Ped fans, you may not think of us as a “one-stop shop,” but if you have daughters, mothers, aunts, sisters, or simply female friends you want to make smile this season, we’re confident of the pleasing power of Ped presents! Here are just a few ideas to brighten your favorite gals’ holidays:

When you’re mystified by your recipient’s size, there’s no need to scratch your head. Simply give her something toasty to wrap around her neck, like Ben Alder’s Edinburgh Scarf:

Such stripe-tastic fun, this soft scarf is knit from the finest Scottish new wool! One size makes everyone look stylish! We’re in love with this smashing Blue/Lemon/Fuchsia version, but Ped also offers the Edinburgh in three other great color combinations!

Word to the wise gift giver: Ben Alder also knits wonderful striped gloves!

Make her fingers festive and protect them from frostbite! If purple and green don’t float her boat, perhaps Ben Alder’s other color combos will make her heart set sail.

As long as we’re keeping the extremities warm, let’s make sure the tootsies stay toasty! Socks can make a sensational present, especially when they come from Antipast:

Everything Antipast designs is like a party for your toes, but we are especially crazy about the Winter Skier Socks. They are so clever! Beneath a snowy sky of polka dots, a tiny skier whooshes down a mountain of stripes!

We also have a new kid on the sock block: Bonne Maison! Why not give your gal the gift of a garden walk with Bonne Maison’s Autumn Flower Knee High:

This carmine version makes our hearts sing, but perhaps the honey or aged green options are more in tune with your gal.

If you want to up the ante with heating things up, a Sophie Digard work of wearable art is an excellent way to express your affection.

Sophie’s hand-crocheted Cercle Pop Scarf, for instance, is guaranteed to thrill! When she’s not wearing this stunner, your lucky recipient may opt to keep it out where she can simply look at it!

Another gift every woman welcomes is a fantastic bag. Cydwoq offers beautiful ways to help her haul it all through the day!

We just got in two new versions of Cydwoq’s terrific Leather Market Sack! Isn’t this navy and rust argyle pattern to die for? (We’re adding it to our own wish list!) The olive herringbone option is equally gorgeous!

Of course, if you really want to “wow” her, something sparkly from Jamie Joseph is just the thing!

The gold and diamond treatment of Jamie Joseph’s 14kt Gold Organic Circle Necklace is a sure-fire way to kiss holiday doldrums and winter blues goodbye!

As always, there are more goodies at Ped’s main site, so let your stylish thoughts count as you spread the love!

By the way, if you want to make absolutely sure the women in your life will like their gifts, invite them to browse the Ped site and click “add to favorites” for whatever strikes their fancy. Once they’ve finished making selections, they can share the list with you via email. That way the pressure’s off, and happiness is on!

(Psst, the Sweet Treat this week, Sophie Digard’s Velvet Lune Scarf,  would make a fabulous gift, too, even if it’s just to deserving you! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left at Ped’s main site. When you land at the Velvet Lune Scarf’s page, just pop it in your shopping bag to get 20% off!)

It’s that time of year, Ped fans, when your inbox starts to overflow with invitations to holiday shindigs. No doubt, your favorite LBD will get a workout, night after sparkly night! But what to put on your feet to make sure you’re still standing comfortably after all those hours of socializing while quaffing eggnog, wassail, and champagne?

Ped to the rescue with a few festive ways to keep your dogs from howling at the moon!

Chie Mihara knows all about letting your inner girly girl out to shine without sacrificing your soles (and arches and toes). One of the prettiest shoes of the season is the Chie Mihara Kitaro:

Ooooh, we adore the textured gold leather trim with the blue suede heel and brown suede toe! What a way to add color and sparkle to a little black dress!

Colorful suede also makes the Accessoire Doisneu a welcome guest at any party:

Gorgeous and soooooo comfortable! This beauty’s suede-covered platform slopes from 1.75″ in back to .75″ up front, making the pitch a delightful 1″! And the stylized rosette is beyond chic! (We adore the “grenat” (garnet) version pictured here, but the Doisneau also comes in amethyst.)

Another flower-adorned shoe that will have you shining is Chie Mihara’s Karta:

This glittery oxford is tied up and ready for cocktails! (We also offer the Karta in a red that’s as pretty as a poinsettia.)

