No sooner did I finish writing about all the beautiful booties in the Ped warehouse than a shipment from Trippen arrived! Inside? Even more hip low boots to make your autumn bootie-licious! Of course, Berlin-based Trippen brings unmistakable Euro funk to their designs! Not only do Trippen’s shoes and boots look and feel fantastic, they’re also the product of a socially responsible company that’s committed to sound environmental practices and paying employees a living wage!

But let’s get on with the latest! Here’s a sampling of what those German design geniuses have bestowed upon us this season:

A new low boot that really packs a “wow” is Trippen’s Taurus!

Trippen artfully places a structural coil on each side of the ankle, so they resemble the horns of a prize bull! Ped’s Laura has been counting the days, waiting to get this badass boot in-house.  Now she (and you!) can wear it out and about—so fab with jeans or a knee-length skirt!

Who can resist a red boot? Not us!

Between the wrap-around strap, the exposed seaming, and the lightweight “penna” rubber sole, we don’t know what we like best about the wild Mild Boot. Each of the parts is fantastic, but the sum is out of this world!

Another great boot, with added versatility, is Trippen’s Bomb:

What’s cool about this super-comfortable number is it comes with both brown and black removable straps, so you can pick and choose—or go without—depending on your mood. Plus, the leather is so soft you can scrunch it down, wear it pulled up, or fold it over.

You know with me, there will be green on the scene. For this season, it’s Trippen’s Posh:

This cute boot, with its lacing around leather buttons, stands on Trippen’s ultra-comfortable t-shaped wedge. We love. We love.

In fact, we found the Posh’s button detailing so charming, we fell headlong for the Button:

The blue of this shootie is deliciously saturated and juicy! Plus, we love how simple and wearable it is, built on Trippen’s super-light “cups” rubber sole!

Ah, Trippen, you always make our hearts beat a little faster! So fun AND functional! And, as always, there’s even more Trippen goodness to savor at Ped’s main site!

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.)

Do you belong to the church of Chie Mihara? Because for anyone who has suffered through long hours in high heels, discovering Chie Mihara is like finding religion! This Spanish designer preaches (and practices) the gospel that beautiful and feminine shoes can also be comfortable!

Born in Brazil to Japanese parents, Chie Mihara studied fashion design in Japan and New York City before establishing her company in Spain. Her multicultural background comes into play whenever she designs a shoe: Brazil’s celebration of the feminine, Japan’s penchant for innovative design, the get-it-done practicality of NYC, and Spain’s appreciation of craftsmanship. Her vintage-inspired styles, embellished with playful details, all feature a footbed Chie designed specifically to accommodate a woman’s foot. And once you’ve walked a mile in her heels, you’ll never again be satisfied with anything less.

Our first shipment of Chie Mihara’s fall styles just arrived, and in a word: WOW! Witness for yourself:

Oxfords are all the rage right now, and Chie gives hers a feminine twist:

A blue leather lace-up with three rows of ruffles? Be still our shoe-loving hearts! The Chie Mihara Loti has us under its spell!

But maybe you’re a member of Team Mary Jane rather than Team Oxford (not that you have to choose):

Fact of life: You can never have too many red shoes! And when you find one as pretty as Chie’s red suede Nilon, why resist temptation? We guarantee you”ll have no regrets—only shoe-wearing joy!

You say what you really want is a gorgeous ankle boot? Chie, again, answers your prayers:

It’s as if Ms. Mihara has magically melded a Victorian lace-up with a riding boot and thrown in a little extra ‘zazz to create the Narista!

For those who like to amp up the volume both in terms of height and unabashed femininity, prepare to say oo-la-la:

Altogether now, “OOH-LA-LA!” The Vasca is the height of old-school Hollywood glamour!

We love that ocean blue leather, but some days we want to step into the world with bang-pow-razzle-dazzle-wow:

Hello, Veranito! This fringy, ruffled, fuchsia peep-toe is Chie’s gift to femme fetales everywhere! Go forth and be fabulous!

And there are five more equally amazing, new Chie styles at the main Ped site. So cast those misery-making, ankle-aching stilettos into the back of the closet, and shout, “Hallelujah!” because Chie Mihara’s heels are nothing short of heaven!

(And, just fyi, this week’s “Sweet Treat” is Trippen’s über edgy Stream sandal boot. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of this page or any Ped page, and you’ll land at the Stream with the magic code to give you 20% off at checkout.)

Ped fans, did you hear about the discovery of the oldest known leather shoe? Archaeologists found it in an Armenian cave, and scientific testing has determined the lace-up bootie dates to 3653–3627 B.C. (holy cow!) and was worn by woman on her approximately size 7 right foot. Although its mate is missing,  there is no doubt a prehistoric fashionista wore this shoe because the sole bears the imprint of her big toe and shows evidence of having been repaired several times.

