Ped fans, I hope you’re enjoying drooling over all the new styles we’ve been adding to the site. We’re posting shoes and boots as fast as we can unpack the boxes pouring into the warehouse!

Of course, sometimes we have to stop and simply admire the gorgeousness of all the designs! The materials this season are to die for! We’re especially excited about the resurgence of suede! It’s so nice to reach down and feel its delicious softness on your feet.

Here are just a few of the wonderful suede styles that have us oohing and aahing (and petting the shoes!) at Ped HQ.

Since they’re French, it’s no surprise that Accessoire excels in creating chic designs out of luxurious suede. Case in point, the Okinawa:

Ooh la la—emerald green suede in a re-imagined mary jane accented by a fleurette on the toe? Color me love-struck! (Plus, the suede-covered platform sole is so modern!)

Another charmer from Accessoire is the versatile Odin:

We adore all the richly colored suede shoes and boots this season, but everybody needs a basic black shoe! And as the fun and feminine Odin proves, basic does not have to be boring!

On the other hand, when it’s time to step out and make a statement, you can always count on Chie Mihara to offer a sensational way to do it—this season in suede:

Oh my! We think you’ll agree Chie has really outdone herself with the drop-dead gorgeous Frunera heel! We are down for the count for this beauty in knockout red suede, but Ped also offers the Frunera in seductive navy suede.

If you’re looking for a great pair of suede boots, this is definitely your year! There are so many great ones from which to choose, like Chie’s Xolita:

We love everything about this lace-up, from the pinked edges of the placket to the combination of grommets and hooks to Chie’s famously comfortable anatomical footbed!

Coclico is another line that has the suede ankle boot down to a science! How beautifully designed is this Neale?

So sophisticated! Hidden elastic under the cuff makes for a glove-like fit, and the wooden sole is both modern and comfortable.

Another luscious suede number from Coclico is the Rilke:

Grey is the go-to neutral this season, and the Rilke’s particular shade is simply lovely. Plus, the feminine tie at the back of the ankle adds the perfect detail!

Of course, Fiorentini + Baker includes suede in its lineup of boots for fall. We are especially smitten with F+B’s suede version of the Ella Boot:

We love a boot that offers options, and the Ella gives you the choice of wearing it zipped up to mid-calf height or unzipped slightly and folded down to make a cuffed low boot! (The back zipper is so sexy!)

But for sheer beauty and turn-every-head impact, the clear winner in the suede boot category is Vic Matie’s Chloe:

WOW! This beautifully made boot makes us eager for chilly days because its faux fur lining is so inviting! We like how you can let it peek out at the top! Meanwhile the strap spiraling around your calf and ankle gives this boot unmistakable style. Truly a suede boot to treasure!

And there are many more touchable suede boots and shoes waiting to be admired at Ped’s main site! This season the cutting edge is oh so soft!

(Psst, this week’s Sweet Treat is Cydwoq’s all-occasion Textile flat! Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to be transported to the Textile with the magic code that will get you a sweet 20% off at  checkout!)

For years I’ve been nudging gals to try boots with summer skirts and dresses because the look is so sassy and fun! Finally, the trend has caught on! Everywhere I turn these days, women are rocking boots with breezy sundresses, light, floaty skirts, and even shorts! Not only do they look fresh and chic, but they’re also not stubbing their toes.

Because we think boots are for all seasons, here are few suggestions for how to kick up your heels while the sun shines!

Ped fans will agree that nobody makes better boots than Fiorentini + Baker! One of the easiest boots to wear with anything and everything is F+B’s Mix:

Everyone goes wild for a motorcycle boot, especially when it’s made of such luscious leather! Plus, the Mix gives you a leg up with its chunky 2″ heel!

Want a little less heel and a little more buckle? Then say hello to F+B’s Emmy (also known as Style 713)!

This beauty also comes in rabbit grey (always a good choice), but we especially love the teal version because it looks so cool (as in river-water cool) with light-colored summer skirts!

Still not enough buckles? Then Fiorentini + Baker’s popular Eternity Boot is your answer!

There’s a good reason why this boot is a perennial object of desire: It looks terrific with EVERYTHING! Plus, it exudes a sexy, badass attitude. Ped offers the Eternity not only in delicious dark brown leather (pictured), but also in black, red, and caramel. All gorgeous!

