In addition to flowers, new leaves, and green grass, another hallmark of spring is the sudden flood of occasions that require us to spruce up and deck out. The calendar bursts into virtual bloom with weddings, graduation ceremonies, and garden parties. Personally, we Pedsters love to dress up, especially since slipping on a pair of heels no longer means our dogs end up whimpering after a few hours!

At Ped, we are committed not just to artistry and craftsmanship in what we carry, but also to C O M F O R T! Our highest heels and girliest shoes still feel great on your feet hours after you step out the door—all gain, zero pain! Plus, a little heel height is guaranteed to make a gal’s gams look like a million bucks!

Here are a few of our favorite ways to ensure your style stands head and shoulders above the crowd:

If you want to get big bang for your shoe buck, Chie Mihara’s Xantili is one of the most versatile heels of the season:

It’s strappy good looks and snake-printed leather are distinctive, but its neutral color story means it will work with practically everything in your closet—a one in a million shoe for a million occasions! Plus the .75″ leather-covered platform under the toe makes the 3.25″ heel a breeze to wear.

Chie Mihara not only excels at creating comfortable heels, she’s a whiz with whimsical details. Case in point: the zingy red poppy on her new Josy:

It’s so neat how the caramel leather straps provide a virtual trellis for the red suede flower! And, again, a .75″ platform up front offsets the 3.5″ heel, bringing the pitch to an easy 2.75″!

If you want to bring the height down a notch, without losing an inch of style, check out Chie’s Quory:

Talk about sophisticated fun! You can be a lady who lunches and go dotty, too! Plus, this to-die-for t-strap’s heel measures an ultra-manageable 2″.

Cydwoq is another friend to those who don’t like their heels too high. You don’t need many inches to make an impact, as Cydwoq’s Blast proves:

Whoa, Nelly!!! When you make an entry in this cutting-edge sandal, every eye in the room will be on you! Such a beauty, and the sculpted resin heel is a mere 2″!

If you prefer a closed-toe shoe, Cydwoq’s Volcano will also leave a trail of sparks wherever you walk:

Way more interesting than your average ankle-strap heel, don’t you agree? The Volcano will instantly elevate the sexiness of your favorite LBD, but imagine how fantastic it also looks with colors and prints! (Update March 10: We also just got this beauty in a stunning textured mocha leather!)

Lots of you Ped fans adore wooden heels. Well, this season Coclico has just what you want. Get an eyeful of the new Klucia:

The design is beautifully balanced, and yet it offers surprising details, like the laser-cut chevron pattern in the leather and the twill lacing that ties everything up! Although the wooden heel is 3.5″, it’s really a cinch to wear, thanks to the 1″ platform under the forefoot.

If you’re looking for something that will really turns heads, you can never go wrong with red (and every woman needs a pair of red heels)! How juicy is Coclico’s Yoni?

Delectable! This bombshell of a shoe is effortlessly chic, with a sculpted 3″ wooden heel made extra comfortable by the 1″ covered platform under the toe.

But we’ve saved perhaps our favorite heel for last: Fiorentini + Baker’s knockout Nene:

Take a minute to drink in the beauty of its design. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t have to—its simple sophistication will make you the talk of the party and the envy of everyone there! We think that’s 4″ of heel well-spent! Plus, the 1″ platform beneath the toe keeps it all manageable, and Fiorentini + Baker means this femme fatale feels as wonderful as it looks!

So don’t be afraid to amp up your height when you put on your glad rags this spring! It’s suprising how empowering—and comfortable—a high heel can be!

(Psst, this week’s Sweet Treat is Cydwoq’s wonderful Bright Bag! Haul everything you need in this all-time Ped favorite for 20% off when you click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will take you to the Bright Bag with a magic discount code to enter at checkout!)

February sometimes seems like the longest month of the year, despite have the fewest days! Good thing someone thought to plop Valentine’s Day smack in the middle of it! For one day, at least, the grey chill is mitigated by red roses, red hearts, and red you-name-it!

At Ped, we heart red all year long, but since it’s Valentine’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate its juiciness, its warmth, its flair, and its ability to sass up any outfit! Behold below a few of our favorite rosy-hued things to set your hearts on fire:

Let’s start with a shoe that’s perfect for transitioning from winter to spring: Cydwoq’s Buckle.

What a sweetheart! It looks fantastic with skirts. It looks terrific with pants. It looks stellar any way you wear it! And what a luscious wine red!

Perhaps your way of dealing with February’s greyness is to jet off to a tropical destination. If so, make sure to pack Cydwoq’s Thong:

This simple sandal is the very essence of relaxation! Easy-going and chic, it will stay comfortable for as many miles as you care to stroll. And its red is guaranteed to turn every head!

