The variety of boots this fall is virtually endless: flats, heels, wedges, lace-ups, buckle-straps, laceless, rugged, girly, rock ‘n’ roll, etc. Every woman can find one (or two or three) she wants, but wading through all the options can take quite a while.

So to make browsing more bite-sized, we’ve decided to offer several quick samplers of Ped’s boots, arranged by height. Every blog post for the next few days will be like a tasting menu—or boot tapas, if you will! Enjoy! It’s all delicious!

Today’s installment focuses on ankle boots that are barely boots (they just made the height requirement to get on the coaster). Sometimes called “shooties” because they walk the fine line between shoes and booties, these designs may have short shafts, but they’re long on style!

Since we were singing the praises of Pep Monjo yesterday, let’s start with a sweetheart from the company he founded, the Argila Anna:

Like a femmed-up version of a motorcycle boot, the Anna charms with a perforated design over the toe and a supple front, pinked at the top and cinched into a loose ruffle by the buckle strap. Pretty and practical, this little boot goes with everything!

Another versatile beauty is Coclico’s Rilke:

We love the tie and tongue at the back—it’s always fun to give those behind you something to see! Plus, the Rilke is made of the softest grey suede imaginable!

Looking for something with a little more va-va-va voom? See what you think of Cydwoq’s Elevate:

This is one of our favorite new styles from Rafi and Ari at Cydwoq! The serpentine curves and mix of leathers is simply spectacular! Choose from either brown and silvery faux croc (pictured) or black and burnout paisley pony (perfect for you steampunk lovers).

Nice, you say, but you want a boot with “go big or go home” boldness! Well, Cydwoq’s Indies has that and then some:

Rock ‘n’roll, sister! Cydwoq’s riveted red lace-up will have everyone wishing they were in your boots!

These are just a few of the low-riding lovelies over at Ped’s main site. (For instance, we know we just showed you the Fiorentini + Baker Celia a few days ago, but it really is worth oohing and aahing over again!)

Be sure to come back tomorrow when we take things up an inch or two!

Free your toes, and the rest will follow! Okay, so that’s not quite how the song goes, but it’s still good advice! After all, it’s sandal season!

We love spending sunny days almost barefoot in a great pair of run-around flats! This year many of them offer a little extra something in the way of metallics, ranging from subtle shimmers to out-and-out, razzle-dazzle shines. Here are a few ways to make your tootsies sparkle.

Fact: Cydwoq makes THE BEST sandals! As evidence, we present Exhibit A: Cydwoq’s Form:

Ped fans know about my fondness for all things green, but Cydwoq takes it to the next level by adding a little metallic shimmer! Oh my! The Form‘s straps wow with their artistic cut. And how about that sweet circular buckle? So much to love!

Another sandal that benefits from a pearly polish is the Cydwoq Naked:

Blue is the color of the moment, and it looks especially beautiful glimmering like a moonlit sky. Looking for something more neutral? We also have the Naked in pewter.

For those of you who appreciate a slide, Cydwoq also gives the pearl treatment to the Samba:

Simple and pretty, just the way we like it, with the warm burnish of a well-worn penny!

Another understated way to add some metal to your mettle is with Cydwoq’s wonderful Thong:

There are two reasons why this classic Cydwoq design remains popular year after year: 1) its incomparable comfort and 2) its ever-modern style! The silver sparkle makes the Thong shine in a sea of black sandals.

Maybe you’re someone who likes to amp up the dazzle, in which case, Cydwoq’s Tomcat will put a twinkle in your eye (as it did in mine):

The antiqued silver and gold leather is stunning, and yet for being so eye-catching, these sandals are go-everywhere wearable! I wore mine all over Barcelona, for instance—here’s proof:

My Tomcats look pretty sassy on this Gaudi-esque bench!

But let’s get a little shinier, shall we? Everyone at Ped HQ is over the moon for Cydwoq’s new Admit:

Such a great sandal! The leather looks like it was worked in a silversmith’s shop! Gorgeous in every way!

Finally, for all-out gleam, the Trippen Careless takes the prize:

Sure, the Careless is shiny and bold, but its leather is also unbelievably soft! This sandal feels so good against your skin and under your sole, and it provides fantastic support for walking wherever the map takes you!

Slip on any of these breezy sandals, and  your feet will instantly be as dazzling as the sun on a cloudless summer day! Let your toes out to shine!

(Psst, have you oohed and aahed over this week’s Sweet Treat? It’s worthy—Vialias’ saucy Sara! Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to arrive at the Sara with the magic code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)

Usually, we wait until the end of the month before deciding on a winning Tale of the Sole, but this month we knew no one could top Judith B’s story of where she went in her Ped! Take it away, Judith:

Proof positive that Cydwoq’s aren’t just for the sidewalk! My Sanders were right at home in Tanzania, but they had to settle for gazing longingly at the highest spot on the continent—Mt. Kilimanjaro.

After a week of living in hiking boots while climbing the mountain, though, I settled back into my Sanders like long-lost friends for our safari to Serengeti National Park.

Posing beside one of the live elephants seemed a bit risky (they become jealous rather easily), so I settled for this boulder-sized pachyderm noggin at the park entrance.

The lions had no comment. Hakuna matata!

We suspect that lion was roaring her approval of Judith’s Sanders in lion-ese! What a fun and exciting adventure for a pair of Ped Shoes! To thank Judith for giving us a vicarious thrill, we’re giving her $100 in Ped credit! (We can’t wait to see where she takes us next.)

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.