If you’re looking for something sparkly but a little airier, you’re guaranteed to wow in Cydwoq’s Gaudi:

Hi ho, silver! In this gorgeous sandal, you’ll turn every head in the room. (And those behind you can swoon over the design on the etched heel!)

Perhaps you like your metallics a little more low-key. If so, say hello to Cydwoq’s understated yet oh-so chic Fluid:

The Fluid is perfect for when you need to go straight from work out for evening drinks—it makes the transition in the most fluid and stylish way!

Another work-to-play knockout is Cydwoq’s strap-a-licious Young:

The Young is so very sexy but in a socially acceptable way! (Make sure you click “Views” to see the saucy corset-like closure in back.)

The same closure adds even more fuel to the fiery hotness of Cydwoq’s Knee, which is ideal if you want to party in a dressy ankle boot:

Isn’t that burnt-out paisley leather breathtaking? The Knee is guaranteed to make you the modern and edgy belle of the ball!

For you Ped fans whose style is more funky than femme, consider rocking the holiday cocktails in Cydwoq’s Love Ankle Boot:

We love the idea of wearing an LBD with this black and red badass beauty! You’ll light hearts on fire! (Where you can roast some chestnuts…)

As usual, there are more ways to make your feet festive over at Ped’s main site (don’t miss Cydwoq’s Skate and Rotate, which we showed you a few posts back).

‘Tis the season to take your tootsies out on the town!

Know what wows us these days? The myriad techniques Italian tanneries use to transform already-beautiful leather into artistic canvases that make shoe and bag designs POP! From twice-dyeing to embossing to hand painting, these methods yield leathers that elicit “oohs” and “aahs” from everyone who sees them.

Cydwoq’s Rafi Balouzian is particularly adept at picking eye-opening leathers for his unusual designs, a skill he’s passed on to his son Ari, who makes shoes for Cliff Dweller. Let’s take a look at some of their gorgeous finds!

Hands down (feet down?), the best way to sparkle and shine at your upcoming holiday parties is to wear Cydwoq’s Skate:

Drink in the way the embossed paisley pattern shimmers in red and gold against the black matte background! We’re sure your favorite LBD is chic, but it’s going to look truly spectacular with the Skate!

Another festive head-turner is Cydwoq’s Rotate:

The design itself is fluid work of art, but it becomes a masterpiece when crafted from this stunning multicolored marbled leather!

Also impressive is how Italian tanners have mastered replicating rare animal hides, like python and alligator, without touching those endangered species. Check out the Cydwoq Range to see what we mean:

We love how the sienna and ocher details enhance the persuasiveness of the embossed scaly midsection of this outstanding oxford!

Another convincing copy is the faux ostrich leather of the Cydwoq Mountain:

The vintage feel of these mid-calf beauties is enhanced by the “ostrich” leather, which calls to mind the romance of a different era.

Cydwoq also use the spectacular leathers it finds to make wonderful bags. The same Picasso leather used for the stunning Larkspur shoe can found in this edition of the Olive bag:

The increased “real estate” of the bag really shows off the jaw-dropping beauty of the leather! (Also, note the stoppers on the bottom, which will help protect the leather when you set the Olive down.)

At Cliff Dweller, Ari Balouzian’s specialty is designing modern versions of classic styles, which he often constructs in unexpected leathers. A perfect example is the Cliff Dweller Canoe:

Here Ari updates the classic deck shoe/loafer hybrid and makes it in a modern blue leather that’s hatched for visual and textural interest.

But perhaps the prettiest shoe yet from Cliff Dweller is the swoon-worthy Yoga:

Let’s face it, ballet flats are a dime a dozen, but the Yoga, crafted in this spectacular floral leather that’s perfectly complemented by the crisscross elastic lacing, is truly one in a million! Talk about a gorgeous shoe!

As usual, there are more specialty leathers to make you (and your fans) wake up and take notice over at Ped’s main site! Let your feet and eyes take pleasure in the leather!

