The variety of boots this fall is virtually endless: flats, heels, wedges, lace-ups, buckle-straps, laceless, rugged, girly, rock ‘n’ roll, etc. Every woman can find one (or two or three) she wants, but wading through all the options can take quite a while.

So to make browsing more bite-sized, we’ve decided to offer several quick samplers of Ped’s boots, arranged by height. Every blog post for the next few days will be like a tasting menu—or boot tapas, if you will! Enjoy! It’s all delicious!

Today’s installment focuses on ankle boots that are barely boots (they just made the height requirement to get on the coaster). Sometimes called “shooties” because they walk the fine line between shoes and booties, these designs may have short shafts, but they’re long on style!

Since we were singing the praises of Pep Monjo yesterday, let’s start with a sweetheart from the company he founded, the Argila Anna:

Like a femmed-up version of a motorcycle boot, the Anna charms with a perforated design over the toe and a supple front, pinked at the top and cinched into a loose ruffle by the buckle strap. Pretty and practical, this little boot goes with everything!

Another versatile beauty is Coclico’s Rilke:

We love the tie and tongue at the back—it’s always fun to give those behind you something to see! Plus, the Rilke is made of the softest grey suede imaginable!

Looking for something with a little more va-va-va voom? See what you think of Cydwoq’s Elevate:

This is one of our favorite new styles from Rafi and Ari at Cydwoq! The serpentine curves and mix of leathers is simply spectacular! Choose from either brown and silvery faux croc (pictured) or black and burnout paisley pony (perfect for you steampunk lovers).

Nice, you say, but you want a boot with “go big or go home” boldness! Well, Cydwoq’s Indies has that and then some:

Rock ‘n’roll, sister! Cydwoq’s riveted red lace-up will have everyone wishing they were in your boots!

These are just a few of the low-riding lovelies over at Ped’s main site. (For instance, we know we just showed you the Fiorentini + Baker Celia a few days ago, but it really is worth oohing and aahing over again!)

Be sure to come back tomorrow when we take things up an inch or two!

Ped fans, you know how it goes: you’re window shopping on the Internet when you run across a shoe or a bag that makes your heart beat faster. You think, “Oooh, I LOVE that!”  Then you quickly rein yourself in with the follow-up question, “But what would I wear it with?

We know certain styles and colors may seem daunting. Chances are, though, they’re easier to wear than you think! To help you see the possibilities and spur your imagination, we offer a few visual prods below.

All the gals at Ped HQ are committed to ease—the less fuss in getting ourselves out the door, the better. With that in mind, each of the following five ready-to-go outfits consist of only four elements.

Here Vialis’s Claudette peep-toe clog offers an ideal complement to the the textural interest of the drape-y top and skirt. Add the Cydwoq Cedar Bag in turmeric, and all the colors become richer! Easy and elegant.

Maybe you want to incorporate a mod Mad Men-esque look into your wardrobe?

It’s all about geometry and balance! We love the chunky-heeled Coclico Vidal paired with this fun shift dress! Square everything up with Fiorentini + Baker’s sleek Milano Shopper and Jamie Joseph’s Smoky Quartz Ring. (Did we mention every Ped item in this look is on sale?)

If you have a penchant for black and your aesthetic trends toward urban sophistication, why not give it an artistic edge?

Riveting (literally)! Cydwoq’s versatile Bright Bag and Trippen’s fantastic Agave sandal boot anchor the dazzling patterns of the skirt and jacket. Sure, it’s “a lot of look,” as Tim Gunn would say, but it’s a lot of look we like!

What’s that? You say you simply want something comfortable to dash from class to lunch and then off to run errands? No problem!

Easy as pie and just as tasty! Fiorentini + Baker’s Ding Clog‘s fringe echos the movement of the striped skirt, and the Dean Towner Bag makes an ideal everyday satchel.

Maybe you’d like to amp up the femininity for a garden party or date night? If so, florals and jewel tones are your best friends!

Although not exact matches (that would look twee), Dean’s green suede Thimble Bag, Jamie Joseph’s Orange Chalcedony Ring, and Accessoire’s Sagan in the prettiest shade of dahlia all work with the dress’s colorful palette!

And to demonstrate the versatility of these styles, imagine how terrific  F+B’s Ding Clog from outfit #4 would look with the shift dress in the second outfit, or how beautiful outfit #1’s Vialis Claudette would be with the skirt in outfit #4. Feel like creating edgy contrast? Then envision pairing the Trippen Agave from outfit #3 with either outfit #1 or #5! Fun and unexpected!

A great way to figure out how a tempting shoe or bag might work with your wardrobe is to play around—like we did—at Polyvore!

(Speaking of tempting bags, this week’s Sweet Treat is Cydwoq’s Flap Bag! Get Flap happy for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will take you to the Flap Bag with a magic code to enter at checkout.)

School’s out. The grass is green. Fireflies light up the evening. There’s so much to enjoy in June! So we thought we’d do our part to fuel the June love by kicking off the Ped Summer Sale!

Had your eye on a sweet temptation? Chances are its price just got nicer! Behold a sample of the sunny bargains:

Accessoire has such a colorful way with suede! We especially love how they tie everything up with a bow on the vintage-inspired Sagan:

Beautiful at $328, it’s even lovelier at $262!

