It’s no secret that at Ped we are big fans of wearing boots year-round. I’ve mentioned before how much I love the look of a breezy summer dress paired with boots. The only drawback is on days that are scorchers, your tootsies may feel, how shall we say, a smidge claustrophobic.

So, you can imagine how much I smiled when I discovered a number of our favorite designers created sandal-boot hybrids this season! What a great idea! The edgy look of a boot with the breathability of a sandal—what could be cooler, in every sense of the word? Below are just a few of the many variations.

No sooner did the Trippen Stream arrive in the warehouse, than it flew out the door! Fear not, though, because we just received our second shipment!

When you step out the door in this German head-turner, you are guaranteed to be the hippest thing on the street! Even better, you’ll be über-comfortable because the Stream features Trippen’s famous t-shaped wedge!

But if you prefer a flat with a closed toe, Trippen’s Omen may just have your name on it:

The style is cutting-edge, but the easy-to-wear grey color let’s you pair it with almost anything. For instance, how terrific would these look with a floaty, yellow cotton dress?

If you want to get even funkier, check out Argila’s Elizabetta:

Ped fans have snapped up this sexy-tough-grrl style, but we have more on the way from Spain, so let us know if you’d like to be on the list!

You say you’d like something that’s a little more sandal and a little less boot?  See what you think of Argila’s Jolene:

The airy leatherwork is amazingly intricate on this lace-up ankle “boot.” Also, the olive green color reminds me of Italian gardens. Gorgeous!

Perhaps the award for Most Balanced Blending of Ankle Boot and Sandal, though, goes to Giraudon’s Riley:

Oh my, this wooden-soled sandal (it’s really a sandal-boot-clog) is something else! The gold lining, the ankle lacing, the tiny square cutouts—there’s so much to love about this beauty! When you slip on the Riley, everyone’s going to want your shoes!

And  there are even more sandal-boots to consider at the Ped site. What a great way to amp up your style and flash a little summer skin!

Speaking of summer skin, have you checked out Ped’s “Sweet Treat” this week? It’s Fiorentini + Baker’s fabulous Tessa Sandal!

Not a sandal boot exactly, but a buckle-tastic, open-air cousin of F+B’s Eternity Boot! (It also comes in black.)

Unfamiliar with Ped’s “Sweet Treat”? Here’s how it works: Just click “be sweet to your feet” up there in the upper right corner of this page (or any Ped page), and you’re instantly transported to the treat of the week, where a magic code entered on the last page of checkout gives you 20% off! Just like that! Fun, eh?

The “Sweet Treat” changes every week. You never know when your favorite thing—you know the one you’ve had your eye on?—may suddenly be 20% off! So, be sure to click “be sweet to your feet” on every Ped visit to see what treat awaits.

Happy New Year, Ped fans!!! Here’s hoping your holidays were everything you wanted them to be and more!

If you’re like me, though, after all the hoopla and good cheer, your wallet’s feeling a little lighter. Still, a gal’s got to have good shoes and boots to get through the chilly winter months! Don’t worry. Ped’s here to help by taking our prices down a notch, so they’re a little friendlier to soles in need. We bet you’ve been generous to everyone you love, so now it’s time to treat yourself!

Who knows, maybe those cute Chie Mihara’s Santa forgot to bring you are still waiting for you to slide in and step out on the town?

Ped blew through its first shipment of Chie’s knockout Ninke practically overnight and reordered, which means we just might have your size in this vintage-inspired heel! With it’s beautifully stitched and scalloped toe, it was worth every penny at $328, but now it’s super stylish at $262!

Or perhaps you’ve looked longingly at the Cydwoq Vintage Game Boot, but always heard your mom or maybe Sister Mary Francis saying in your head, “Tis better to give than to receive…,” and turned away with a sigh.

Well, turn back around, gal, and give yourself a break and a gorgeous pair of boots! I own these wood-heeled beauties and wear them all the time! Surely, your thrifty mom or penny-pinching Sister Mary Francis would approve of your skipping past the original price of $498 to a sweet $398!

