Ped fans, today we invite you to get high—on sandals, people, on sandals!

For the final leg of our three-part tour through Ped’s strap-happy styles, we continue our ascent by sampling high heels and platforms! In short, it’s time to go tall!

When it comes to kicking things up a notch, Chie Mihara is the queen of adding height while keeping soles happy. Exhibit A: the Chie Mihara Alicante:

What a feast for your feet, from the green suede in back to the woven brown leather up front! And thanks to Chie’s understanding of ergonomics and anatomy, the 3.75″ heel is a treat for your dogs that will keep them from barking and whining, even after hours of walking!

Suede also plays a starring role in Chie Mihara’s well-named Amor! Buckle up and fall in love:

Ay dios mio! The Amor‘s heel is a statuesque 4″, but Chie’s signature footbed and the 1″ platform under the ball of your foot mean it’s a breeze to wear!

If you’re looking for a heel that’s a little less showy but still chic, perhaps the Chie Calenta could be your cup of tea:

This unusual lace-up is one of our personal favorites this season because it’s so versatile, plus the embossed black leather is gorgeous!

Of course, one of our favorite ways to add height without hurt is to step onto a platform, like Coclico’s Merin:

The leather is luscious, the cork is lightweight, and the look is urban without being pretentious! Best of all, because the platform slopes from 2.75″ in back to 1.25″ up front, the pitch comes in at an easy-peasy 1.5″.

Another Coclico wedge that’s won our hearts is the Mosaic:

Such sauciness! This femme fetale brings together the best of an ankle boot with the airiness of a summer sandal. We particularly like the little lip that rims the heel, which offers a little extra security and edge.

Fiorentini + Baker also works wonders with a cork wedge, as evidenced by the knockout Dany:

With attitude to spare, the Dany stops traffic with its be-studded brown suede that extends down over the the black leather-covered platform, which slopes from 3.5″ in back to 1.5″ up front. You don’t have to be a rock star to strut like one!

Finally, let’s again drink in the beauty of the Trippen Mikli, which we first oohed and aahed over in our post celebrating wood soles:

This show stopper is the skyscraper in Ped city, with its sculpted wooden wedge rising a full 4.5″ in back! The 1.5″ lift up front brings the pitch to 3″, and Trippen’s skill at sculpting the footbed to match your sole’s contours means the Mikli feels fantastic when you slide in and crisscross the ankle strap!

The Mikli also just happens to be our Sweet Treat this week, so you can rise and shine for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left at Ped’s main site!

So ends our air-conditioned travels through the many sandals of Ped! We gave you the lay of the land from the flats to the heights, but we didn’t visit all the styles, so feel free to explore on your own at Ped! So many beautiful ways to let your toes play in the sun all summer long!

Ped fans, did you celebrate Earth Day this past week? We’re all “tree huggers” at Ped, so we certainly did! Ped is proud to sell only goods from companies committed to ethical production, both environmentally and socially.

You can rest assured that the woods used for the soles of our many gorgeous clog styles are selected and harvested from sustainable sources. The result? Beautifully grained styles that you can feel good about wearing!

We love the lightness of wood for summer, and the cool smoothness of its sanded surface against bare soles feels soooooo good! Here are a few of our woody favorites:

Coclico is here to set straight the myth that clogs lack sex appeal. Fact: there is no hotter tamale than the Coclico Fabiana!

Whew, somebody hand me a fan! If you want to make ’em sweat, the Fabiana is a sure-fire way to do it, standing on a take-notice 3.5″ sculpted wooden heel (made easy to wear by the .5″ platform under the toe). Deadly sexy!

Another wood-soled sandal that’s a guaranteed to turn heads is Trippen’s Mikli:

The Mikli is the tallest heel in the Ped house at 4.5″, but because its supportive wedge platform slopes to a 1.25″ platform under the toe, it’s easy on your tootsies! We’re crazy about the combination of the saucy ankle strap and the figure-8 construction of the toe strap.

Trippen also makes gorgeous use of a criss-cross ankle strap on the Ritzy, which has the coolest wooden sole under the sun!

The way the back strap loops through the window under your heel proves why Trippen wins prize after prize for its designs! So fun! The Ritzy also comes in black, but we especially like how the blue rubber outsole of the espresso version matches the blue underside of the twice-dyed leather!

If you’re looking for a more traditional clog, Fiorentini + Baker’s Lamu may just have your name on it:

Ped fans know how I heart all things green, so this clog caught my eye right away, and the flirty star-shaped cutout sealed the deal! (If green isn’t your scene, we also have the Lamu in a rich copper brown.)

