The colorful and fun Cydwoq Link was one of our favorite shoes this past season, so we were delighted when Ped fan Elizabeth Y. wrote us about her Link love! Here’s what she had to say:

My Cydwoq Links did double duty this summer as my gift to myself for completing my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at age 60 and as my special shoe for a European vacation. I had my Trippen Seine with me for airports and long walks, but the Links were for the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

Looking lovely in her arty Cydwoq Link, Elizabeth (right) takes in the air outside the
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

Earlier this summer, the happy flowers on the Link had been cheering patients and co-workers at my hospital job on a mother-baby unit.

Elizabeth’s Link looking snazzy on the staff shoe shelf at the hospital.

But the response I got when I wore them to the Guggenheim was extra happy. My shoes reminded museum goers of the giant flower puppy by Jeff Koons that welcomes visitors. I was one with the Koons’ Puppy—a walking exhibit of wearable art.

The Cydwoq Link made Elizabeth Y. one with Jeff Koons’ “Puppy”!

Still smiling thinking about the  good feelings the Links brought. As one little girl said, “Puppy shoes! “

Wow! Congratulations on finishing your degree, Elizabeth! Your tale made everyone at Ped HQ smile all day!

To thank Elizabeth for sharing her wonderful story, we’re pleased as punch to give her $100 in Ped credit! Well earned! Here’s to Puppy shoes!

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!

(Psst, you have only a couple more days to snag this week’s Sweet Treat, the fabulous Trippen Peony! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to be whisked to the Peony’s page, where you’ll find the code that will bring a sweet 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, a sure sign summer is winding down is when boxes full of fall goodness flood the Ped warehouse. We’re adding new styles to the site every day, and wow, are they ever beautiful this season! We’re particularly charmed by several of the innovative heels, which let you add both inches and interest to your look.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Anyone who’s spent any time in a pair of Chie Mihara heels know that she achieves the seemingly impossible: combining high style with down-to-earth comfort! Often Chie gives the heel an extra flourish to let you flaunt those extra inches. Who can resist the 3″ checkerboard leather-wrapped heel on the new Tunisia?

As if the stunning heel weren’t enough, this lace-up’s teal blue leather looks good enough to drink!

Another knockout heel from our lady of Spain is the Chie Mihara Brizna:

Strut your stripes! We also love the flirty window below the lacing—something saucy to see in front and something sensational to see in back!

Wooden heels and platform soles are the height of style these days, and Chie MIhara goes with the grain, adding some interesting angles to her new Wespa oxford:

Chie is expert at amping up even simple designs, and the geometry of this 3″ heel is the perfect example! Plus, the Wespa‘s deep blue suede is to die for! (Not a fan of navy? We also have the Wespa in chocolate brown!)

Coclico also knows how to make a wooden heel into a sculptural work of art. Check out the lovely curve and subtle taper of new Vita bootie’s heel:

We absolutely love the silhouette of this boot! The inward gesture of the Vita‘s 2.5″ heel provides the perfect counterpoint to the outward flare of its top!

A Ped favorite year after year is Trippen’s t-shaped rubber wedge, which not only is über-comfortable but also adds arty edge to many of Trippen’s fun designs, like the new Calexico ankle boot:

Wow! Between the lace-up back, colorful exposed seams, and fantastic shape of the 1.75″ heel, people walking behind you will be so transfixed by your cool boots that they may stumble into poles, other people, or traffic. Be careful with your power to attract and distract when you step out in this beauty!

The 2″ resin heel that supports many of Cydwoq’s Vintage styles is also famously comfortable, and now and then Rafi gives it extra zest! Get an eyeful of the gorgeous etched design that spices up the understated pewter version of the Calamity:

The art-deco elegance of the heel’s pattern looks so lovely with the streamlined design of this shoe! Even when the occasion calls for “conservative,” the Calamity‘s heel lets you put a little “kapow” in your style!

