’s tried-and-true, original rubber sole (which we fell in love with years ago). Here are a couple of our latest “Classic” favorites:

The straps on this Trippen Klimt are absolutely ingenious! Plus, the red is so rich.

Honestly, it just doesn’t get much cuter than this Trippen Bound. (You know we have a thing for innovative Mary Janes.)

Meanwhile, our second category, “Trippen Nouveau,” designates styles that sport Trippen’s recent sole innovations, including its lightweight “cups” and “penna” constructions, plus über-chic wedges. The designs are a little edgier, featuring exposed seams, interesting cutwork, and asymmetrical details. But the comfort remains the same! Here are a few “Nouveau” cuties to turn your head:

As soon as Ped’s Laura saw this Trippen Gottin, she had to have it! She’s wild (WILD!) about the turmeric color, and she’s wowed by how comfortable the x-shaped wedge remains after a long day on her feet.

The Trippen Move is another favorite around Ped HQ. Built on the “cups” sole, this blue beauty dazzles with amazing cutwork.

Speaking of cutwork, get a load of the Trippen Fence (so badass in the best kind of way)! Another totally rockin’ wedge style, this ankle boot laces up the back.

Once you buy one pair of Trippen, we guarantee you’ll be back for more. But addiction to Trippen–we call it Trippendency–is one habit that’s healthy to have!

So, Ped fans, I’m two trips down, with one big European foray to go! Last weekend I was in New York City hunting for well-designed things you might enjoy, but I also made time to hang out with old friends. All work and no play is simply not the Ped way! And, honestly, good friends are what make the world go round. 

I thought you might like to see what happened when a bunch of great girlfriends got together for dinner in Brooklyn. It was freeeezzzziiiinnnngggg cold when Amy, Kimmy, Nicole, Becky and I, plus several more friends, made our way to Brooklyn’s Five Leaves, the restaurant backed by the late Heath Ledger.

Most of us are involved in retail: Amy owns Rock Paper Scissors and Scarpa in Charlottesville, Va; Kimmy works for Eileen Fisher, where I get most of my gorgeous sweaters that you see paired with Ped things at the Ped site; Nicole also works for Eileen Fisher and used to work for Ped when we had our store in Seattle, Wa.; and Becky owns Les Amis, my favorite Seattle boutique and the source for most of the clothes you see modeled with the shoes in Ped’s pics. So our conversation is always lively!!

That’s Becky (on the right) with me at Five Leaves. I’m not sure what was up with the camera, but maybe it simply captured the energy of the night! Because after dinner, things got a little crazy out on the street…

Kimmy (on the right), wearing her treasured Cydwoq Sin boots (which are on sale right now, incidentally), and I, in my favorite Fiorentini + Baker Emma boots, decided to kick of up our heels outside the restaurant. Amy called it our “Riverdance”! And none of us could stop laughing! Lunatics, yes, but lovely lunatics in our Ped boots!

There is nothing better on earth than hanging out (and cutting up) with good friends!!! I hope all you Ped heads have as much fun with your circle as I do with mine!

I’m in Las Vegas looking at shoes, but it’s pretty hard not to look at everything else, too (all that neon does draw the eye). Not only are the hotels and casinos wrangling for my attention, but the quickie marriage chapels are aglitter with the promise of love everlasting. They may not be your idea of where to tie the knot (although if you did, you would be in the company of Michael Jordan and Joan Collins, according to the sign at The Little White Chapel). Nevertheless, they’ll be doing bang-up biz this weekend since Valentine’s Day is the most popular day to put a ring on it in LV.

Maybe because I’m a newlywed myself, I’m feeling especially romantic about Valentine’s Day this year. You have to love a day when red and pink rule! So, to celebrate, here’s a sampling of rosy-hued Ped things to put you in a “hearty” mood:

Christopher Kon’s Maggie Holdall adds some sizzle to looking ladylike.

Maybe ladylike isn’t your thing, in which case perhaps Fiorentini + Baker’s ever-popular Eternity boot in red will light your fire!

