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.)

Truth be told, we’ve known for a while how much Ohio Ped fan, Cindie M., likes her fantastic Trippen Warrior boots. But we didn’t want to share her tale until we had red back in stock because, well, she makes a persuasive case for the color! Read about her red-boot love and smile:

I had been looking forever for a comfortable pair of RED boots that I could wear to work and also wear as I was riding my motorcycle. I went online and hit “red boots,” and these fabulous red Trippen boots appeared. They were a little more than I wanted to spend, but I had just visited my dad in assisted living and saw how everyone had on orthopedic shoes. I went home and clicked “buy,” and I’m so happy I did. I love them!!!

I was recently featured in a Cleveland Plain Dealer “Fashion Flash” article, and I wore my red boots. Everyone loves them! I work at a very busy public library as Circulation Supervisor. Customers are coming in shouting, “Hey, I love those red boots!” I will be that lady in assisted living that won’t take them off.

Cindie M. looking absolutely fantastic in her red Trippen Warrior boots! Clearly, the most stylish library circulation specialist EVER!

We love the idea that Cindie will still be rockin’ her Warrior Boots years from now as a senior citizen! To thank Cindie for telling us about her boot happiness, we’re giving her $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.

AND if you like Cindie’s boots, you’ll be delighted to know the Trippen Warrior Boot is . . . wait for it . . . this week’s Sweet Treat!!! Yes! Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to be instantly transported to the Warrior Boot with the magic code that will bring 20% off at checkout! (If red’s not your thing, the Warrior also comes in caramel brown or black.) Go forth and be a style heroine!

Wonderful Ped customer Patrice is so smitten with her Trippen Casanova that she confesses she rarely spends a day without “him.” Although she’s had many adventures with her Casanova, she recently wrote to tell us about a visit to the Seattle Art Museum:

Being of Spanish (Catalan) descent, when the Picasso (a Catalan) exhibit arrived at the SAM, we were ecstatic! My mom (the Catalan) actually scheduled her trip to Seattle so that she could see the show. As an artist myself, I’m often fascinated with the person behind the art. So, as we wandered through the crowded but luminous exhibit, I found myself gravitating to a hall where Picasso’s old black and white photos stood by themselves, revealing a small window into his personal life. In one particular photo, he stood proudly in front of his many canvases stacked carelessly against a wall, wearing his trademark striped boatneck fisherman’s shirt and short pants. As I got closer to examine every detail, my husband pointed to Picasso’s slipper shoes and said: “His shoes look almost like yours!”

I was wearing my Casanovas – which is fitting since Picasso himself was considered quite the Casanova!!

Patrice out for a stroll in her Trippen Casanova!

I don’t mind in the least that my shoes are reminiscent of an extraordinary male artist. It made me love them (and him) all the more. For me, I find romance in these shoes, hence my adoration—so befitting of the name.

Wonder if Picasso's shoes were as comfortable and loved as Patrice's Casanova?

Thanks, Patrice! We’re thrilled when Ped’s “works of art” go out and about in the art world! For letting us imagine Picasso wearing a pair of Trippen shoes, we’re delighted to give Patrice $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.

(By the way, there’s no Sweet Treat this week because we’re celebrating PED’S 18TH BIRTHDAY!!! Whoop it up with us by getting 20% off ANY full-price item when you enter “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” at checkout from October 19-24! PARTY ON, PED FANS!)

Now this is the kind of Tale of the Sole we LOVE! Not only do we get to hear about the adventures of Ped items after they’ve left the warehouse, but we also get to enjoy a vicarious trip to Greece, all thanks to Vicky E. Here’s what she wrote:

I am sending this email to tell you about where my Cydwoq shoes from Ped took me this summer: Greece! Yes, I spent a week basking in the sun and walking, walking, walking on the island of Santorini and then a few more days exploring the contrast between modern and ancient in Athens.

Vicky shows off her Cydwoq Bare sandals for the ladies of the Erechtheum!

I enjoyed some delicious Greek foods and brought back some beautiful jewelry and textiles to accessorize outfits that can only be complete with a pair of Ped shoes. (I am building a beautiful collection of mostly Cydwoq shoes, all purchased from your amazing online boutique; every pair that arrives at my doorstep, once I slip my feet into them, feel as if I were born in them, thanks to their genius construction as well as to the perfect-fit assistance from Dayna when I call Ped.)

Vicky walks up not quite all the 200 steps at Armoud in her Cydwoq Thong sandals.

I traveled with Cydwoq’s Bare in red (purchased last summer) and Thong in black sparkle (purchased especially for this trip). Both kept me well-heeled traversing both urban and island-scapes and while on the town in the evenings, as well as along the ocean, beaching it, sailing it, or relaxing it portside.

Vicky "relaxing it portside" in her Cydwoq Thong sandals!

I spend most of my year as a high school English teacher, so taking a trip like this was part of venturing to cross off things from my bucket list. I enjoyed my trip so much that I might just plan another one in a summer or two. What was so cool about my Cydwoqs was that I could wear them anywhere for any situation, AND they packed slim and light. The only other footwear I relied on was my bare feet.

Vicky puts up her feet at the Parthenon! (How cute are her tootsies in those Cydwoq Bare sandals?)

Thanks for keeping me well shod!

You are welcome, Vicky! THANK YOU for sharing your fantastic trip with us!

As a token of our appreciation for giving us a Greek break in the middle of the day, we’re sending Vicky a $100 Ped gift certificate! We can practically feel the Greek sun on our smiling faces.

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.

(By sheer coincidence, this week’s Sweet Treat is Cydwoq’s Thong sandal!!! You, too, can look and feel as terrific as Vicky did on her trip! Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, and it will transport you to the Thong with the magic discount code that will bring 20% off when entered in the box at checkout!)

The Tale of the Sole that won our hearts this past month came to us via Michele K., the appreciative friend of the winner, longtime Ped customer, Jenny P. It’s such a sweet story, so we’ll turn it over to Michelle:

I want to tell a tale about my really dear friend, Jenny.  Jenny and I met online; we’ve actually never met in real life. I’m in New Jersey, and she is in Portland, Oregon, but we talk everyday through e-mail or on the phone.  She has been so kind in sharing some of her Ped shoes with me—we send shoes and jewelry back and forth across the country! She has let me try and even given me her Trippen Fence and Skylla boots. I’ve also had the pleasure of trying out her Fiorentini and Baker boots, such as the Eternity and Emma, so I could figure out my size.

The generous and lovely Jenny P in her Fiorentini + Baker Emma boots.

She even sent me her Jamie Joseph Chrysoprase Teardrop Locket to wear for Thanksgiving!  (I told her not to, but she sent it anyway.) She is so generous and just an awesome person, who puts the care of her husband and children before herself.  She never says, “I can’t do this,” or “It’s hard for me”— she just does. I strive to be like her and embody the outstanding qualities she has.

Jenny P's feet looking sassy in one of her latest Ped purchases, the Cydwoq Vintage Micron. (Perhaps they'll soon visit Michelle?)

What a great testimony to fantastic friend! How fun to have a deep bond reinforced by the exchange of shoes and jewelry! In appreciation of Jenny P’s generosity, we’re sending her $100 Ped gift certificate! She makes us grin from ear to ear!

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!

(By the way, the “Sweet Treat” this week is super delicious: Fiorentini + Baker’s Eliza Oxford!!!! Get 20% off this drool-worthy classic by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Eliza Oxford, where you will find the discount code! Lace it up Italian style!)