By Associated Press/Deptarment of Archaeology University College Cork. Provided by the Department of Archaeology University College Cork, Cork Ireland, this photo shows a well preserved and complete shoe that was recovered at the base of a Chalcolithic pit in the cave in Armenia.

This Armenian discovery is astonishing, but it doesn’t altogether surprise us. After all, Cydwoq founder, Rafi Balouzian, comes from a long line of Armenian shoemakers. In the early 1900s, Rafi’s grandfather was a renowned master shoemaker in Armenia, and Rafi’s  father also went into the business, establishing a factory that manufactured shoe parts.

After moving to the United States, Rafi himself went into fashion design, but left it briefly to pursue post-graduate degrees in interior architecture and environ- mental design. But the man is a walker, and, eventually, he walked right back into his  family’s shoe-making tradition, founding Cydwoq in 1996.

So, what do Cydwoq’s cutting-edge styles of today have in common with that Armenian shoe from 5600 years ago? More than you might think: Cydwoq’s handmade construction is all-leather, using carefully selected  hides that are vegetable-dyed and put together using water-based glues. And like the ancient shoe, all Cydwoq sandals, shoes, and boots conform to your foot over time for a custom fit. If you manage to walk through the sole or have any other problem, Rafi and his Cydwoq colleagues will happily make the necessary repairs.

Here are three of our latest Cydwoq additions, which showcase the long-long-long-long-long-established Armenian commitment to comfort, and durability, plus Rafi’s modern-day dedication to style.

Every time we look at Cydwoq’s gorgeous new Pi Bootie, we go a little weak in the knees. Fortunately, if we were wearing this beauty, we’d manage to stay on our feet because Rafi has placed the heel in just the right spot for maximum stability and comfort. Truly, the Pi is one for the ages—good design is timeless!

Another new style that’s captured our hearts is the Cydwoq Gamma:

What a great flat! Classic but utterly modern! Buckle up for a lifetime of easy walking.

Finally, here’s the Cydwoq Orient, which I think bears a slight resemblance to its long-lost ancestor:

Knit leather—could anything be cooler, both literally and figuratively? So fun to wear, this treasure will make you the talk of the town!

In The New York Times story about the discovery of the ancient shoe, Armenian doctoral student, Diana Zardaryan, who pulled the shoe out from its grass-lined storage spot, is quoted as saying, “To find a shoe has always been my dream.” We know just how she feels! Thank you, Rafi, for making our modern-day dreams come true.

(Incidentally, the “sweet treat” this week is another fantastic Cydwoq style: the Gaudi heeled sandal. You still have a few more days to click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper corner of any Ped page to reach the magic code that will give you a cool 20% discount on this summer stunner.)

Sure, we love slides at Ped, and we adore boots with buckles. Nevertheless, a little lacing goes a long way in terms of adjustable comfort and style! Whether it’s a classic oxford from Fiorentini + Baker or an innovative flat from Trippen, we enjoy a shoe that ties things up with a bow or knot. So, allow us to present a visual ode to the lace-up in all its lovely variations!

First up, one of the cutest shoes on the block this spring—Trippen’s Fish:

Wonderfully light, this little brown flat is so flirty with the way its leather laces weave through the front and back before twining around your ankles. Tie them in front, knot them in back—Trippen leaves the choice up to you! What’s certain is how comfortable your tootsies will be skipping down the streets of Prague, Perth, or just your hometown in the Fish!

But if ankle wraps aren’t your cup of tea, then maybe Trippen’s ultra-innovative Pull will appeal to your love of lacing:

We love the crazy way the elastic lacing crisscrosses the front before winding up in an adjustable knot behind your heel. This great travel shoe comes in both luscious teal and cool jade green.

Another shoe with out-of-the-ordinary lacing is Cydwoq’s Proud:

With this flat, there’s nothing to adjust—just slide in your foot and the elastic lacing automatically creates a glove-like fit. So clean, so chic, so cutting-edge—but still so versatile because the Proud literally goes with everything!

Sometimes, we like to change things up! Lots of you know the Fiorentini + Baker Emma Boot laces in the back, but did you know Trippen’s cut-front Fence ankle boot also features lacing in the back?

In a word (and no offense):  badass!

Then again, nothing beats the classic oxford for lace-up goodness. We’ve got two new ones in the house. Giraudon’s Plug Loafer is actually an old fave from years ago:

We love this traditional black shoe because it’s thoroughly modern with its perforated leather over the toe and four-eyelet lacing.

If you prefer to juice up your oxford with a blast of color, though, get an eyeful of Fiorentini + Baker’s latest:

It’s got all of F+B’s famed Italian construction in a glorious green package (and it comes in blue, too) all tied up with a bow!

By the way, have you checked out this week’s “sweet treat,” Argila’s Zoe? It takes lacing to a whole new level of sauciness:

Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page (including this one) to get 20% off this flirty heeled sandal!

So, lace up, ladies—in any of these great shoes, you’re sure to have a string of admirers tied around your little finger!