For years I’ve been nudging gals to try boots with summer skirts and dresses because the look is so sassy and fun! Finally, the trend has caught on! Everywhere I turn these days, women are rocking boots with breezy sundresses, light, floaty skirts, and even shorts! Not only do they look fresh and chic, but they’re also not stubbing their toes.

Because we think boots are for all seasons, here are few suggestions for how to kick up your heels while the sun shines!

Ped fans will agree that nobody makes better boots than Fiorentini + Baker! One of the easiest boots to wear with anything and everything is F+B’s Mix:

Everyone goes wild for a motorcycle boot, especially when it’s made of such luscious leather! Plus, the Mix gives you a leg up with its chunky 2″ heel!

Want a little less heel and a little more buckle? Then say hello to F+B’s Emmy (also known as Style 713)!

This beauty also comes in rabbit grey (always a good choice), but we especially love the teal version because it looks so cool (as in river-water cool) with light-colored summer skirts!

Still not enough buckles? Then Fiorentini + Baker’s popular Eternity Boot is your answer!

There’s a good reason why this boot is a perennial object of desire: It looks terrific with EVERYTHING! Plus, it exudes a sexy, badass attitude. Ped offers the Eternity not only in delicious dark brown leather (pictured), but also in black, red, and caramel. All gorgeous!

Perhaps you prefer a sleeker, more minimal look, in which case, drink in the loveliness of F+B’s Bessi Boot:

As Ped fans know, I can’t get enough of green, and I adore F+B’s bonsai green shade! It’s like a refreshing breeze on a sweltering day! Gals who like to enhance their height will also appreciate the Bessi‘s 3″ heel.

Another fabulous minimal boot is F+B’s pull-on Elgin Boot:

Also available in mocha ice suede, the Elgin is easy to wear anywhere with its clean-lined, relaxed design.

Of course, we know for some gals, only a tall boot fits the bill. Our personal favorite is F+B’s Emma:

All of us at Ped HQ own this terrific boot (except Terry, of course—but even he’s an Emma admirer)! Black is classic, but we also carry the Emma in dark brown, red, and caramel (which is, psst, on sale right now).

But if you want to go the opposite direction, and bare a little more skin—it is summer, after all—then Fiorentini + Baker’s Paula is ready to be your warm-weather friend:

We love the Paula’s rock ‘n’ roll attitude with its ruched front and zipper up the back! It’s a knockout in chocolate brown, but Ped also offers it in cool blue and always-right black!

Believe it or not, there are still more boots at Ped’s main site to let you two-step through summer’s delightfully long days! So, give your hot-weather wardrobe a boost with a pair of boots!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is a boot-a-licious sandal: Trippen’s Tarantula! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to reach the Tarantula with the magic discount code that will treat you to a delightful 20% off at checkout!)
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Yesterday I told you about the social side of my March trip to Paris and Milan. Today I’ll fill you in on the trends and style statements I saw at shoe shows in France and Italy. Ped fans, you have a lot to look forward to in the fall! But the GREAT news is Ped is on its game—much of what will be all the rage in a few months is already on the shelves at the Ped warehouse!

Perhaps the most noticeable trend was FUR! It was everywhere—on shoes, on boots, on vests, hanging off of bags, more than I’ve ever seen. Just to whet your appetite, I ordered a version of Cydwoq’s gorgeous Podium boot with fur panels.

That said, ankle boots will continue to hold court next season, so our current version of the Podium is also right on trend:

Cydwoq’s 2″ resin heel is perfect since flats and low heels are going to be in vogue.

If you want to get a jump on the flat bootie trend, consider Vic Matie’s Euro-chic Luisa:

Another trend with staying power is men’s oxfords for women, such as Fiorentini + Baker’s terrific Eliza Oxford:

People were not only wearing their oxfords without socks in Paris and Milan, but fashionistsas were also wearing oxfords and boots with laces and buckles completely undone. All the Japanese buyers were rocking the deconstructed laceless and unbuckled look! If you have a size 36 or 37 foot, you can get ahead of the curve with the Vialis Mila, which Ped currently has on sale. (Lucky you!)

Innovative leather treatments are also going to be a hallmark of next season. Get an eyeful of the variety Cydwoq had on offer to retailers:

Ped fans can also look forward to eye-popping patterned leathers from Chie Mihara and jewel-toned suedes from Accessoire.

Regarding color trends, the new black is definitely GREY, which was all over the place in Europe in all kinds of shades. You can show off your trend-setting savvy right now by stepping out in Vic Matie’s Allegra:

You’ll be doubly cutting-edge in this slate-grey beauty since wooden soles also hold sway next fall. Expect knockout wood-soled styles from Vialis and Ellen Verbeek, too.