“Nice try,” you may be thinking, “but some of us are office-bound for the foreseeable future.” Don’t despair! Liven up work with Chie Mihara’s Vaive!

The most beautiful heeled oxford we’ve seen, the Vaive wins hearts with rosettes blooming along its side. Blue Mondays don’t stand a chance when you lace up the red-hot Vaive!

Need something to spice up date night? Chie Mihara has just the ticket! Say hello to the Xifon!

Oh my! What a temptress! Whomever you’ve set your sights on will be powerless to resist you when you wear this red suede charmer!

For those of you who prefer grrrrl to girly-girl, you can get your red fix with Fiorentini + Baker’s Eli Bootie:

Rugged, ruddy, and ridiculously comfortable, this ankle boot lets you put a little badass in your beauty. (Leave it to the Italians!)

At Ped, our love of red goes beyond shoes. Feast your eyes on the rouge-a-licious beauty of Cydwoq’s Flap Bag!

Cydwoq’s genius of design, Rafi, has subtly combined angles and curves in this go-everywhere bag. Practicality meets artistry, with a generous helping of red!

Want to express your fondness for red on a smaller scale? Consider Jamie Joseph’s Round Carnelian Ring:

Stunning! The angles of the facets contrast beautifully with the gem’s circular shape. Let your fingers do the flirting!

Of course, at the end of the day, it is still February, so staying warm is of the essence. Why not wrap up in Epice’s Jardin Scarf?

Loomed from the softest wool, this lovely will keep you cozy, while its red and fuchsia palette will chase away the winter blues.

There is more red loveliness to discover over at Ped’s main site. Happy Valentine’s Day, Ped fans—you put the color in our cheeks and a song in our hearts!

(Although not red, this week’s Sweet Treat is certainly luscious: Trippen’s Fox wedge bootie. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to be whisked to the Fox, where you will find the code that brings 20% off at checkout! Foxy!)

Ped fans, even on the coldest, most overcast, dreariest day, we LOVE this time of year! Why? Because every day brings a new shipment of boxes packed with spring styles! And this season, the prettiest so far are those designed by our lady of Spain, Chie Mihara!

In addition to scads of new styles, we’ve brought back some Chie favorites decked out in new colors and leather combinations. (Do not miss the Veranito in either curry or magenta!) And every pair of Chie Mihara’s, no matter how high the heel, feels like heaven on your feet, thanks to Chie’s uniquely designed insole. You look fabulous! You feel fabulous! The best of all possible worlds!

Below are a just a few of Chie’s lastest charmers that will make your feet sing, “Spring!”

It’s hard to know where to begin, but one of our favorites for gals who like to amp up their height is Chie Mihara’s Amapola:

Holy cannoli, what a knockout! The large cream dots are so much fun, yet this two-part heeled beauty still radiates sophistication. The arc of gold piping is genius!

Chie is known for her carefully selected leathers, and this season several styles rock the snakeskin look. Drink in the gorgeousness of the Xope:

What a femme fatale! With its softly tucked brown suede up front combined with snake-printed leather everywhere else, the Xope looks like something a 1940s Hollywood starlet might wear!

Maybe your taste for retro runs more toward the 1970s, in which case, dig the Xeroco:

Chie Mihara is a virtuoso at taking fashion history’s hallmarks and reworking them into modern designs. The Xeroco‘s chunky straps are vintage-inspired, but its front-and-center buckle is über cutting-edge.

“All very nice,” you may be thinking, “but what about COLOR?” Well, make sure you’re sitting down because you’re going to swoon! (Chie has truly outdone herself.) Check out the Jaila!

What a sweetheart! This heeled sandal is sunshine on your feet! Everywhere you walk in the Jaila, you’re going to improve everyone’s mood! (Wear cute shoes, do society good!)

And that’s just the start of the color works! Take a gander at Chie Mihara’s Tiju:

We can’t help it—every time we look at this flowered lovely, we sigh. What a shade of blue! Plus, we love the way Chie has spiraled the suede and pinked its edges to make the rosettes on the toe.

For those of you who like to go bold, whip up the sass with Chie Mihara’s Guinyo:

Charm alarms will go off everywhere when you step out  in this red and blue number! The new lower heel is breezy and fresh! The Guinyo will definitely get the party started wherever you go.

And speaking of parties, we saved our personal favorite for last! (Seriously, I’ve made this one my very own!) Say hello to Chie Mihara’s Enty!

So chic! So whimsical! So fun! Multicolored suede dots festoon gold leather on this shoe that just begs to go out dancing! You’ll start saying yes to every invitation just so you can wear the Enty out and about! Love, love, love (love, love, love, love).

And there are even more winning Chie Mihara styles over at Ped’s main site. (Honestly, they’re all so beautiful.) Pick your pleasure, and then go out and charm the world!