Perhaps you prefer a sleeker, more minimal look, in which case, drink in the loveliness of F+B’s Bessi Boot:

As Ped fans know, I can’t get enough of green, and I adore F+B’s bonsai green shade! It’s like a refreshing breeze on a sweltering day! Gals who like to enhance their height will also appreciate the Bessi‘s 3″ heel.

Another fabulous minimal boot is F+B’s pull-on Elgin Boot:

Also available in mocha ice suede, the Elgin is easy to wear anywhere with its clean-lined, relaxed design.

Of course, we know for some gals, only a tall boot fits the bill. Our personal favorite is F+B’s Emma:

All of us at Ped HQ own this terrific boot (except Terry, of course—but even he’s an Emma admirer)! Black is classic, but we also carry the Emma in dark brown, red, and caramel (which is, psst, on sale right now).

But if you want to go the opposite direction, and bare a little more skin—it is summer, after all—then Fiorentini + Baker’s Paula is ready to be your warm-weather friend:

We love the Paula’s rock ‘n’ roll attitude with its ruched front and zipper up the back! It’s a knockout in chocolate brown, but Ped also offers it in cool blue and always-right black!

Believe it or not, there are still more boots at Ped’s main site to let you two-step through summer’s delightfully long days! So, give your hot-weather wardrobe a boost with a pair of boots!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is a boot-a-licious sandal: Trippen’s Tarantula! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to reach the Tarantula with the magic discount code that will treat you to a delightful 20% off at checkout!)
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It’s been some time since we gave a big shout out to all the wonderful blogs and sites that have paid attention to Ped! We’re always so happy and grateful when those we admire find something to like at Ped! Here are a few of the people and places that have made our hearts sing over the past few months. (Check ’em out—you might find a new favorite!):

* Michelle Taylor not only makes gorgeous jewelry out of vintage bits and bobs, but she also puts together the noteworthy design blog, Blue Moss. We love that she gave props to Vialis’s Rambla Bootie.

* Another blogger who is a wonderful friend to Ped is Mrs. French at the always interesting and newly redesigned Bliss, where she recently admired Argila’s Riley. (By the way, she also makes lovely photographs.)

* We heart Lindsey Cochran at Every Clog Has Its Day for giving a virtual hug to Ped’s entire Vialis line, even though, as she points out, they’re not technically clogs.

* Fernanda van der Laan included a tribute to Fiorentini + Baker boots on her eponymous blog, which discusses all kinds of things! (We hope she’s enjoying her red Eternity boots!)

* We think Kristin at Lovely Apidae has amazing style, and we’re so glad she thinks her Chie Mihara Loti beauties are perfect!

* Julie, creator of the The Accidental Frock, may be a “reluctant blogger,” but we like what she does and are happy she likes Chie Mihara’s Rumi. Plus, she’s a fabulous textile designer!

* Si, a lovely French lass, blogs in English about beautiful things at French By Design. We are thrilled she called attention to Chie Mihara’s Ruala!

* We are excited Sally McGraw at Already Pretty mentioned we carry Trippen! Sally has such bold style and offers great advice on body image and fashion.

* Of course, we also love it when our overseas friends write about us, even if we are often language-challenged by their words. (We’re sure they’re kind!) Here are a few foreign blogs that have recently mentioned Ped: Portion de vie, Lolapinso, and en Oby Ting.

Since all of us at Ped have so much fun bringing you wonderful things, it makes us feel fantastic when others notice and say so!

THANK YOU!!!!!!

(One last thing: the Sweet Treat this week is Sophie Digard’s fabulously fun Flower Petal Necklace! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to land at the Flower Petal Necklace with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)

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Ped fans, I’m in Milan, Italy, this week, finding all kinds of wonders to warm up next fall and winter. In the meantime, fresh Italian delights for spring and summer are the latest things to arrive in the Ped warehouse. And when we say “Italian,” we mean the line you love: Fiorentini + Baker!

As F+B addicts know, once you indulge in a pair of these beautifully handcrafted leather boots, shoes, or sandals, nothing else will do. F+B’s quality, comfort, and timeless beauty are simply magnifico (as the many celebrities who wear this line will attest)!

So join us for a brief Italian lesson! After seeing Fiorentini + Baker’s latest designs, we suspect you’ll want to become fluent in F+B style.

One thing we adore about F+B is their understanding that less is often more, a point made clear in the knockout Elgin Boot:

The clean lines and soft scrunch-a-bility of this minimal mid-calf boot make it perfect for pairing with floaty spring skirts. Of course, it also looks great with jeans! The mattone brick leather version is so rich, but we also offer the Elgin in a delicious mocha ice suede! Good luck choosing between the two! (Hint: either one is the right choice!)