We showed you the Trippen Tidy in black the other day, but it’s also super sweet in red, red wine.

Orla Kiely’s rose wool scarf offers a way to stay warm and remember that cherry blossoms are just around the corner.

And if you really do want to put a ring on it, Jamie Joseph offers several LOVE-ly options:

From left to right, Jamie’s Indian ruby ring, carnelian ring, and rose quartz ring. 

We hope all these reds and pinks have you feeling warm and fuzzy and in the mood for love!

A heartfelt Happy Valentine’s Day from Las Vegas to Ped’s beloved fans everywhere!

It’s that time of year again—for the next few weeks yours truly will be heading to Las Vegas for the World Shoe Association trade show and then jetting to France and Italy for more Ped shopping. I love hunting for new lines to bring to Ped, but ferreting out those hard-to-come-by items that combine ethical production, superior quality, and unusual style can be exhausting! People who know me can attest to my stamina (just call me “Sporty Spice”!), but I would be lost without comfortable shoes and boots capable of going round-the-clock, carrying me from one trip to the next.

So, meet two of my all-time favorite traveling companions:

There’s a lot of love out there for Fiorentini + Baker’s Eternity Boot (hello, celebrities). And with good reason! Not only is this boot fantastic looking (a little bit of badass in a stylish package), but it also is the pinnacle of comfort. Its construction is hardy enough to withstand hours of walking anywhere you care to take it—convention halls, Manhattan streets, or Parisian boulevards. I particularly love this boot in brown because the color is so versatile. When I don’t have time to think about what to wear, I always buckle up the Eternity boot, knowing I’ll look—and feel—great!

Another excellent style capable of going the distance is Cydwoq’s Seat Bootie:

My favorite thing about this cutie is how light it is! I don’t know about you, but at the end of a long day my feet often feel like they’ve been dipped in lead. But not in the Seat! These boots keep a spring in my step even after hours of traipsing from Point A to Point Z. Because they lace up, they easily adjust if, heaven forbid, your ankles start to swell. And let’s not forget the style factor—these ankle boots look edgy and chic with almost any on-the-road outfit. If you like to show off your tights, you’ll love the tongue-less construction that lets you flash your favorite hosiery for the world to enjoy. (And it doesn’t hurt that the Seat is currently on sale!)

So, I’m off, Ped fans. I’ll continue to blog a bit from the road. And before you know it, I’ll be back with the promise of good things to make you Ped heads smile!

Okay, so perhaps the twice-a-week blogging resolution was a bit ambitious, but I’m determined to move in that direction. The Holidays, however, left everyone at Ped HQ wanting to take a holiday! Fun times but quite exhausting. And since summer sandals are starting to arrive (stay tuned), we’re way over winter already and more in the mood for the beach. Out with cold-weather wares (no matter how gorgeous), and in with things better suited for green grass and flowers (and dining al fresco). So, with that in mind–ta da!–our annual winter sale is on, sisters! As always, those with larger or especially wee feet are more likely to strike gold (isn’t wearing super stylin’ shoes  the best revenge for all your brother’s teasing about the “boats” at the end of your legs?), but even size 38 gals will find things to love.

For instance, mid-season we re-ordered the gorgeous Chie Mihara Bas:

Which means we have quite a range of sizes on hand of this versatile and sexy Mary Jane, but we’ve taken a bit off the top of its price (an attractive trim).

Or consider Cydwoq’s cool Rugged Boot, one of our favorites of the fall season:

Granted, the rivets take a bit of time to do up, but what great impact this boot packs! Plus, it’s flat and comfortable without sacrificing its edge. And we’ve just smacked down the price by 25% !

If you prefer a more classic look, though, guess what? Fortune smiles upon you! As many of you know, we almost never put Fiorentini + Baker on sale, but being in the mood for spring cleaning–albeit, a little early–we thought, “Why not?” So, here’s your chance to buy the F+B Noon Boot without breaking the bank (and eating ramen for a month):

And there are plenty more delicious deals where those come from!