(Speaking of charming, this week’s Sweet Treat is Jamie Joseph’s Indian Ruby Droplet Earrings! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, they will warm your heart and dazzle your admirers at 20% off! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to be whisked to the earrings with the magic code for the discount at checkout!)

I don’t know about you, Ped fans, but when the trees lose their leaves and the temperature drops, I need something special to put the zip back in my step. Fortunately, a big box of Trippen has just arrived at Ped central! Those award-winning designers in Berlin know just how to liven up grey days with fun and funky footwear! But Trippen’s shoes and boots go beyond edgy and artistic; they’re also supremely comfortable, and most are cut to accommodate cozy socks.

Our latest shipment includes both old favorites and new styles to brighten your fall and winter! Here are a few ways Trippen will have you skipping through the chilly days ahead:

If you’re looking for a boot that’s understated and versatile, but also a little different, Trippen’s wonderful new Nightingale is just the thing:

This boot’s deliciously soft nubuck is further textured by a few carefully placed folds sewn along a seam near the back. The wine color is rich, but the detail we love is the zingy red zipper running up the inside of the shaft! It’s just a little detail, but it brings so much to the party.

Like the Nightingale, the go-anywhere Apart Bootie is also built on Trippen’s super light “cups” rubber sole. (You have to wear it to believe how comfortable it is!)

Big bang for your boot buck, the oh-so-supple Apart offers several ways to wear it: pulled up, scrunched down, or folded over into a cuff!

Offering options in a different way is Trippen’s Bomb Bootie:

This little beauty comes with both brown AND black straps that let you cinch up the ankle just the way you like it. Change them out as your fancy strikes you—or go strapless! The Bomb comes in the great espresso brown pictured above, as well as in matte black! It is THE BOMB!

Another terrific black ankle boot is Trippen’s new Fox:

Such a cutie!!! This innovative style pays homage to the lace-up oxford but raises the style ante with a supple gaiter that forms a loose ruffle around the ankle. Both funky and feminine, the foxy Fox stands on Trippen’s comfortable t-shaped rubber wedge!

We’ve also brought back the boot that won everyone’s heart last year: the Holy!

Those swooping exposed seams and the way the ankle strap laces through and around the upper make us sigh with love! So funky yet utterly wearable!

For those of you who want a jolt of color, check out Trippen’s Blackbird (cousin of the Nightingale above):

How luscious is that blue? Note the folds in the supple nubuck that radiate from the top of the heel to the seam that sinuously curves from the inside ankle over the foot to the outside edge. Such artistry!

If you want something even bolder, Trippen has just the ticket: the Mild Bootie. It’s our favorite!

Red hot! Definitely more wild than mild, this boot will have everyone talking! Buckle up because you’ll be the center of attention everywhere you go! (We also have the Mild in black for you fans of all things noir.)

These are just the tip of the iceberg of Trippen styles that will have you looking both cooler than cool and hotter than hot, no matter how wintry the day!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is also a bonfire of hotness: Vialis’ Marguerita Boot! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to arrive at the Marguerita with the discount code that will bring 20% at checkout!)

Wonderful Ped customer Patrice is so smitten with her Trippen Casanova that she confesses she rarely spends a day without “him.” Although she’s had many adventures with her Casanova, she recently wrote to tell us about a visit to the Seattle Art Museum:

Being of Spanish (Catalan) descent, when the Picasso (a Catalan) exhibit arrived at the SAM, we were ecstatic! My mom (the Catalan) actually scheduled her trip to Seattle so that she could see the show. As an artist myself, I’m often fascinated with the person behind the art. So, as we wandered through the crowded but luminous exhibit, I found myself gravitating to a hall where Picasso’s old black and white photos stood by themselves, revealing a small window into his personal life. In one particular photo, he stood proudly in front of his many canvases stacked carelessly against a wall, wearing his trademark striped boatneck fisherman’s shirt and short pants. As I got closer to examine every detail, my husband pointed to Picasso’s slipper shoes and said: “His shoes look almost like yours!”

I was wearing my Casanovas – which is fitting since Picasso himself was considered quite the Casanova!!

Patrice out for a stroll in her Trippen Casanova!

I don’t mind in the least that my shoes are reminiscent of an extraordinary male artist. It made me love them (and him) all the more. For me, I find romance in these shoes, hence my adoration—so befitting of the name.

Wonder if Picasso's shoes were as comfortable and loved as Patrice's Casanova?

Thanks, Patrice! We’re thrilled when Ped’s “works of art” go out and about in the art world! For letting us imagine Picasso wearing a pair of Trippen shoes, we’re delighted to give Patrice $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, there’s no Sweet Treat this week because we’re celebrating PED’S 18TH BIRTHDAY!!! Whoop it up with us by getting 20% off ANY full-price item when you enter “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” at checkout from October 19-24! PARTY ON, PED FANS!)