Bring on the ice tea and turn on the fans because it’s as hot as blazes! When midsummer gets sultry, we like open-air breezes—and that goes for our feet, too! Although we love prancing around barefoot, feeling green grass beneath our soles and squeezing sand between our toes, it’s not always practical. Which is why a great summer sandal is a Ped fan’s best asset!

And do we ever have some terrific ones! Behold Ped’s favorite tried-and-true sandals that are almost better than barefoot:

Of course, the masters of summer sandal design are Rafi and Ari at Cydwoq! The way the leather of every pair conforms to your feet is simply heaven. Case in point, Cydwoq’s Copy:

So easy to wear anywhere, the Copy cradles your heel with a riveted back that comes around to tie at the ankle! Cool and sexy, just the way we like it! (And it comes in brown, too.)

Another stellar Cydwoq style is one I personally own: the Tomcat!

The way Cydwoq has meticulously cut the toe ring, so that a strap branches off it to arc gracefully over the foot, is elegant without being fussy! (Fans of black, rejoice, we also have  it in your favorite color.) I love mine so much that I recently took a pic of my happy feet :

My Tomcat-wearing toes are smiling and sparkly!

Perhaps you love the feeling of a wooden sole against your skin and the gentle sound it makes when you walk? Well, you’re in luck because Ped just received our summer shipment of Cydwoq’s fantastic Revolt sandal clog!

Ped’s Laura is wild about the beautifully textured turquoise and brown leather, but we also have the Revolt in black. Whichever you choose, it’s guaranteed to be your go-to summer shoe.

Those German design geniuses at Trippen also know a thing or two about strolling through summer in comfortable, arty style! Check out Trippen’s eye-popping Knit Sandal:

Yes, that’s right, the section running up the middle of your foot is literally knit leather! Meanwhile, the heel features Trippen’s sinuous seams running up the back! Cutting. Edge.

For Ped fans who love metallics (and I’m a card-carrying member of that club), the Trippen Nepal is just the ticket:

It’s an ideal travel sandal for long days of sight-seeing! Even as you turn every head you pass, your feet will stay comfortable with every step, mile after mile. (Plus it’s so pretty and shiny!)

But perhaps our favorite sandal this summer for sheer funky drama and all-out impact is Trippen’s Tarantula:

KA-BOOM! Now that’s how to amp up the style! You’ll look as hot as the weather wherever you walk in this super-sexy sandal boot that stands on Trippen’s über-comfortable t-shaped wedge! (We love it!)

As always, there are plenty more sandals at Ped’s main site, ready to help your dogs survive the dog days of summer! So, slip on something airy and let your toes frolic in the sun!

(By the way, although not a sandal, this week’s Sweet Treat is about as sweet as it gets: Fiorentini + Baker’s spectacular Paula Boot!!! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to arrive at the Paula with the magic code that brings a cool 20% off at checkout! Happy Fourth of July!)

Here at Ped, we love organic materials—leather, wool, cotton, wood! Plus we we have a sentimental soft spot for clogs. But old-school clogs with wooden soles, are often, um, how shall we say, frumpy? And, as Ped fans know, “frumpy” and Ped simply do not mix!

Fortunately, some of our favorite designers have taken a new turn with wood, creating shoes, clogs, and sandals, where the only adjectives beginning with “f” that spring to mind are fantastic, fabulous, and FUN! Of course, each sole is meticulously cut, sculpted and sanded by hand for maximum comfort and pizazz! Behold a few of our woody favorites:

Proving a wood sole can be unbelievably chic, Ellen Verbeek’s Caressa is a total knockout!

Ellen Verbeek perfectly balances the elements—the mix of colors, the lacing in the back, and the cutout wooden wedge—for maximum impact! We especially love how the black strap circles through the cutout under the instep. So cool!