Given the style forecast, if you’re fortunate enough to fit into one of our remaining pairs of Ellen Verbeek’s Elise Bootie (on sale!), you’ll be right on trend on three fronts simultaneously:

Simply remove the laces, and you’ll be ultra-chic with a laceless wood-soled bootie! What could be better? And everyone will admire you for being so in the know!

Of course, everyone at Ped Central is excited about the fantastic things I ordered for fall while in Paris and Milan. But I have to say we’re also feeling pretty sassy about having so many cutting-edge styles already in the house! Advantage: Ped fans!
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Here at Ped, we love organic materials—leather, wool, cotton, wood! Plus we we have a sentimental soft spot for clogs. But old-school clogs with wooden soles, are often, um, how shall we say, frumpy? And, as Ped fans know, “frumpy” and Ped simply do not mix!

Fortunately, some of our favorite designers have taken a new turn with wood, creating shoes, clogs, and sandals, where the only adjectives beginning with “f” that spring to mind are fantastic, fabulous, and FUN! Of course, each sole is meticulously cut, sculpted and sanded by hand for maximum comfort and pizazz! Behold a few of our woody favorites:

Proving a wood sole can be unbelievably chic, Ellen Verbeek’s Caressa is a total knockout!

Ellen Verbeek perfectly balances the elements—the mix of colors, the lacing in the back, and the cutout wooden wedge—for maximum impact! We especially love how the black strap circles through the cutout under the instep. So cool!

Another sexy heeled sandal with an ingenious design is Coclico’s Lucifer:

Notice how the bottom strap is actually a t-strap that ducks under the others to meet up with cutout straps at the ankle! For you gals who love adding a few inches to your height, the Lucifer‘s 4.25″ wooden heel lets you rise above the crowd, while the 1″ wooden platform up front keeps the pitch comfortable at 3.25″.

Ped’s newest line, Vic Matie, takes things in a slightly different direction by combining wooden soles with leather-wrapped heels. A beautiful example is the Allegra:

So sophisticated but also versatile, thanks to the Allegra‘s slate grey color—an ideal summer neutral. The hand-sculpted and sanded wooden sole feels wonderful against your bare skin!

Experimenting with more traditional clog construction while creating fun, kick-around-town styles, Vialis has the hippest wood in the house this season. Check out the Gabriela:

The way this sandal clog’s straps weave in and out over the toe calls to mind a fisherman’s sandal—if a fisherman’s sandal were super-stylish and sassy! Another thing we love is the meticulous way the leather is stapled to the sole. Craftsmanship!

If you prefer nails to staples, then take a look at Vialis’s cute-as-can-be Delfina slingback:

So much to love from the sweet lacing to the “asphalto” suede (a stellar greyish brown with just a smidgeon of green) to the padded insole! The Delfina is ideal for wearing with summer skirts and walking shorts!

Of course, if you’re looking for the ultimate clog, one that pays homage to the classic style while taking it to a new level, then look no further than Fiorentini + Baker’s Zilla Clog:

Wow. Just wow. Ever fabulous, Fiorentini + Baker has taken the basic architecture of an old-school clog and made it irresistibly sexy and sophisticated! The Zilla‘s brass studding is simply to die for! Wow.

As always, there are plenty more wood-soled beauties to admire at Ped’s main site! So, wouldn’t you like a wooden shoe?

(Psst, this week’s Sweet Treat is also as comfortable as they come: Trippen’s foot-loving Casanova! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to land at the Casanova with a discount code that will romance you with 20% off at checkout. Why not give in to Casanova’s charms?)
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It’s been some time since we gave a big shout out to all the wonderful blogs and sites that have paid attention to Ped! We’re always so happy and grateful when those we admire find something to like at Ped! Here are a few of the people and places that have made our hearts sing over the past few months. (Check ’em out—you might find a new favorite!):

* Michelle Taylor not only makes gorgeous jewelry out of vintage bits and bobs, but she also puts together the noteworthy design blog, Blue Moss. We love that she gave props to Vialis’s Rambla Bootie.

* Another blogger who is a wonderful friend to Ped is Mrs. French at the always interesting and newly redesigned Bliss, where she recently admired Argila’s Riley. (By the way, she also makes lovely photographs.)

* We heart Lindsey Cochran at Every Clog Has Its Day for giving a virtual hug to Ped’s entire Vialis line, even though, as she points out, they’re not technically clogs.

* Fernanda van der Laan included a tribute to Fiorentini + Baker boots on her eponymous blog, which discusses all kinds of things! (We hope she’s enjoying her red Eternity boots!)