Some of you Ped fans have begged us to carry the two-buckle cousin of F+B’s popular Eternity Boot. Well, consider your wish granted! Behold the Emmy, also know as style #713:

We are woozy with love for F+B’s new turquoise leather! It is to die for—so unusual and yet it still works with lots of other colors. (Ped’s Laura went down for the count when she saw it.) Of course, if you’re a gal who prefers all things noir, we’ve got the Emmy in black, as well!

Want a few more flourishes? And perhaps a bit of textural contrast? Fiorentini + Baker’s Ebbi has your name on it:

You’ll give the people following you something to talk about when you saunter down the street in the Ebbi because the fold-over suede cuff laces in the back. And the raised seams that arc over the instep and encircle the ankle add further eye-popping interest!

If you like a well-heeled boot to boost your height, then feast your eyes on Fiorentini+Baker’s new Bessi:

The 3″ stacked-leather heel gives this sexy boot a leg up, while an inside zip lets you breeze in and out in a flash. F+B’s bonsai green leather is a Ped favorite, and it looks especially fresh on the Bessi!

Another great heeled style from F+B is the take-no-prisoners Zilla Clog:

The hand-cut wooden sole features a 3.5″ heel and a 1.5″ platform under the ball of your foot. The brass studs that rim the collar and attach the luxe black leather upper to the sole are, in a word, badass! Who knew a clog could be this smokin’ hot? (Somebody hand me a fan!)

When it’s the weather that’s hot, though, you may want to let your toes out to play. But you can still maintain your brass-studded style—just buckle up F+B’s Tribo Sandal!

Take a minute to admire the wonderful details of this easy-going yet dazzling beauty: the leather toe thong is rolled for comfort; the studded straps are leather-lined to be soft against your skin; and the leather sole is designed to mold to your foot with wear. Fiorentini + Baker does it all so well!

Another fantastic F+B sandal is the Tulip:

Crafted in our favorite rabbit-hued leather, this flat is both tough and girly, combining the edge of a gladiator sandal with petal-like cutouts that cascade down the front of the foot. What a way to go through spring and summer! Prepare to be the object of everyone’s sandal envy!

Of course, we have all of F+B’s classics over at Ped’s main site. So let Fiorentini + Baker’s leatherwork and style seduce you—we know you’ll agree: That’s amore!

(By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” practically sings, “Spring!”: Karin Wagner’s delightful Alps Brooch. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, and you’ll arrive at the hand-felted Alps Brooch with the magic code that will bring 20% at checkout!)
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The Tale of the Sole that won our hearts this past month came to us via Michele K., the appreciative friend of the winner, longtime Ped customer, Jenny P. It’s such a sweet story, so we’ll turn it over to Michelle:

I want to tell a tale about my really dear friend, Jenny.  Jenny and I met online; we’ve actually never met in real life. I’m in New Jersey, and she is in Portland, Oregon, but we talk everyday through e-mail or on the phone.  She has been so kind in sharing some of her Ped shoes with me—we send shoes and jewelry back and forth across the country! She has let me try and even given me her Trippen Fence and Skylla boots. I’ve also had the pleasure of trying out her Fiorentini and Baker boots, such as the Eternity and Emma, so I could figure out my size.

The generous and lovely Jenny P in her Fiorentini + Baker Emma boots.

She even sent me her Jamie Joseph Chrysoprase Teardrop Locket to wear for Thanksgiving!  (I told her not to, but she sent it anyway.) She is so generous and just an awesome person, who puts the care of her husband and children before herself.  She never says, “I can’t do this,” or “It’s hard for me”— she just does. I strive to be like her and embody the outstanding qualities she has.

Jenny P's feet looking sassy in one of her latest Ped purchases, the Cydwoq Vintage Micron. (Perhaps they'll soon visit Michelle?)

What a great testimony to fantastic friend! How fun to have a deep bond reinforced by the exchange of shoes and jewelry! In appreciation of Jenny P’s generosity, we’re sending her $100 Ped gift certificate! She makes us grin from ear to ear!

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 super delicious: Fiorentini + Baker’s Eliza Oxford!!!! Get 20% off this drool-worthy classic by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Eliza Oxford, where you will find the discount code! Lace it up Italian style!)