Bringing things closer to the ground, Cydwoq also offers a sweet closed-toe slide. Feast your eyes on the Cydwoq East:

It’s a woven-leather wonder that stands on a perfectly placed 1″ sculpted wooden heel. The berry color pictured is absolutely luscious, but the East also comes in a neutral slate that will work with everything in your closet.

Once the mercury starts to climb, though, we want to get strap-happy and give the dogs some air! One of the best wood-soled ways is the classic Cydwoq Rebel:

The Rebel was one of Cydwoq’s original designs! Its wooden sole is perfectly contoured to follow your foot, and all those straps  are a single masterfully cut piece of leather! (Don’t care for the dark graphite color? You can still rock the Rebel in a brown crackle-textured version!)

Of course, for sheer summer simplicity, the lean and clean wooden goodness of the Trippen Zen is the answer:

No words are needed. The Zen is perfection. (By the way, this perfection is also available in an ideal red.)

Aren’t these woods good? And there are even more ways to gain the grain at Ped’s main site! So take a walk in the woods, and embrace your natural style!

You don’t have to shout (or even whisper) to command attention in the Coclico Tyrion, which is this week’s savvy and chic Sweet Treat! Walk the cutting edge for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left at Ped’s main site! Once you land at the Tyrion with the “Sweet Treat” designation, simply add it to your bag to get the cool discount 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.)

When I say the word “clog,” what comes to mind? I’ll tell you what I used to envision: comfy but clunky shoes standing in front of the bulk granola at the health food store.

But that was before VIALIS!

Those Spanish geniuses have taken the humble wood-soled clog and transformed it into blue-flame hotness, creating designs more appropriate for the catwalk than the checkout line at the co-op. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) What Vialis hasn’t changed is the comfort; every sandal and shoe offers mile after mile of blissful walking.

Plus, Vialis shoes are beautifully made with an eye to craftsmanship and detail. Check out this video that demonstrates why Vialis is so special:

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Is your curiosity piqued to see Ped’s new Vialis clogs? Get ready to have your socks knocked off (which is just fine because every pair feels fantastic barefoot)!

Let’s get this party started with a style that’s both sunny and sexy, Vialis’ Mimi:

The perfect companion for  your favorite summer dress or clamdiggers, this sandal will make everyone smile! A t-strap always elongates the leg line, but this one’s extra special, thanks to the central raised seam with contrast top-stitching—a little accent with big impact! (We also have the Mimi in versatile black.)

Vialis uses a similar detail to good effect in the Arabelle:

You know how much I adore a green shoe, and this shade makes me swoon! Then again, the Arabelle also sets off fireworks in red! And like every pair of Vialis clogs, a suede-covered padded footbed keeps the wood sole comfy!

If you prefer a closed toe, Vialis has you covered(!) with the Sara:

Mi corazon! This flirt of a shoe will win admirers everywhere you walk! We love the clean design, accented only by the exposed nail heads around the perimeter. Plus the seamed toe creates such an elegant line. (You noir lovers will be happy to hear this knockout also comes in black!)

Looking for something a little more casual but still smokin’? Feast your eyes on the Vialis Claudette:

Low key enough for work but still hot enough for after-five cocktails, the Claudette is an ideal go-to shoe. Wear it to run errands! Wear it to the Riviera! It’s as versatile as they come! (Plus we also have this beauty in azul blue.)

Not high on heels? Don’t worry, Vialis has something for you, too! How cute is the Sophie?

We love the playful take on oxford styling, especially the slightly oversized ribbon lacing! So fun!

If it’s color you’re after (and as I told you last post, it’s the wave of the future), drink in the loveliness of Vialis’ Lulu:

Oo la la, Lulu! Could that azul blue nubuck be any juicer? Only Vialis could spin the classic mary jane into such a dazzling clog!

But what about just a regular clog, you say? Well, yes, Vialis has that, too:

Lean, clean, and devastatingly chic—that’s the Vialis Claris! We adore the sage green nubuck, but this favorite clog also comes in go-with-everything sand.

So, clunk no more in traditional clogs! Step up to Vialis’ wood soles with soul!

(Speaking of wood, have you seen this week’s Sweet Treat, the Argila Allie? Its sculpted wooden heel is truly a thing of beauty—along with the rest of its retro-inspired design! Buckle it up for 20% off when you click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will whisk you to the Allie with the magic discount code to enter at checkout.)