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.)

Via our shoes and accessories, Ped has traveled to lots of exotic destinations and participated in all kinds of exciting events, but none more glamorous than the Cannes Film Festival! We recently tagged along to the international see-and-be-seen scene with terrific longtime Ped customer, Seattle-based Emily Glassman, who is the head of Marketing and PR for the Internet Movie Database (imdb), the go-to online source for all movie-related information.

In mid-May she wrote, “I love you/your shoes/your site SOOO much. Thanks for making it so easy and fun to shop,” and then she added, “I’m headed to the Cannes Film Fest tomorrow and am delighted to be bringing four pairs of Ped shoes with me!!” Now there’s a Tale of the Sole!!! We excitedly asked Emily to send us a few photos of Ped’s visit to Cannes via her feet, and she obliged.

Emily's Cydwoq Heli sandals look right at home among the yachts on the French Riviera.

If you, too, want to get the canny Cannes Cydwoq look, alas, we don’t have the Heli this year… BUT we do have Cydwoq’s Naked sandal, which is a close—and cute!— approximation (ankle strap and all)!

Emily also looked chic in her Chie Mihara Rocosa heeled sandals!

Emily rocking the boyfriend jeans with her Chie Mihara R0cosa.

Whatever she’s directing, we’re on board with it, given how gorgeous she looks in her Chie’s! When she sent us this photo, she wrote, “Dayna: more Cannes happiness in my glorious AND comfortable Ped shoes. If only I had worn nothing else all week long.”

After reading and seeing (and dreaming) about Emily’s strolling among the rich and famous and fabulously talented in her Ped shoes, our smiles couldn’t be any wider. So, for making our month by taking Ped along to hobnob with the film glitterati in France, we are delighted to give Emily $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!

(Incidentally, another shoe with movie-star quality is Cordani’s Tia sandal, which just happens to be this week’s “Sweet Treat.” Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page—including this one—and get 20% off this super-sexy heeled style!)

Here at Ped, we get so excited about the wonderful things we carry. Everyday we ooh and aah and swoon and gush over the goods in the Ped warehouse, which is why we love it when others appreciate what we appreciate!

It’s been a while since we expressed our gratitude, but we are truly grateful for all the shout-outs to Ped across the Web! Here are several of the wonderful people and sites that have featured Ped treasures recently:

• We adore Michelle Taylor of Blue Moss! It’s not just because she’s admired our Argila Elsie and Chie Mihara Hito, among other things; it’s also because every day she introduces us to beautiful sites, places, and ideas. What an eye for design! She also creates the coolest jewelry from re-purposed vintage baubles for her Blue Moss Etsy shop.
• Katrina Rodabaugh, an amazing artist and poet, mentioned how much she loves our Pepita jewelry on her terrific blog, Made by Katrina.
• The unknown author of the blog Goodness Aggregated made us smile with a post that featured our Fiorentini + Baker Eli boot and Jutta Neumann Kim sandal.
• The mysterious writer and photographer who maintains I Spuddle thrilled us when she coveted our Cydwoq Traction.
• The woman who loves lovely things at Crush Party gushed about so many of our pretty boots! Color us thrilled!
• Jessica at Ring o Blog took a shine to our Jamie Joseph Aqua Chalcedony ring (one of our favorites)!
• Becki Singer, who puts together the hilariously named blog, Shopping is My Cardio, fell for our gorgeous Fiorentini + Baker Eden boots. She’s in good company!

We also say merci, gracias, danke, and thank you in so many languages to the numerous overseas blogs that have highlighted Ped items, among them How to Make a Baby Elephant Float (how great is that name?), du fond du coeur, and Nata Velvska @ ShoeShoe.

If you’ve featured something from Ped and we’ve somehow overlooked your site, please know we still appreciate you! (Let us know who you are, so we can pay attention!) We love being part of the party!

So, to everyone out there who’s noticed us, a huge THANK YOU from everyone at Ped HQ!

Ped fans, we hear it all the time: “I love those shoes, but I’m not sure what I’d wear them with…” We understand—the last thing you want is to buy a knockout pair of shoes only to have them languish in the closet! But chances are even the most offbeat color or bold design is easier to wear than you think. Here are a few ideas for how to make things work.

On the other hand, you may prefer your style more muted. Even so, you can still wear a sandal boot and have it look smashing:

All these outfits were created at Polyvore.com, which offers a wonderful way to try out items together when you’re shopping online. It’s also just plain fun! So, if you fall in love with a shoe, don’t resist; in the words of Tim Gunn, you can “make it work.”

(By the way, we’re pretty sure you could make lots of things work with this week’s “sweet treat,” Cordani’s Erin. Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to get 20% off this fresh espadrille platform!)

Blue skies. The deep blue sea. Bluebirds. Blueberries. Some of the most wonderful things in nature are blue!

Here at Ped, we have quite a thing for blue. We love how it’s simultaneously dreamy, peaceful, and uplifting. (Not to mention romantic—there’s a reason why brides carry “something blue.”) Shades like turquoise add a jolt of color! Others, such as grey-blues, are nearly neutral and quietly add style.

Here’s a juicy sample of the many hues of blue at Ped.

Cydwoq sandals are de rigueur for the summer because they’re artistic and supremely comfortable. This season we decided to offer Cydwoq’s Hook in blue:

I bought this sandal myself in brown  a couple seasons ago, but this new blue version has turned my head. If you’re looking for the perfect companion to take on vacation, the Hook makes an ideal sight-seeing friend!

Another favorite shoe that we’ve refreshed in blue is Chie Mihara’s Vaive:

A cluster of violet-blue rosettes blooming on a heeled lace-up oxford—yes, please!!! The Vaive is the way to take your style to work!

Maybe you want something that’s airier than an oxford but not quite as breezy as a sandal? Then drink in the lovely blueness of Cydwoq’s new Border:

This wooden-heeled beauty is sophisticated enough for serious occasions, but it still let’s you celebrate that it’s summer outside! You’ll be as pretty as a bluebell!

If there’s one thing on which all Ped fans agree, it’s the fabulousness of Fiorentini + Baker boots. Meet Eden, the latest member of the Ped F+B family:

This boot’s a slice of blue paradise! Imagine how great it would look with a white prairie skirt and camisole on a hot summer day! Although the Eden danced out of the Ped warehouse as soon as it arrived, we have more on the way. Let us know if you’d like to be notified when the next shipment of Eden lands.

But there’s more blue than just shoes at Ped. Drink in the beauty of the linen Seville scarf that just arrived from Sophie Digard in Paris:

A lacy wonder, this scarf’s sky-blue background makes all the other colors sing so harmoniously! As with every Sophie design, we suggest you zoom, zoom, zoom at the Ped site to appreciate the intricate artistry of the work.

One way to keep a blue sky with you, no matter what the weather, is to slip a Jamie Joseph ring on your finger. Then you can just look at your hand for a little pick-me-up. One of our favorites is her Rainbow Moonstone ring:

The stone’s depth and luminosity are so spellbinding!

Finally, opening your wallet becomes a much less stressful experience when it’s made of wonderful blue leather:

“Yvs Klein Blue” is our new favorite color for 49 Square Miles’ Clingy Wallet!

Oh, and by the way, you can get this week’s Sweet Treat—Cydwoq’s Flap Bag—in teal, which is the loveliest blue green!

Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of this page (or any Ped page) to be whisked to the Flap, where a magic code awaits to enable you to knock 20% off the price at checkout.

So, head over to the Ped site to find your favorite blue to help you keep the blues at bay. Only blue skies for Ped fans!