We love a shoe that offers something to see from every angle! Want to heighten your impact? These heels have got your back!

(Speaking of things that are clearly something to see, this week’s Sweet Treat is Jamie Joseph’s spectacular Round Rock Crystal Ring! Ready to sparkle? Then click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to land at the Round Rock Crystal Ring with the code that will magically bring 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, you may recall that a few years ago I took a memorable trip with several family members to Southeast Asia. Since then, I’ve been dying to go back, and my niece’s recent high school graduation offered the perfect excuse—why not celebrate her milestone with another Asian adventure?

So, in late May, my sister, my niece, my husband, my father-in-law, and I boarded a Korean Airlines jet, and after a seemingly endless flight, we landed in Cambodia! We took a day to acclimate and then off we went to visit the famous Angkor Wat temple and surrounding area.

My husband and his dad ascended the three levels of the main temple (left) to reach “heaven,” while my niece and I played among the tree roots (upper right), and along with my sister, honed our stone-sculpture modeling skills (bottom right).

The heat was sweltering, but it didn’t keep us from enjoying the eye-opening temples—sometimes enveloped in roots—in the Cambodian countryside, as well as the ancient city of Angkor Tom!

On another day in Cambodia, we went to see the floating villages on the monsoon-swelled Tonle Sap lake.

We motored out through water muddied by the monsoon rains to discover a fully functioning village floating on empty oil barrels!

Then we were off to Chiang Mai, Thailand! My niece loves tigers, so our first stop was the Tiger Kingdom, a sanctuary helping the tiger population recover, after which we visited a Hmong village in the hills just west of the city.

My niece got her tiger fix (upper right) before we visited a friendly Hmong village, where I held possibly the cutest baby ever (left), and my sister “terrorized” some schoolchildren (center right). Then we went out for a wonderful bite at a riverside cafe (bottom right)!

Another day, we toured old Chiang Mai and visited the gorgeous Doi Suthep temple, which sits high on a mountain overlooking the city. Then we retired to our beautiful hotel, Baan Orapin, an oasis behind a gate on an otherwise gritty street, for a swim and a nap before hitting the night market for a nosh.

One of the stunning buildings at the mountaintop Doi Suthep temple (left), and our own slice of paradise, the salt pool at Baan Orapin (top right). Refreshed, my niece and I took on the streets of Chiang Mai in a tuktuk (center right) on our way to the night market, where we ate like ravenous demons (bottom right)!

Of course, no trip to Thailand would be complete without a visit to the Patara Elephant Farm to see my old pachyderm pal, Boonpuk! Riding the elephants was the highlight of my last trip to Southeast Asia, so I had to share the joy with my current traveling companions. They reveled in the experience as much as I did!

Mother and baby play in the water at the Patara Elephant Farm (left). My father-in-law leads his elephant by the ear (upper right) as we prepare to go to the river for a swim, which my niece loved (center right). What a bunch of happy elephant riders we were (bottom right)!

It was another fantastic trip to a part of the world I have come to adore, and it was especially fun to share it with even more of my family!

Greetings from Thailand from me and my old pal Boonpuk!

Holy jalapeño peppers, Ped fans, it is hot outside! When the temperature goes up and the sun beats down, we like to be as bare as possible, so a great pair of sandals is de rigueur! Happily, Ped has a summer’s worth of bodacious sandals now on sale! (Good timing!)

Here are just a few ways to give your toes some sweet relief!

One of the prettiest strappy flats this season comes from Chie Mihara. The world is your oyster when you buckle up the Gipsy:

The cobalt blue suede is so romantic, but the nearly flat outsole (a sweet .5″ wedge) and comfortable insole mean you can be all business if you’ve got a thousand things on your errand list. Dash from here to there, looking pretty as you please, and then out for a mission-accomplished cocktail! Once $358, the Gipsy is now a cool $179!

