August’s winning Tale of the Sole is a story we’ve heard many times, but we never ever get tired of hearing it! With each retelling, the details and locations change, but the happy ending stays the same. In this version, the cast of characters includes longtime Seattle Ped customer—and all-around great gal—Liesbeth R. and Fiorentini + Baker’s Paula boot. Here is what Liesbeth wrote us:

I ordered on Monday, and the shoes were here by Wednesday. Unbelievable! The boots smelled gorgeous opening the box. Outstanding! Amazing color and perfect fit. I can’t stand it!  This is one my all-time favorite shoe moments I have had and I, like your other fans, have had many shoe moments.

Liesbeth rocking the F+B Paula against the Seattle skyline!

I’ve been a customer since you opened the Seattle store, and I believe all of my treasured purchases from Ped are still happily in my wardrobe rotation, although my other shoes might be eclipsed by these awesome F&B’s. I’ve been looking for my perfect short boots for a few years and finally found them from Ped! Seattle summers as you remember are short and sweet, but I always get over the short part because when the cool marine air returns, out come all the boots. 🙂

Liesbeth looking smashing in her Paula boots, as photographed by her 12-year-old niece, Andrea (who clearly has a career in fashion photography)!

Thank you so, so, so much for giving me some Fiorentini & Baker insanity this week. I am one happy, rockstar boot-wearing customer. Thanks for all the shoe love!

You are more than welcome, Liesbeth. The feeling is mutual! F+B’s Paula may have made Liesbeth’sweek, but her story made our whole month!  To thank her, 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 Cydwoq’s wonderful Tourist! Get 20% off this easygoing sweetheart by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Tourist, where you will find the discount code! So, save a little money, lace up the Tourist, go off on an adventure, and then tell us all about it!)

So many beautiful fall styles are arriving in the Ped warehouse that we hardly know what to show you first, Ped fans! One definite go-to look this season is ankle boots worn with anything and everything. From shooties that hit right at the ankle to short boots that don’t quite reach the calf, there’s a bootie in the house for everybody’s style, from girly-girl to badass to fairly straight-laced (Ped never quite makes it all the way there, as you know).

Here are a few of the latest lovelies to inspire low-boot lust.

Topping the list, Fiorentini + Baker’s new Paula:

Wow, there is nothing like Italian ingenuity when it comes to craftsmanship and get-out-of-town style! With ruching down the front and a zipper up the back, this boot rocks out on a chunky 3″ heel! We love the deep blue color with contrasting off-white top stitching, but the Paula also comes in pure black. Every season, Ped’s Laura gets a mad crush on one style (remember, it was Accessoire’s Island this past summer?), and for fall, the Paula is IT!

Another F+B winner is the new Mix!

This gorgeous low boot is the love child of the Eli and the Mike; it’s got the Eli’s popular 6″ shaft height and single buckle strap and the Mike’s chunky, take-no-prisoners heel! What a kickass combination!!! Plus, we love, love, love F+B’s new rabbit grey color, which is a soft dark grey tinged with brown. But if you’re like me and can’t get enough green, the Mix also comes in lush forest green.

Speaking of green, if you’re looking for a flat, knock-around-town bootie, check out Cydwoq’s Tourist:

Cydwoq’s Rafi has passed on his design know-how to his son, Ari, who has been refining this style for a few seasons, tweaking this and that detail, all leading to the Tourist! The pebbled leather is luscious, and the exposed seams around the rounded toe are just the right detail. And if green doesn’t float your boat (how can that be?), this comfortable shootie also comes in royal blue.

Lacing is also used to good effect in Argila’s Olivia:

You can’t imagine how wonderfully soft this boot’s caramel suede  is! Talk about buttery! And the cuff at the top lets you unfold it for a little extra height, if you like. The crowning touch (well, soleful touch) is the chunky but lightweight wooden heel!

“That’s all very well and good,” you may be thinking, “but what about something sweet and girly?” As usual, Chie Mihara has your back, er, foot:

So chic, Chie’s new Crusade is a taller, flirtier version of last year’s Piet . A few gathers on the toe and a bow at the ankle are all you need to be a femme fatale!

Perhaps, though, you want  your ankle boot to make a bold, art-a-liscious statement. Look no further than Trippen’s Fence, now available in metallic steel leather!

So urban and edgy, this boot does the talking and the walking! As if its stylish good looks weren’t enough (did you notice it laces up the back?), the Fence stands on Trippen’s famously comfortable t-shaped wedge that let’s you walk all day, turning heads everywhere you go! (And, yes, it also comes in black.)

Those are only the beginning of the ankle boot options that abound over at Ped’s main site. (There are scads more!) So, this fall take it low, and you’re good to go!

(Although not an ankle boot, this week’s “Sweet Treat” is still super cute: Cydwoq’s emerald green Forbid. Look like a million bucks for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper corner of any Ped page to reach the magic discount code.)

At Ped, we are so fortunate! Our lives are full of good friends, wonderful family, sweet pets, and work we truly enjoy! Because we are so lucky, we think it’s important to give back! Helping organizations that make the world a better place is the least we can do.

Here are some of the worthy causes we believe in and regularly support:

The American Cancer Society: Terry and I, like most people, have had our lives personally touched by cancer. We believe in supporting the ACS’s search to find a cure and improve treatments.