* We think Kristin at Lovely Apidae has amazing style, and we’re so glad she thinks her Chie Mihara Loti beauties are perfect!

* Julie, creator of the The Accidental Frock, may be a “reluctant blogger,” but we like what she does and are happy she likes Chie Mihara’s Rumi. Plus, she’s a fabulous textile designer!

* Si, a lovely French lass, blogs in English about beautiful things at French By Design. We are thrilled she called attention to Chie Mihara’s Ruala!

* We are excited Sally McGraw at Already Pretty mentioned we carry Trippen! Sally has such bold style and offers great advice on body image and fashion.

* Of course, we also love it when our overseas friends write about us, even if we are often language-challenged by their words. (We’re sure they’re kind!) Here are a few foreign blogs that have recently mentioned Ped: Portion de vie, Lolapinso, and en Oby Ting.

Since all of us at Ped have so much fun bringing you wonderful things, it makes us feel fantastic when others notice and say so!

THANK YOU!!!!!!

(One last thing: the Sweet Treat this week is Sophie Digard’s fabulously fun Flower Petal Necklace! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to land at the Flower Petal Necklace with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)

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Ped fans, I’m in Milan, Italy, this week, finding all kinds of wonders to warm up next fall and winter. In the meantime, fresh Italian delights for spring and summer are the latest things to arrive in the Ped warehouse. And when we say “Italian,” we mean the line you love: Fiorentini + Baker!

As F+B addicts know, once you indulge in a pair of these beautifully handcrafted leather boots, shoes, or sandals, nothing else will do. F+B’s quality, comfort, and timeless beauty are simply magnifico (as the many celebrities who wear this line will attest)!

So join us for a brief Italian lesson! After seeing Fiorentini + Baker’s latest designs, we suspect you’ll want to become fluent in F+B style.

One thing we adore about F+B is their understanding that less is often more, a point made clear in the knockout Elgin Boot:

The clean lines and soft scrunch-a-bility of this minimal mid-calf boot make it perfect for pairing with floaty spring skirts. Of course, it also looks great with jeans! The mattone brick leather version is so rich, but we also offer the Elgin in a delicious mocha ice suede! Good luck choosing between the two! (Hint: either one is the right choice!)

Some of you Ped fans have begged us to carry the two-buckle cousin of F+B’s popular Eternity Boot. Well, consider your wish granted! Behold the Emmy, also know as style #713:

We are woozy with love for F+B’s new turquoise leather! It is to die for—so unusual and yet it still works with lots of other colors. (Ped’s Laura went down for the count when she saw it.) Of course, if you’re a gal who prefers all things noir, we’ve got the Emmy in black, as well!

Want a few more flourishes? And perhaps a bit of textural contrast? Fiorentini + Baker’s Ebbi has your name on it:

You’ll give the people following you something to talk about when you saunter down the street in the Ebbi because the fold-over suede cuff laces in the back. And the raised seams that arc over the instep and encircle the ankle add further eye-popping interest!

If you like a well-heeled boot to boost your height, then feast your eyes on Fiorentini+Baker’s new Bessi:

The 3″ stacked-leather heel gives this sexy boot a leg up, while an inside zip lets you breeze in and out in a flash. F+B’s bonsai green leather is a Ped favorite, and it looks especially fresh on the Bessi!

Another great heeled style from F+B is the take-no-prisoners Zilla Clog:

The hand-cut wooden sole features a 3.5″ heel and a 1.5″ platform under the ball of your foot. The brass studs that rim the collar and attach the luxe black leather upper to the sole are, in a word, badass! Who knew a clog could be this smokin’ hot? (Somebody hand me a fan!)

When it’s the weather that’s hot, though, you may want to let your toes out to play. But you can still maintain your brass-studded style—just buckle up F+B’s Tribo Sandal!

Take a minute to admire the wonderful details of this easy-going yet dazzling beauty: the leather toe thong is rolled for comfort; the studded straps are leather-lined to be soft against your skin; and the leather sole is designed to mold to your foot with wear. Fiorentini + Baker does it all so well!

Another fantastic F+B sandal is the Tulip:

Crafted in our favorite rabbit-hued leather, this flat is both tough and girly, combining the edge of a gladiator sandal with petal-like cutouts that cascade down the front of the foot. What a way to go through spring and summer! Prepare to be the object of everyone’s sandal envy!

Of course, we have all of F+B’s classics over at Ped’s main site. So let Fiorentini + Baker’s leatherwork and style seduce you—we know you’ll agree: That’s amore!

(By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” practically sings, “Spring!”: Karin Wagner’s delightful Alps Brooch. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, and you’ll arrive at the hand-felted Alps Brooch with the magic code that will bring 20% at checkout!)
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