(Psst, the Sweet Treat this week is Trippen’s a-maz-ing Fence ankle boot! Get 20% sliced off—see what we did there?—when you click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will take you to the Fence with the magic discount code to enter at checkout.)

We can’t help it! When March comes along, we feel like tossing off our winter coats and dancing outside! Tulips and daffodils are opening to the sun! Daylight is stretching languidly into the evening! And the mercury is on the upswing . . .

Which is what trips us up every year! We always think (wish, hope) the last of winter’s chill is behind us before it really is. The temptation is to bust out our barest sandals, which leads to literally cold feet, especially after the sun goes down. It’s best to ease into the season, giving our sun-craving soles a taste of fresh air without fully exposing them to the elements. Happily, Ped has just the shoes for making the transition from nippy weather to days of ice-tea and lemonade.

Good news: you don’t have to give up your oxfords to let your tootsies taste the breeze. Just lace up Argila’s Natalie:

An oxford with air-conditioning! The sandy color is a cinch to wear with almost everything in your wardrobe, and the pinked edges are so fun!

Another terrific aerated lace-up is Trippen’s perennially popular Golf:

An ideal walking shoe, the Golf’s Euro-edgy looks and comfortable perforated leather will make you the envy of everyone you pass. (“Pardon me, where did you get those great shoes?)

Cydwoq also knows a thing or two about comfortably walking from early spring right through summer and on into fall, as evidenced by the new Malba:

Bare your heels, while keeping your toes enclosed! We’re crazy about the thong detail, which adds just the right touch to the innovative design. (Not a fan of turmeric? The Malba also comes in fresh sage.)

Another great way to cool your heels is with Cydwoq’s wonderful Orient:

The leather is KNIT! How cool is that? This easy slide immediately became a Ped favorite last year. This year we also have it in black, for those of you who favor all things noir.

“Those are all great weekend shoes,” you may be saying, “but what about something transitional for work?” The answer: Cydwoq’s Poa:

We don’t know how Cydwoq keeps coming up with artistic variations on the classic mary jane, but we’re just glad they do! Dressy, yes, but not too, the Poa stands apart with its luscious lavender leather!

Looking for a transitional heel to boost your height? Cydwoq’s Prairie is just the thing:

The perfect compromise between a sandal and a shoe, this slingback peep-toe is incredibly versatile in addition to being a sophisticated stunner!

If you like the Prairie, but you’re still wishing for something taller and juicier, say good day to Fiorentini + Baker’s Floss:

Good day, indeed! WOW! And just wait until you slide your foot inside the super supple leather of this green dream! De-lish!

Over at Ped’s main site, there are even more ways to walk from winter into warm weather. So, ease your feet back into the outside world! They’ll say, “Aaaah!” while all your fans say, “Ooooh!”

For the longest time, pointy toes, high heels, and frou-frou dominated the catwalk. Girly girls rejoiced, but the rest of us said, “So fussy…” and “Ow!” Happily, the pendulum is now swinging the other way—the classic oxford is the coolest shoe going (this year worn laceless if you’re on the cutting-edge), and a clear masculine influence is everywhere on the runway.

But the new menswear-inspired shoes go beyond just tomboy appeal—these designs are devoted to modern women who need to go, go, go but who want to look stylish getting from here to there. Here are a few of Ped’s latest ways to do just that:

Chie Mihara always excels at putting a feminine and modern spin on classic styles. Case in point: the Darrer, Chie’s contribution to the laceless look:

So fun and super chic! The boys may have inspired the oxford, but the metallic leather and heel are just for us gals! Think how great this laceless beauty would look with a pencil skirt!

We are always begging Rafi and Ari at Cydwoq to rework some of their men’s designs for women. When they indulge us, the results are predictably fantastic, as demonstrated by the Date:

I couldn’t resist this one and got it for myself! I’ve hardly taken it off since i first laced it up! I’m a skirt-wearing kind of gal, and the Date is so flirty with my knee-length, A-line numbers!

Meanwhile, Ped’s Laura has a big crush on the Cydwoq Collect:

What a fantastic shoe! The woven brown leather is eye-opening and will have everyone talking! And the western-style buckle provides the perfect accent, as well as a custom fit.

Speaking of fun details, take a look at Cydwoq’s new Legal:

J’adore! This knockout flat calls to mind a classic golf shoe, with its smashing front flap punctuated by a central rivet. But the Legal is so much cooler than anything that’s ever hit the links and features “aging” grey leather that darkens with wear.

Cydwoq also uses “aging” grey leather in the Recent, which offers a hep-cat take on the interplay of masculine and feminine:

We love the fluid insets on the heel and toe. Plus, this loafer-like flat is a cinch to slip on and off, thanks to the artistic elastic lacing!

It’s not only shoes that are benefitting from putting a little male in the mix—check out the fabulous Deform ankle boot from Cydwoq:

When you buckle up this bootie, you are instantly going to become the object of envy for everyone who sees you! Definitely badass in the best kind of way!

We love all the different ways the above designs put an infusion of femme into traditionally male shoes, but if you simply want a timeless oxford, Fiorentini + Baker’s Eliza is the straight-up, gold standard:

So gorgeous. So comfortable. So beautifully made! And it looks GREAT with everything!

Sure, menswear is the inspiration for this new crop of wonderful shoes, but it’s the feminine twist that makes them must-haves! Classic sophistication was never so much fun—or such a treat to wear!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is Trippen’s incredibly comfortable  Sioux. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of an Ped page to land at the Sioux with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)