Speaking of vintage looks, you can rock the retro in an ultra-modern way by buckling up Coclico’s Valencia:

Patchwork leather? Sculpted wooden heel? Far out! Swinging at $358, it’s even more righteous at $286!

If you prefer to keep your heels on the ground, one of the best flats this season is the Cydwoq Malba:

Talk about an ankle of interest! Delicious at $246, it’s even tastier at $196!

Another sassy ankle-strap design from Cydwoq (with a little more “lady” to it) is the Volcano:

The textured leather is fantastic—what a way to express artistic style in any situation! Hot lava at $298, the Volcano is positively explosive at $238!

Taking things a little higher, a neutral that’s sexy as all get-out is Fiorentini + Baker’s Nene:

Here’s a guarantee: all eyes will be on you in this suede knockout! Glamorous at $498, the Nene‘s star quality shines even brighter at $398!

Looking for something more everyday and more go-everywhere? Consider the Vialis Claris:

So much more than your average clog, this streamlined Spanish beauty will work with everything in your wardrobe. Fab at $198, it’s even more of a treasure at $158!

As dessert to this smorgasbord of sale delights, behold one of our favorites of the season: Fiorentini + Baker’s luscious Floss!

Supple green leather in a retro-licious style crafted by those Italian masters at F+B—GORGEOUS! Every head will turn! Worth every penny at $398, it’s a green dream at $298!

More wonderful styles at fresh prices are flying out the door at Ped’s main site. So snag a deal to keep your sunny side up all summer long!

(And don’t forget about this week’s oh-so pretty Sweet Treat: the Cydwoq Climax! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to land at the Climax with the magic code that will bring 20% off at checkout! )

Ped fans, it’s time for our bi-annual flash discount!!! Through this Friday, May 11, just enter “MAYDAY” at checkout and receive 20% off all full-price goods!

Something catch your eye on the Ped color wheel? Here’s how to reach it (clockwise from F+B’s fabulous green shoe at the top): Fiorentini + Baker Eliza Oxford, Argila Allie, Fiorentini + Baker Ding Clog, Coclico Yoni, Trippen Bora, Vialis Claudette, and Cydwoq Cobra.

Have fun shopping for ways to sashay through May (and June and July and August…) ! Remember, the discount code is pffft after Friday, May 11.

Fashion history is a treasure trove! Forward-thinking designers regularly sift through the past to recover earlier trends to reinterpret with a modern edge.

This season some of the best new shoes have their roots in the righteous ’70s, when women’s fashion took a turn for the bold! The precarious stilettos and tight-waisted “Suzy homemaker” dresses of the 1950s and early ’60s stepped aside for chunky heels worn out and about with minis, midis, and pantsuits! Refreshing then! Refreshing now!

Behold a few of the new designs that celebrate the sexy confidence of 1970s’ style!

One of the sunniest interpretations of the spirit of the ’70s is Argila’s Allie!

We are wild about the combination of the buckled and tasseled front (so vintage!) with the hand-cut and sanded wooden heel! And the color? You just have to smile!

Of course, Chie Mihara is the reigning queen of retro-licious beauty! Check out the  ’70s sensibility  of this season’s Xeroco:

The buckles add just the right punctuation to the broad straps! The sexiness is no-nonsense and take-no-prisoners! Devastating in the best kind of way!

Another great Chie ode to the 1970s is the Rumi (a perennial Ped favorite):

Ped’s Laura swears her fashion-forward mother had a pair of identical shoes back in the 1970s! Beautiful as they may have been, Laura’s mom’s couldn’t hold a candle to the Rumi because the modern version features Chie Mihara’s signature padded footbed, the ultimate in comfort! (Ask anyone)!

Coclico also riffs on the leather patchwork so popular in the ’70s in its Valencia:

What a looker! Absolutely distinctive yet ultra-versatile. Note the subtle curve of the chunky wooden heel—Coclico is always attentive to the details!

Coclico’se retro-sassy Vidal also features this gorgeous heel:

Talk about a statement shoe! The way the back strap and hardware twins the strap and hardware over the instep is ingenious!

Coclico also takes a tip from the 70s in its cork platform designs, like the Melania:

Light and comfortable, this beauty updates the vintage look of a platform wedge by creating it in the most modern of colors: flint grey!

Another stunning cork-soled number is Fiorentini + Baker’s swinging Ding Clog:

So fun, this fringed clog is crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail as F+B’s famous boots! The Ding was love at first sight for Ped’s Laura—she immediately bought it and has been wearing it nonstop! (She loves the terra cotta color of the Indian Red, but we also have the Ding in black, if that’s more your thing.)

Speaking of clogs, Trippen’s Strahl exemplifies what can happen when a designer takes retro inspiration and runs with it:

The Strahl‘s spark lies in the 1970s, but this work of art’s fireworks are thoroughly modern! We adore how the teal edges of the black leather are echoed in the patina of the rivets and the rubber on the outsole.

So, get in the mood by listening to James Brown’s 1972 hit, and then literally “Get on the Good Foot!” Your style will be far out! Dig it!

(Psst, another groovy design, though not ’70s inspired, is Fiorentini + Baker’s Pia boot, which is this week’s Sweet Treat. Make its gorgeousness yours for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will whisk you to the Pia, with the magic discount code to enter at checkout! What a great way to step into spring!)