Most people I know are always on the hunt for a shoe they can slip on to go grocery shopping or into the suitcase for a vacation of strolling and sightseeing. Our recommendation?

Cydwoq’s Tibet, which is equally comfortable walking miles through the narrow streets of Venice or the wide aisles of IKEA! Wonderful at $268, this go-everywhere ankle boot will have your feet and your bank account feeling healthy at $214!

And that’s just a smattering of the cool deals Ped has to warm up your winter! In addition to Chie Mihara and Cydwoq, all Argila, Coclico, Giraudon, and Swedish Hasbeens styles are now on sale. And if you’re jetting off on a tropical vacation (lucky you!!!), we have a few cute sandals left from last summer that will leave you with plenty of dinero in your pocket to buy froofy drinks on the beach!

Happy New Year! May 2010 be the best year ever!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to sing a big THANK YOU! to the wonderful blogs that have given Ped attention in the past few months. It’s always a thrill to discover others share our appreciation for beautiful things. Here are just a few of the people and sites that have said kind words about Ped recently:

• The wide-ranging and wonderful blog, Grace’s Birdcage, found our Chie Mihara’s lust-worthy.
• Designer and jeweler Katy at Grayling, who loves all things inspiring and well-designed, gave a shout-out to some of our best black shoes and boots (think Argila, think Trippen, think Fiorentini + Baker).
• Christina Williams, who writes the blog you can call me chris, found inspiration in Ped’s Chie Mihara Nerrine, as did the wonderfully fashion-conscious gal at Golden Means.
• And how much do we LOVE Michelle Taylor at Blue Moss? Time and again, she surprises us by picking our personal favorites to share with her design-conscious fans. (Plus, she has a wonderful way with repurposing old baubles into dazzling new jewelry, so drop by her Etsy shop and take a look.)
• We hold Mrs. French at Bliss in the same high esteem. Not only does she write a fantastic blog, showing us eye-opening items and places that make our hearts sing, but she also takes the loveliest pictures. Love these arty, blogging gals!
• After our wonderful Coclico Ndakinna turned up on notcouture.com (a daily must-visit), it wound up featured here, here, here, here, and here. Thanks to all!!!

Hello, lover.

• Our lovely Chie Mihara Saura found itself featured on both Pretty Neat Designs and Rock My Socks.
• We’re always thrilled when fashion-savvy Nanashi at If-I-Owned-A-Boutique finds something to like at Ped, as she did with Giraudon’s Nelle.
• Blueheart hearted our lovely Antipast socks.
• Lex S. at Lexography gave some love to the Cydwoq Deck Boot.
• Paint it. Black. appreciated our Fiorentini + Baker Emma boot.
• A couple of online magazines also gave Ped boots special attention: 1) the all-things-eco-conscious White Apricot, and 2) the fine-life-loving I Heart Luxe.
• Finally, although we can’t read these blogs, we are so happy to share the global language of style: mamma damen, Lilla Kvinna Oola-Laa!, and Got Outfit.

If we missed the kiss you threw Ped’s way, we apologize, but please know everyone here at Ped HQ appreciates you from the bottom of our collective heart. We are truly grateful to have such wonderful friends! If we could, we’d give each of you a rose! Happy Thanksgiving!

We love this time of year at Ped Central! The mornings are crisp, the leaves are turning brilliant colors (Laura the orange-lover is in heaven), and the air smells so good! Although we advocate wearing tall boots anytime you like—so cute with a light summer dress!—when fall rolls around, they become de rigueur daily wear.

I always keep you Ped fans in mind when I study what boots to offer for fall and winter. Your feedback helps me so much in making selections that stay comfortable all day, offer versatility, flash the ‘zazz, and still accommodate a range of calf sizes (many Ped boots let you adjust the fit depending on whether you’re a skinny Minnie or a curvy Katie). And, of course, they’re all beautifully made and designed to last for years.

Here are a few of the full-length boots that are high on our list this season.