Like blue suede but hoping to add a few inches to your height? Then perhaps the Coclico Mori has your name on it:

Instantly, you’ll be stunning and statuesque! Even better, the Mori’s cork platform wedge is light and comfy, perfect for everything from shopping at the farmer’s market to going to an outdoor concert. Once $358, it’s now a breezy $279.

Blue is cool this season, but red is also red hot! When you want to go bold, there’s no better way than to tie up the Cliff Dweller Emma:

So sexy in a tom-boyish way! Looking for the perfect travel sandal? The Emma is ready to go, go, go! Once $198, this beauty is now a refreshing $158!

Maybe you’re ripe for red but hoping for something barely there, in which case the Cydwoq Naked is playing your song:

If summer were a sandal, it would probably look like this! The Naked is a perennial Ped favorite—perfect in every way! Once $236, it’s now a delightful $188.

Of course, a simple brown sandal is welcome everywhere it goes! One of our favorites this season is the Cydwoq Cedar:

Absolutely timeless, the Cedar is forever modern. When you want one sandal to carry you through every warm day this year and for years to come, the Cedar is at your service! Once $254, it’s now a bracing $127!

Yes, heel lovers, we have a neutral classic to make you happy, too: Pep Monjo’s Brigitta.

One of our most popular sandals this season (everything Pep Monjo flies out the door), we have just a couple sizes left in this gorgeous olivine or everybody’s go-to color, black. So act fast! Once $348, it’s now a sweet $278.

Want to pull out all the stops and go high and bold? Then Fiorentini + Baker has just the thing, and its name is Dina:

Be prepared to stop traffic everywhere you walk! We love this sassy sandal in the burgundy suede pictured, but it also comes in beautiful mustard-colored leather. Once $412, it’s now a delicious $199!

Of course, if you want to go slam-bam glamorous in a sandal that will turn every head at the party, then the Cydwoq Boomerang is the ticket:

With its flirty design and multi-colored marbled leather, the Boomerang brings the “wow” whenever you wear it! BOOM! Once $304, this knockout is now a nice icy $239.

Still more open and airy delights await your discovery at Ped’s main site, and we’ve discounted many for your summer pleasure! It’s the perfect time to show some skin and let your tootsies taste the breeze!

(Speaking of sensational sandals, the Trippen Arch is the Sweet Treat for a few more days! You have until Tuesday to click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to be whisked to the Arch’s page, where the magic code will bring 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, it’s been a while since we’ve posted a Tale of the Sole, and since summer makes us long for a vacation, it’s the perfect time to tell the following tale. Let’s join Ped fan Anna for a vicarious jaunt to London. Here’s her report about her Ped-happy trip:

This fall I travelled to London. Black Trippen Casanovas were the perfect choice for spending hours on a plane and at the airport, as well as for extensive walking on stone-paved streets. I felt stylish yet comfortable even when I was on my feet all day.

Wearing her Casanovas, Anna takes in the ornamental monkeys at the Tower of London. (Luckily, wire-mesh primates can’t get their paws on her Flap Bag!)

The Casanovas are a great shoe since they can be easily slipped on and off.  They are casual enough to be worn all day but can also be dressed up in the evening.

Anna’s Casanovas go for a whirl and take in the view on the London Eye.

I carried all of my essentials in my black Cydwoq flap bag, which was roomy enough to also store small souvenir purchases, maps, and, of course, snacks.  The leather and style of both the shoes and bag go with just about anything in my wardrobe!

London calling! Anna looks cracking in her Trippen and Cydwoq!

I received compliments from several women who teach fashion design in the University Arts London. They immediately recognized my Trippens and wanted to know where I got them (and, of course, I shared with them my source!)  Thank you, Ped, for keeping my travels fun and stylin’!

THANK YOU, Anna, for spreading the Ped love across the pond and making us smile!

As a token of gratitude for sharing her travel tale, Ped is delighted to give Anna a $100 gift certificate!

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!