(In case you’re wondering, this week’s Sweet Treat is the Trippen Drama Boot! Zip up with flair for 20% off when you click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages. No code needed—when you click through from “be sweet to your feet,” the discount is automatic when you add the Drama to your shopping bag! Yep, the treat just got a little bit sweeter.)

Ped fans, we are loving the current emphasis on COLOR—all the new shoe hues have the Ped warehouse looking bright and lively! It’s amazing how an infusion of color makes the daily grind less grind-like and more like a party.

Quite a few of you, though, are mystified by how to work the new shades into your wardrobe. It’s easier than you think! You simply need  to realize things don’t have to match as long as they “go.” In fact, matching too precisely can make an outfit look “twee,” as the British say. (Laura says a friend of hers calls it the “flight attendant look.”)

You’ve also told us you worry that you’ll only wear colorful shoes once in a while, with one specific thing. To demonstrate the versatility of some of our more show-stopping shoes, we’ve incorporated them into not one but two outfits, often quite different in tone and purpose, to help spark your imagination. Let’s take a tour, and along the way, we’ll offer a few colorful tips.

First up, the Trippen Calexico:

This fun boot offers a lot more options than simply wearing it with jeans! We love the Calexico with the easy day look on the left, but it can even go after-five when paired with the dress on the right. We’ve also included Jamie Joseph’s Round Rock Crystal Ring since it looks stellar with the white in both the top and the dress.

Another shoe that’s more than simply casual is the Cydwoq Lodge:

Sure, it’s great for weekend apple-picking in the outfit on the left, but look at the chic edge the Lodge gives the argyle sheath dress on the right! The Cydwoq Bright Bag also easily transitions from brunch casual to workweek sleek. OD-ing on all that red? Simply add the Epice Plaza Scarf to change the flavor!

Perhaps your personal style trends toward conservative, and although you like to browse at Ped, you can’t imagine how you’d incorporate a colorful style into your wardrobe. The answer is to let a shoe, like the Cydwoq Larkspur, punctuate your outfit, like a great piece of jewelry.

What a way to jazz up a suit!

Chie Mihara’s Tunisia is a shoe that immediately produces oohs and aahs, but the unusual color and patterned heel mistakenly lead people to think it might be hard to pair.

The key is not to worry about matching the color and instead simply let it “go.” The Tunisia‘s checkerboard heel echoes the black and white photo on the dress on the left and complements the variety of patterns in the skirt on the right. Since the shoe and clothes are doing the heavy lifting style-wise, it’s nice to go with a simple bag, like the Cydwoq Bright.

Sometimes it’s not just the color but also the cut that gives Ped fans pause when they think about how to wear a design. Case in point, the Trippen Drama boot:

A couple options: 1) contrast the Drama‘s fabulous flared top with simple straight lines up top, such as wearing it with a pencil skirt and streamlined top; or 2) let its shape play up the lines and movement of a flirty A-line dress. We tossed in Jamie Joseph’s round carnelian ring for a little extra red zing!

If you approach dressing with a sense of adventure, it won’t matter an iota if you don’t own anything blue to wear with the Trippen Tender:

When you want to reference the color of your shoe, accessories can work that magic. We like the contrast of the floral of the skirt on the left with Epice’s Baya Scarf, which includes a periwinkle color that calls out to, but doesn’t match the blue of the Tender. On the right, it’s fun to mix the squares of the dress with the circles on the Epice Los Lunares Scarf.

Finally, let’s consider  Chie Mihara’s Kalendu, which is simply too juicy to miss!

You don’t have to go be a girly girl to take advantage of its delicious greenness! The Kalendu adds such fun to the workweek look on the left (again without actually matching any of the colors in the sweater) and is utterly chic with the casual jeans and top on the right. We also like Cydwoq’s Bright Bag and Jamie Joseph’s Organic Circle Earrings with both outfits.

As you’ve probably noticed, many of the shoes above work equally well with outfits paired with other shoes. We hope these ideas bolster your confidence that colorful shoes truly can be your constant companions and not just once-in-a-blue-moon friends! Life is so much more fun in color!

(Psst, you only have a few more days to snap up this week’s Sweet Treat, the Trippen Yard. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to reach the Yard with the code that will bring 20% off at checkout.)

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!)