Ped fans, we enjoy every Tales of the Sole you generously share, but we especially relish the stories that let us vicariously satisfy our wanderlust.

So we’re grateful to Carolyn H. whose recent submission has everyone at Ped HQ daydreaming about traveling to Amsterdam, Portugal, and—on the homefront—Montana! Here’s her entertaining show-and-tell:

This summer I travelled alone to Amsterdam and then met up with an old friend in Portugal. The mountainous Alfama region, where we rented an apartment, was built about a thousand years ago.  The narrow and winding streets and staircases of worn stone that traversed the hills were laid out to protect the castle by baffling invading armies. They baffled me, too. Every day I went out to purchase apricots, dates, bread, cheese and vino verde, and everyday I got lost. Being lost In Alfama meant wandering sometimes for hours, up and down, and up and down the steep hills and stairs.

“Walking around Lisbon in my Cydwoq sandals with a bagful of apricots, dates, bread and butter, and vino verde.”

Fortunately, because I live in Seattle and have had a lifetime of hill climbing, I was okay. And because I have a broken-in pair of Cydwoq sandals from Ped, my feet were happy with every step. Not only that, but I looked great, and everywhere I went, someone would ask where I got my sandals.

Apparently, Carolyn’s Cydwoq-enhanced adventures didn’t end when she got home because she also sent us this great photo:

“Leaving for my Montana road trip with my cool new car, my cool new Montana boyfriend, and my still cool old Cydwoq sandals!”

So fun! And is it just us or does Carolyn’s new Montana boyfriend bear a striking resemblance to Anthony Bourdain?

Although sandal season is only a memory until next year for most of us (but not for all—hello, Ped fans who live in the Southern Hemisphere!), Cydwoq’s shoes and boots are just as walkable and comfortable as Carolyn’s fabulous sandals. To thank Carolyn for taking us along on her trips, we’re delighted to give 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 something from Ped, and you, too, might be the recipient of $100 in Ped credit. We’d love to share your sole-ful story on the blog, so let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!

(And speaking of Cydwoq, this week’s Sweet Treat is the go-everywhere Cydwoq Stamp Bag! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to reach the Stamp Bag, where you will find the magic code that will bring a welcome 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, you know we are all about beautiful, fun, artistic and comfortable shoes, but style cannot live on shoes alone. It needs a few other items to make it zing—like zesty socks or an eye-opening scarf or the perfect bag!

We’ve already introduced you to our fresh line of Bon Homme socks, but we have new goods in the Ped house from Antipast, Epice, Sophie Digard, and Trippen, too, to amp up your flair as the temperature drops. Let’s take a look!

As always, Emiko and Junko at Antipast have made it easy to walk through fall and winter with a smile, thanks to their always-fun sock designs! Even if you’re not quite ready for snow yet, who can resist Antipast’s Snowball socks?

We love the shift in color and dot size from top to bottom!

Snow also inspires  the charm of Antipast’s Winter Skier Socks:

These sweethearts have everything we like: stripes, dots, colors, and a fun narrative! Prefer your socks longer? You’re in luck because we also have Winter Skier Knee Highs!

On the other hand, maybe you’d rather have your woolies remind you of warmer days, in which case the Antipast Spangle Knee Highs are singing your song:

Birds, beasts, and blooms—it doesn’t get any better than these beauties! By the way, we also have trouser-length Spangle Socks.

Now that your toes are toasty, let’s sample a few lovely ways to bedeck your neck! When it comes to exquisitely loomed textiles, Epice has our hearts! The new Licorice Scarf  is the sweetest way to spice up an overcast day:

A solid-color wool coat becomes infinitely more interesting when you add a lick of Licorice!

If you prefer to keep cozy in a more understated way, perhaps Epice’s Lunares Scarf will light up your sky:

Luminous ivory moons dot the charcoal background, all sweetly bordered by ivory and periwinkle stripes. (We also have offer this woolen beauty in royal blue with golden lunettes.)

Sophie Digard also has moons on her mind this season! Bask in the dazzling glow of her Velvet Lune Scarf:

Soft velvet moons shine from within hundreds of hand-crocheted merino wool squares! Your fans will be starstruck when you wrap this gorgeous scarf around your neck!

Another multi-textured masterpiece is the Sophie Digard Manouche Scarf:

Velvet and wool squares of all sizes mix it up in this wearable work of art!

Perhaps our favorite of the new Sophie Digard scarves, though, is the Cercle Pop Scarf:

We adore the fresh colors of this crocheted mosaic of joy, guaranteed to make winter days a lot more fun!

Your ankles are covered, and your neck is nice and warm, so all that’s left is to find a stylish way to carry your essentials! Happily, the genius German shoemakers at Trippen have now ventured into designing fantastic bags! Need to haul a lot? Check out the spacious Trippen Claudia Bag:

You can tell how buttery the leather is just by looking at it! Choose either the black version of the Claudia pictured here or the equally beautiful and versatile brown version.

