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, 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!)

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!)

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again (and again): We love a beautiful wedge! Let us count the ways: 1) they give our height a boost; 2) they provide solid support; and 3) they’re easy to wear (no balancing act required)!

Now with the retro rage for all things 1970s, the wedge has gotten even better by extending into a full platform under the forefoot and toe. The lift up front offsets the inches in back, so you get all of the height without the steep pitch! High style + high comfort = A tall drink of happiness!

Here are just a few ways to step up this summer:

As we mentioned, most of the platform wedges rock the retro look, but Accessoire’s knockout Babeth exudes less 1970s glam and more 1940s Hollywood glamor:

The navy suede is positively luminous, and the tie at the ankle makes this sandal super chic! Can’t you just imagine a pinup queen like Betty Grable breaking hearts in this beauty? (In fact, check out the sandals in this photo of 1940s movie star Yvonne De Carlo!)

What would happen if a designer took the best of  the 1940s and mixed it with the boldness of the 1970s? Coclico has the answer: the Mori!

The design of the suede upper flirts with the ’40s, while the chunky yet lightweight cork platform echos the ’70s, all in one sweet modern package! We love the versatility of the taupe suede version pictured, but the Moris comes in a lustrous cobalt blue, too!

Coclico also uses this comfortable cork sole for the equally wonderful Melania:

The wedge platform slopes from 2.75″ at the heel to 1.5″ under the toe, making the pitch an easy-peasy 1.25″. If you’re looking for something a little brighter than this rich hazelnut version, consider the Melania in sunny dandelion!

Vialis adopts the same heel:toe ratio as Coclico for its two cork-soled lovelies. First up, the Vialis Jacinta:

How cool is this sandal? We can’t get enough of how the heel strap curves up from the inside arch and then laces diagonally through the two bands over the foot! Plus, the asphalt grey suede pairs easily with most any outfit.

The Vialis Francyn is also worth writing home about:

Several designers are extending the uppers down onto the soles this season, but Vialis goes one better by taking the suede down and around the back! (Not to mention the woven work on the toe band is magnificent!)

Wood also makes a wonderful wedge platform, as demonstrated by the Trippen Strahl:

So much to love here! From the twice-dyed leather to the rubber on the outsole that echoes the underside of the leather to the radiating strap design to the smooth sanded wood, the Strahl is a height-enhancing treat!

But perhaps our favorite platform wedge this season comes from those Italian shoe maestros at Fiorentini + Baker. Feast your eyes on the stunning Dany:

Now this is how to rock the ’70s retro look! The bold suede t-strap with its stud-a-licious good looks is guaranteed to make you the center of attention! The dark grey “asfalto” version pictured is both unique and versatile, but we also have the Dany in a winner-takes-all mattone red!

So many great ways to wedge your way into summer. Get high on shoes! Power to the platform, right on!

(By the way, don’t miss this week’s fantastic Sweet Treat: Fiorentini + Baker’s Nicky ankle boot! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to be whisked to the Nicky, where you’ll find the magic code that takes 20% off at checkout.)

In our last post, we showed you a few options for taking boots as low as they go. Today we move on to ankle boots that stand a little taller, peaking just above the ankle bone. It’s a height we love at Ped because it looks fantastic with skirts and plays nicely with jeans (without having to confront the over-or-inside-the-boot dilemma).

First up, one of our favorites this season,the Coclico Willa:

In a word: YUM! The gorgeous Willa is on trend with its laceless good looks, yet it’s streamlined and classic, so it will never go out of style!

Of course, laces also have their place, as illustrated by Argila’s Lauren:

This suede and leather beauty checks three things off the au courant list in one easy sweep. Wooden wedge? Check. Oxford styling? Check. Ankle boot? Check! And scene (or should we say “seen”)!

Taking things in a more mod direction, the Artisan from Cydwoq has everyone at Ped HQ swooning:

Wow. Just wow! The brown leather lattice over the textured metallic leather, sparkling with a subtle plaid pattern, is FAN-TAS-TIC! Can’t you just imagine Megan on Mad Men wearing this with a micro mini ? (Don would be a helpless drooling puppy.)

Looking for something a little less overtly feminine?  Then get your attitude on in the Trippen Fence:

The sliced-up and laced-up (in back) Fence has held court at Ped for several years, but it still looks fresh and futuristic! Great barefoot but also sensational flashing colorful tights between its straps, the Fence will make friends everywhere you walk because everyone’s going to ask where you got your boots!

There are plenty more ankle-high ankle boots to tempt you over at Ped’s main site. (And just to ring the Fiorentini + Bell one more time, the new Pansy is super juicy!)

Stay tuned because we’re about to heighten the boot interest again in the next day or two.