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!

Yesterday I told you about the social side of my March trip to Paris and Milan. Today I’ll fill you in on the trends and style statements I saw at shoe shows in France and Italy. Ped fans, you have a lot to look forward to in the fall! But the GREAT news is Ped is on its game—much of what will be all the rage in a few months is already on the shelves at the Ped warehouse!

Perhaps the most noticeable trend was FUR! It was everywhere—on shoes, on boots, on vests, hanging off of bags, more than I’ve ever seen. Just to whet your appetite, I ordered a version of Cydwoq’s gorgeous Podium boot with fur panels.

That said, ankle boots will continue to hold court next season, so our current version of the Podium is also right on trend:

Cydwoq’s 2″ resin heel is perfect since flats and low heels are going to be in vogue.

If you want to get a jump on the flat bootie trend, consider Vic Matie’s Euro-chic Luisa:

Another trend with staying power is men’s oxfords for women, such as Fiorentini + Baker’s terrific Eliza Oxford:

People were not only wearing their oxfords without socks in Paris and Milan, but fashionistsas were also wearing oxfords and boots with laces and buckles completely undone. All the Japanese buyers were rocking the deconstructed laceless and unbuckled look! If you have a size 36 or 37 foot, you can get ahead of the curve with the Vialis Mila, which Ped currently has on sale. (Lucky you!)

Innovative leather treatments are also going to be a hallmark of next season. Get an eyeful of the variety Cydwoq had on offer to retailers:

Ped fans can also look forward to eye-popping patterned leathers from Chie Mihara and jewel-toned suedes from Accessoire.

Regarding color trends, the new black is definitely GREY, which was all over the place in Europe in all kinds of shades. You can show off your trend-setting savvy right now by stepping out in Vic Matie’s Allegra:

You’ll be doubly cutting-edge in this slate-grey beauty since wooden soles also hold sway next fall. Expect knockout wood-soled styles from Vialis and Ellen Verbeek, too.

Given the style forecast, if you’re fortunate enough to fit into one of our remaining pairs of Ellen Verbeek’s Elise Bootie (on sale!), you’ll be right on trend on three fronts simultaneously:

Simply remove the laces, and you’ll be ultra-chic with a laceless wood-soled bootie! What could be better? And everyone will admire you for being so in the know!

Of course, everyone at Ped Central is excited about the fantastic things I ordered for fall while in Paris and Milan. But I have to say we’re also feeling pretty sassy about having so many cutting-edge styles already in the house! Advantage: Ped fans!
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