Okay, Ped fans, it’s no secret that the Cydwoq Game Boot is my absolute favorite:

As you can imagine, I see a lot of beautiful boots, so my powers of resistance are well fortified (otherwise, I’d be broke). But when Cydwoq’s Rafi showed me the Game, I was a goner! I simply adore it! The 1″ wooden heel is super easy to wear. The Italian leather is beyond gorgeous. The dart at the top of the shaft makes the Game extra calf-friendly! And those windows–those sexy little windows running up the back, well, oo la la, do they ever bring in the compliments!

Another favorite here at Ped HQ is Trippen’s March:

I decided to show you the rear view because the exposed seams are so fabulous the way they curve around from the front of the boot and run up the back! Plus, the March features Trippens’ t-shaped wedge sole, which has a legion of fans devoted to its comfort. And the color? Well, see for yourself—pretty as a Maple leaf or a glass of cabernet.

Another Trippen boot with backside interest is the Medea:

Crafted from buttery buffalo leather (you have to touch it to believe how sinfully soft it is), this beauty offers flirty lacing up the back that’s not only sexy but also functional. Notice that it extends below the fullest part of the calf, meaning you can adjust it to fit your individual leg. Once you’ve got everything just right, then you can leave it be, thanks to the Medea’s full inside zipper that lets you get in and out of this boot in a breeze.

But don’t just take our word for it. Ped customer S.N. recently wrote from Seattle,

“I’m in love with my Medea boots.  They are so cool and soft and overall awesome.  I also really appreciate that they can be expanded in case my calves do the same.”

Giraudon’s versatile Miranda boot also has a great system for fitting a range of calves:

Featuring classic riding-boot good looks, the Miranda’s secret is an elastic panel on the inside of the calf and another hidden under the boot loop on the outside. Neither interferes with the clean lines of this brown stunner but both love your leg like no tomorrow.

Those are just a tasty sampling of the feast of tall boots spread out at the Ped site. (Hello, did someone say Fiorentini + Baker? Mmmmm. Our delicious reorder is due in shortly–e-mail us if you’d like to be notified when it arrives!) So kick up your heels as you kick up the leaves and enjoy!

My, oh my, here at Ped, we are up to our ankles in ankle boots—and we are loving every minute of it! Although booties have been “in” for a couple years, this year’s crop is especially beautiful. We love the impact of short boots worn with skirts, but what’s really great is they’re equally easy to wear with pants (not always the case with a tall boot, much as we love the knee-high look). Ped has scads of great ankle boots from which to choose, but here are a few fresh ones that have us oohing and aahing.

Wow, wow, wow—when you’re ready to hit the streets and take no prisoners, Cydwoq’s new Future is the boot to wear. Tough and sexy all at once, this boot has us over the moon with the exposed violet edges of the black Italian leather. Leave it to Cydwoq’s Rafi to make a buckle boot this special!

Lordy, just looking at the Cydwoq Vintage Seek makes me break into a sweat! As I said to Laura the other day, “SEXOLA!” The cut-outs and combination of textured leathers are trumped only by the sizzling back zipper running up this bootie’s heel!

Speaking of back zippers, we love how the zipper running up the rear of Fiorentini + Baker’s Ella allows you to unzip this mid-calf boot halfway and fold down the top to make a cuffed ankle boot. Now that’s versatility since both looks are smoking with F+B’s inimitable Italian style!

For sheer cuteness and comfort, no bootie surpasses Trippen’s new Tie. You have to wear this ankle-height beauty to fully appreciate how soft and supple the elk leather is—truly a treat for the feet! And Trippen’s “cups” rubber sole keeps your steps light as you dash all over town.

If you’re a gal who’s determined not to get back in black no matter what the fashion pundits say, or if you simply want to add a bit of color to your wardrobe, check out Giraudon’s knockout Nelle! We adore the chic and curvaceous cut of the leather and the way the Nelle subtly echoes a cowgirl boot. Plus, the cognac color is to die for!

So, pick your passion—any of these ankle boots will have every eye on you this fall!