The American Red Cross: Whenever  and wherever disaster happens, the Red Cross is always on the spot to provide medical care to those in need. But it also does good work in so many other areas every day.

Berkeley East Bay Humane Society: Our wonderful local humane society promotes treating animals with love, dignity, and respect. Due to a tragic fire in May 2010, the BEBHS’s shelter is currently closed, and the organization urgently needs funds to rebuild.

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund: Headed by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the CBHF is helping earthquake-devastated Haiti recover and rebuild.

Hopalong & Second Chance Animal Rescue: This fantastic no-kill shelter in Northern California is on a mission to end euthanasia through its rescue, spay/neuter, and educational programs.

Sea Turtle Restoration Project: Dedicated to rescuing endangered sea turtles around the world, this organization is currently working hard to help turtles in the Gulf of Mexico affected by the BP oil catastrophe.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: Not only is UC Davis’ vet school doing cutting-edge research in many areas, its doctors also saved Ped’s Chief Canine Officer Lulu’s life when she injured her back! We are forever grateful!

Vitamin Angels: Founded by our good friend, Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels is working to ensure children everywhere receive essential nutrients for growth and health.

We are glad these organizations are out there making the world a brighter place! We may have beautiful soles at Ped, but these organizations are fueled by people with beautiful souls!

(Just a quick P.S.: Ped’s current “sweet treat,” Fiorentini + Baker’s Eden Boot, is especially tasty! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page to get to the discount code that will make this beautiful boot yours for a cool 20% off!)

Summer, summer, summer! Now that we’re adults, we work right through it, but we still have that kid feeling that school’s out, and suddenly, the world is full of freedom and possibility! And green is everywhere you look, which, of course, I love since it’s my favorite color!

Ped has lots of luscious green things, so you can remind yourself of summer any time of year.

It’s no secret that I am in LOVE with our latest boot from Fiorentini + Baker, the Eden:

Not only is it a tall drink of green (bonsai green, to be specific), it’s also so supple. I love the idea of this boot scrunched down and paired with a floaty summer dress.

Another recent addition to Ped’s green lineup is the wonderful Cydwoq Tourist:

Rafi at Cydwoq keeps refining the lace-up low boot, and this is his latest version! Perfect for walking and walking and then walking some more!

Trippen’s Octopus is another shoe designed to take you anywhere you need to go in cutting-edge, green style:

I love how the straps cross over your foot and then tie in a knot behind your heel! Trippen never fails to wow with its innovative designs!

If you’re a gal who prefers a heel, have we ever got a treat for you! The current star of the Ped warehouse: Chie Mihara’s Jupi!

Oxfords are IT for fall, and this is one of the prettiest we’ve seen. Plus, the forest green color is to die for!

Of course, green grows beyond merely shoes and boots at Ped. For instance, drink in the myriad greens in Pepita’s Giorgia necklace:

The way Pepita mixes antique hardware with soft beads is so unusual and fresh!

Speaking of fresh, Mia Zia’s Willow Scarf reminds us of sunny picnics and sweet-smelling grass:

The weave of this lime checked scarf is deliciously soft, and Mia Zia’s signature tassels automatically make any day more fun! (Plus, it’s on sale!)

Of course, there are more lovely green items sprouting all over Ped’s main site! So, spruce up your style with a touch of green and maintain a summery frame of mind all year long!

(By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” may not be green, but it’s named for something that swims in green water: Trippen’s Fish! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page to get to the discount code that will make this sweet shoe yours for a cool 20% off!)

Hey, Ped fans, we haven’t officially announced our summer sale yet, but we’ve  already started the price-cutting party—and, of course, you’re invited! The Ped warehouse is only so big, and since our fall shipments are due to arrive any day, we need to make some room! Now’s the time to grab a hot summer style at a deliciously cool price.

Here’s just a taste of what awaits you at the main site:

One of our favorite sandals this season is the Cydwoq Vintage Iron:

Cut with graceful precision, it’s the picture of artistic sophistication. Yet this flat is easy to wear anywhere! Lovely at $252, it’s even prettier at $199.

We’ve fallen in love with platform wedges this summer, and Accessoire’s Iseult is one of our biggest crushes:

All of the height with none of the pain, and such a gorgeous color! If you haven’t tried our Accessoire line from France, now is the perfect time to discover how deliciously comfortable their designs are. Wonderful at $292, the Iseult is even easier to slide into at $233.

Speaking of fabulous wedges, they don’t get any more fabulous than Coclico’s Whisp:

Between the lightweight cork sole, the zipper up the back, the sinfully soft leather, and the Whisp‘s works-with-everything color combo, there’s a lot to like! Sexy at $364, it’s even more seductive at $298.

Another sandal with smokin’ sex appeal is the Cordani Tia:

You’ll set the streets on fire when you step out in this sizzler, but your tootsies will stay cool and comfortable because that’s Cordani’s specialty! Worth every penny at $328, the “wow” becomes “WOW!” at $262.

There are plenty more wallet-pleasing reductions at the Ped site, so click on over and see what strikes your summer fancy. With deals so sweet, don’t your feet deserve a little sugar?

(Incidentally, we are offering the absolute sweetest “Sweet Treat” this week: Fiorentini + Baker’s Eternity Boots. For those who complain we never put the Eternity on sale—and you know who you are—here’s your chance to score a pair of the best boots ever for 20% off. Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to reach the special discount code. But act fast because this super sweet treat will only last seven days!)