Need to carry a little less? Then sling the Trippen Carola Bag over your shoulder:

We love this boxy little bag—so streamlined and modern!

Of course, there’s still more to see over at Ped’s main site. So rise up and accessorize—it’s the easy way to add soul to your soles!

(Psst, the Sweet Treat this week is the Argila Madrid boot. Let your inner cowgirl kick up her heels by clicking “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages, which will take you to the Madrid’s page, where you will find a magic code that will bring 20% off at checkout! Yee-ha!)

Ped fans, we are loving the current emphasis on COLOR—all the new shoe hues have the Ped warehouse looking bright and lively! It’s amazing how an infusion of color makes the daily grind less grind-like and more like a party.

Quite a few of you, though, are mystified by how to work the new shades into your wardrobe. It’s easier than you think! You simply need  to realize things don’t have to match as long as they “go.” In fact, matching too precisely can make an outfit look “twee,” as the British say. (Laura says a friend of hers calls it the “flight attendant look.”)

You’ve also told us you worry that you’ll only wear colorful shoes once in a while, with one specific thing. To demonstrate the versatility of some of our more show-stopping shoes, we’ve incorporated them into not one but two outfits, often quite different in tone and purpose, to help spark your imagination. Let’s take a tour, and along the way, we’ll offer a few colorful tips.

First up, the Trippen Calexico:

This fun boot offers a lot more options than simply wearing it with jeans! We love the Calexico with the easy day look on the left, but it can even go after-five when paired with the dress on the right. We’ve also included Jamie Joseph’s Round Rock Crystal Ring since it looks stellar with the white in both the top and the dress.

Another shoe that’s more than simply casual is the Cydwoq Lodge:

Sure, it’s great for weekend apple-picking in the outfit on the left, but look at the chic edge the Lodge gives the argyle sheath dress on the right! The Cydwoq Bright Bag also easily transitions from brunch casual to workweek sleek. OD-ing on all that red? Simply add the Epice Plaza Scarf to change the flavor!

Perhaps your personal style trends toward conservative, and although you like to browse at Ped, you can’t imagine how you’d incorporate a colorful style into your wardrobe. The answer is to let a shoe, like the Cydwoq Larkspur, punctuate your outfit, like a great piece of jewelry.

What a way to jazz up a suit!

Chie Mihara’s Tunisia is a shoe that immediately produces oohs and aahs, but the unusual color and patterned heel mistakenly lead people to think it might be hard to pair.

The key is not to worry about matching the color and instead simply let it “go.” The Tunisia‘s checkerboard heel echoes the black and white photo on the dress on the left and complements the variety of patterns in the skirt on the right. Since the shoe and clothes are doing the heavy lifting style-wise, it’s nice to go with a simple bag, like the Cydwoq Bright.

Sometimes it’s not just the color but also the cut that gives Ped fans pause when they think about how to wear a design. Case in point, the Trippen Drama boot:

A couple options: 1) contrast the Drama‘s fabulous flared top with simple straight lines up top, such as wearing it with a pencil skirt and streamlined top; or 2) let its shape play up the lines and movement of a flirty A-line dress. We tossed in Jamie Joseph’s round carnelian ring for a little extra red zing!

If you approach dressing with a sense of adventure, it won’t matter an iota if you don’t own anything blue to wear with the Trippen Tender:

When you want to reference the color of your shoe, accessories can work that magic. We like the contrast of the floral of the skirt on the left with Epice’s Baya Scarf, which includes a periwinkle color that calls out to, but doesn’t match the blue of the Tender. On the right, it’s fun to mix the squares of the dress with the circles on the Epice Los Lunares Scarf.

Finally, let’s consider  Chie Mihara’s Kalendu, which is simply too juicy to miss!

You don’t have to go be a girly girl to take advantage of its delicious greenness! The Kalendu adds such fun to the workweek look on the left (again without actually matching any of the colors in the sweater) and is utterly chic with the casual jeans and top on the right. We also like Cydwoq’s Bright Bag and Jamie Joseph’s Organic Circle Earrings with both outfits.

As you’ve probably noticed, many of the shoes above work equally well with outfits paired with other shoes. We hope these ideas bolster your confidence that colorful shoes truly can be your constant companions and not just once-in-a-blue-moon friends! Life is so much more fun in color!

(Psst, you only have a few more days to snap up this week’s Sweet Treat, the Trippen Yard. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to reach the Yard with the code that will bring 20% off at checkout.)

What we like about 21st century fashion is how open-ended it is! Just as hemlines have become wonderfully variable, boot heights are now left up to the whimsy of the wearer. Whether you like over-the-knee sexiness, mid-calf chic, or ankle-high edge, you’ll always be in style!