Another sexy heeled sandal with an ingenious design is Coclico’s Lucifer:

Notice how the bottom strap is actually a t-strap that ducks under the others to meet up with cutout straps at the ankle! For you gals who love adding a few inches to your height, the Lucifer‘s 4.25″ wooden heel lets you rise above the crowd, while the 1″ wooden platform up front keeps the pitch comfortable at 3.25″.

Ped’s newest line, Vic Matie, takes things in a slightly different direction by combining wooden soles with leather-wrapped heels. A beautiful example is the Allegra:

So sophisticated but also versatile, thanks to the Allegra‘s slate grey color—an ideal summer neutral. The hand-sculpted and sanded wooden sole feels wonderful against your bare skin!

Experimenting with more traditional clog construction while creating fun, kick-around-town styles, Vialis has the hippest wood in the house this season. Check out the Gabriela:

The way this sandal clog’s straps weave in and out over the toe calls to mind a fisherman’s sandal—if a fisherman’s sandal were super-stylish and sassy! Another thing we love is the meticulous way the leather is stapled to the sole. Craftsmanship!

If you prefer nails to staples, then take a look at Vialis’s cute-as-can-be Delfina slingback:

So much to love from the sweet lacing to the “asphalto” suede (a stellar greyish brown with just a smidgeon of green) to the padded insole! The Delfina is ideal for wearing with summer skirts and walking shorts!

Of course, if you’re looking for the ultimate clog, one that pays homage to the classic style while taking it to a new level, then look no further than Fiorentini + Baker’s Zilla Clog:

Wow. Just wow. Ever fabulous, Fiorentini + Baker has taken the basic architecture of an old-school clog and made it irresistibly sexy and sophisticated! The Zilla‘s brass studding is simply to die for! Wow.

As always, there are plenty more wood-soled beauties to admire at Ped’s main site! So, wouldn’t you like a wooden shoe?

(Psst, this week’s Sweet Treat is also as comfortable as they come: Trippen’s foot-loving Casanova! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to land at the Casanova with a discount code that will romance you with 20% off at checkout. Why not give in to Casanova’s charms?)
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Let’s face it, Ped fans, wearing heels can give you a boost beyond just a few inches in height. Heels are authoritative and at the same time feminine and glamorous. Plus, they make a gal’s gams look fantastic! “Sure,” you say, “but who wants to teeter with every step when our lives demand we go, go, go?”

Enter the wedge! Solving the problem of comfort and balance, while still maintaining the advantage of wearing a heel, the wedge is the answer when you want your style to stand out and stand up. And do we ever have wedges that wow this season! Take a gander:

We all agree the French know a thing or two about looking chic, so, of course, Accessoire’s wedges are magnifique!, like this Papaye:

How stunning is this sexy peep-toe? How luscious is that tulip pink? Every time we look at the Papaye, we fall in love all over again! (And for those of you who insist on black, Ped also has the Papaye in your favorite color.)

Another winning wedge from Accessoire, the Nairobi, has a lower profile, but is no less beautiful:

If you’re looking for one sandal to do it all— walk the dog, attend a meeting, go out to dinner, and jet off for a weekend in Madrid— the Nairobi is up to the challenge! And your feet will thank you because they’ll be sooooo comfortable!

Speaking of Spain, both Argila and Chie Mihara, our favorite Spanish designers, have lovely wedges in Ped’s lineup. First up, Argila’s Eliana:

This go-with-everything wedge is back by popular demand, and it’s just as fresh and sexy as ever! We love the buckled wrap at the ankle, which is so of the moment!

As only she can, Chie Mihara brings rich color and femininity together in one glorious wedge she calls the Ruala:

Illustrating how less is more, this sandal’s minimal design is dazzling! Plus, the marine blue hue is so deep and delicious you’ll practically want to dive into it!

You say you want a funkier edge to your wedge? Then Ellen Verbeek’s Elka is right up your alley!