That said, Ped fans, we hold a special place in our hearts for booties. They’re just so fun and versatile—great with skirts and easy to wear with pants (no wrestling to get them over or under the fabric)!

This season our harvest of sweet-and-low ankle boots is especially bountiful! There are are so many juicy designs that it’s hard to know where to begin. Here’s just a taste of Ped’s bootie buffet:

Pep Monjo is best known as the genius behind Argila, but a couple years ago he started his own eponymous line. Since then, every single Pep Monjo style has become an instant classic. We are WILD (wild, I tell you) about his new Cora bootie:

The leather is so luscious, and the details are exquisitely thought-out, like the simple perforations arcing over the toe and heel. Buckle us up!

Of course, Mr. Monjo still works his magic for Argila, too, as evidenced by the gorgeous Granada:

Modern and curvy, this wood-heeled bootie takes the lace-up into chic new territory! Spanish style for miles!

Speaking of wooden heels, the one supporting Coclico’s Norma boot is particularly lovely:

The lines of the dark wood have subtle arcs that reflect the clean yet dramatic lines of the black leather upper! Plus, the .75″ platform under the toe offsets the 3″ heel to make the pitch a walkable 2.25″.

Looking for a lower heel but heightened feminine wiles? The Cydwoq Knee  is guaranteed to bring ’em to their knees:

The paisley burnt-out leather is stunning up front, and the corset-like closure is beyond sexy in back! Holy hot sauce, talk about a femme fatale!

A little less girly but no less charming, another ankle boot “with back” is Cydwoq’s Cleo:

This beauty is handmade in Burbank, CA, but it radiates European street chic! The leaf-shaped strap across the back offers function in stellar form and offers people behind you something to see!

Want a zing of color for your ankles? Cydwoq’s got just the thing: the Beacon bootie!

A dash of red adds zest to any day! The wonderful-to-wear Beacon, with its comfy round toe, is one of our big-time faves this season!

Trippen also does some dazzling things with color. Feast your eyes on the new Liverpool:

A fusion of a retro 60’s rock ‘n’ roll boot with a modern-day Aussie pull-on, the lightweight Liverpool, with its brilliant purple elastic sides, may put you in mind of the Fab Four as you dash down the street looking fabulous!

As we said, these are just few tasty morsels from the wide-ranging menu of delicious booties at Ped’s main site! While you do the walking, let your ankle boots do the  stylish talking!

(Psst, this week’s Sweet Treat, the Cydwoq Marmot, falls into “shootie” territory—a little more than a shoe, a little less than a boot, but just right for everyday wear! We love it! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to land at the Marmot with the special code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, it has been quite a while since I’ve gotten swept away by a new line! But off my heart went when I discovered Bonne Maison at the Paris Accessories show last March! Truly, love at first sight!

French for “good home,” Bonne Maison offers socks that give your toes a beautiful place to live! Using the finest Egyptian cotton, spun and dyed in Italy, Bonne Maison creates the loveliest patterns to liven up your legs, all produced in a small family-owned factory in France. Here are a couple photos to give you an idea of their headquarters:

A worker overseeing a Bonne Maison knitting machine. (Image courtesy of Bonne Maison.)

Beautiful yarns about to become beautiful socks. (Photo courtesy of Bonne Maison.)

Ready to see the textile wizardry worked by these machines? Get ready to ooh and aah!

The way to get any day off to a good start is to put on Bonne Maison’s Colorful Bird socks. Talk about an instant pick-me-up!

Perhaps you’re more inclined toward geometric rather than representative patterns? Check out these sweet Peas socks:

Bold and fun, these dot-a-rific socks are easy to wear with almost anything!

“Flowers, give me flowers,” you say? Done and in the prettiest way:

The pattern and colors of these Autumn Flower Knee Highs are soooooo luscious! (Don’t be surprised when you find yourself building outfits around your socks!)

Ped fans, you know how much we love a good stripe! Bonne Maison clearly has our number:

Bonne Maison calls these Calm Stripe socks, and although they’re understated and soothing, they still have just the right zest! We adore the contrasting toe, heel, and top band!

We’ve saved our favorite pattern for last. Who can resist the charm of Bonne Maison’s Rabbit Knee High?

Every time we look at the tiny bunnies hopping amid the flowers, we go weak in the knees! Sweet for your feet, indeed!

Such soulful homes for your deserving soles! You may find yourself living in beautiful Bonne Maison.

Photo courtesy of Bonne Maison.

(Yes, we DO have the fantastic Diamond Socks pictured above—now you just need some lemons to accessorize…)

(As long as we’re making parenthetical statements, you still have a couple days left to snag this week’s Sweet Treat, the chic and edgy Coclico Tecla! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to land at the Tecla with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)