We are down for the count when it comes to this beautifully made shoe!!! Inspired by a bowling shoe, this lace-up peep-toe is striking! (Okay, yes, that was a bad pun—but a bad pun about a gorgeous sandal!) And Elka’s edgy wedge is wooden!

Of course, if it’s urban artiness you’re after, Trippen has just the ticket in the Airy!

The design is deceptively simple, but the bold cut of the straps and studding over the ankle make this sandal super hip and modern! Trippen’s t-shaped wedge sole, however, is what will win your comfort-loving devotion.

And there are lots more wedges to help you step up your style over at Ped’s main site! Slip one on and find out what it means to be well-heeled!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is also funk-a-licious: Couple Of’s cutting-edge Zebra sandal! Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to land at the Zebra, with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout. You’re guaranteed to be all the buzz!)

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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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Crocuses are poking up, and daffodils are finally showing their sunny faces. Ah, spring! Welcome back!

Here at Ped, we love watching the steady rise of the mercury day after day. And nothing feels better than unsheathing our sock-bound feet and letting them take in the air! Needless to say, we’ve got all kinds of stylish ways to do just that—sandals and shoes that will carry you from the early days of spring right on through the sultry days of summer.

Here are just a few breezy ideas to get you started.

We realize  some of you may not be quite ready to bust out the sandals, and we know many Ped fans are loathe to leave behind your edgy oxfords. Happily, Argila has just the in-between thing:

Meet the Sophia! What a yummy treat: an oxford made from wonderfully soft leather that features air-conditioning right where it counts! As always, Argila adds exactly the right accents, like the fold-down lip at the back and the hand-cut wooden heel. Delicious!

Another laced lovely from Argila is the Riley, which lets your toes wiggle in the sun in the most stylish way!

In addition to the more obvious design notes that make this wooden-heeled sandal sing, the subtle rust topstitching on the toe straps is stellar against the cement-gray leather!

Coclico also has a winning wooden-heeled sandal that’s so sinfully hot they’ve called it the Lucifer:

Whoa! Don’t be surprised when people in your immediate vicinity start mopping their brows because this statuesque sandal is sizzling! Take a second to admire the ingenuity of the design. The t-strap ducks under three narrow straps arcing over the toe, before joining with several more parallel straps at the ankle. Now you’re cooking with gas!

Coclico has all kinds of ways of giving you a lift! One of our personal favorites at Ped is the new Whoo!

Standing on a lightweight cork platform, this easy suede slide is just the thing for kicking up your heels on a spring day! We are crazy about the airy cutouts and the to-die-for red brick color!

Did you perk up when we mentioned color? If so, then you are going to love what Couple Of is bringing to the table this season!

Does this sweet slip-on look familiar? It’s because it’s the heel-less version of Couple Of’s popular Lily, and, in fact, is called the Lily Flat! What could be fresher than skipping around town in a grass-green ballet flat?

But if your toes are begging for full exposure to the fresh air, then bask in the beauty of the sunniest sandal in the Ped warehouse, Couple Of’s Paspas:

What an instant pick-me-up! The design is ingeniously edgy, with the straps coming together into an architectural ridge that moves sinuously down the front of this comfortable flat. By the way, the Paspas also comes in black!

And if it’s edge you’re after, then look no further than Couple Of’s Zebra:

It’s a gladiator sandal gone wild in the best possible way! Zebra-like cut-outs and slits accent the supple black leather exterior of this knockout, which is lined in cream-colored leather. When you step out in the Zebra, you’ll be the envy of shoe-lovers everywhere you walk.

Is your interest piqued? Then click over to Ped’s main site to see the full range of new designs from Argila, Coclico, and Couple Of, all guaranteed to heat up your style for the hot days ahead!

(Psst, if you haven’t discovered it already, the “sweet treat” this week is Cydwoq’s excellent Smile Mary Jane! Cheer up your tired tootsies for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will whisk you to the Smile, along with the discount code that will garner 20% off when entered at checkout!)
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