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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Ped fans, you may remember last fall I returned from the European shoe shows all excited about a new line I’d found for Ped: Vic Matié from Italy. I was impressed that Vic Matié’s shoes are created start to finish in a small-town factory by a dedicated group of designers and craftsmen who work collaboratively to produce beautiful shoes of first-rate quality and first-rate comfort.

Well, good news, they’re finally here!!! And were they ever worth the wait! Behold the fabulousness of Vic Matié!

We immediately fell for the charms of the sexy Belladonna sandal! This season it’s all about the ankle, and this strap-and-buckle sandal will make the most of yours! Add in the 3.5″ heel and the seductive zipper up the back, and you’ve got deadly style!

Sandal boots are another look we love—so modern and chic! Vic Matié’s Luisa is one of our favorites:

The contrast of the soft suede shaft (which feels wonderful against your skin) with the matte leather straps is so delicious! Pair the Luisa with a floaty feminine dress, and you’ll look like you just stepped off a European runway.

Another ultra-edgy flat sandal that will inspire shoe envy in everyone who sees you is Vic Matie’s Elda:

Composed of countless rolled-leather straps, all meticulously made, the Elda is unlike any other sandal you’ll see! So stunning and so comfortable—this zipped-back sandal’s leather sole molds to your individual foot with wear.

If you’re looking for something a little girlier, perhaps with a wooden sole (another current trend we love), then feast your eyes on the Allegra:

We think it’s so cool how Vic Matié has combined a wooden sole with a beautifully contoured wrapped-leather heel! Every aspect of this sandal is gorgeous, from the silver rivets that attach the upper to the sole, to the thong that artfully laces the front section to the back, to the go-with everything slate-grey leather!

But if you’re in the mood to stop traffic—and we mean bring it to a screeching halt while drivers and pedestrians all rubberneck to get a better look at your cool shoes—then Vic Matié’s Sienna is the ticket!

This sandal is so devastatingly sexy that perhaps it should come with a warning label: “May cause cardiac arrest in those who see the wearer.” The wooden sole, the zipper up the back, the cage-like leather straps, and leather-wrapped heel—what a knockout combo!

Now you understand why I was so thrilled to add Vic Matié to the Ped family—even if the inherent hotness of the styles raise the temperature in the warehouse by a few degrees! Summertime is going to be that much sweeter when you sashay through it in a pair of Vic Matié sandals!

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Ped fans, I’m in Milan, Italy, this week, finding all kinds of wonders to warm up next fall and winter. In the meantime, fresh Italian delights for spring and summer are the latest things to arrive in the Ped warehouse. And when we say “Italian,” we mean the line you love: Fiorentini + Baker!

As F+B addicts know, once you indulge in a pair of these beautifully handcrafted leather boots, shoes, or sandals, nothing else will do. F+B’s quality, comfort, and timeless beauty are simply magnifico (as the many celebrities who wear this line will attest)!

So join us for a brief Italian lesson! After seeing Fiorentini + Baker’s latest designs, we suspect you’ll want to become fluent in F+B style.

One thing we adore about F+B is their understanding that less is often more, a point made clear in the knockout Elgin Boot:

The clean lines and soft scrunch-a-bility of this minimal mid-calf boot make it perfect for pairing with floaty spring skirts. Of course, it also looks great with jeans! The mattone brick leather version is so rich, but we also offer the Elgin in a delicious mocha ice suede! Good luck choosing between the two! (Hint: either one is the right choice!)

Some of you Ped fans have begged us to carry the two-buckle cousin of F+B’s popular Eternity Boot. Well, consider your wish granted! Behold the Emmy, also know as style #713:

We are woozy with love for F+B’s new turquoise leather! It is to die for—so unusual and yet it still works with lots of other colors. (Ped’s Laura went down for the count when she saw it.) Of course, if you’re a gal who prefers all things noir, we’ve got the Emmy in black, as well!

Want a few more flourishes? And perhaps a bit of textural contrast? Fiorentini + Baker’s Ebbi has your name on it:

You’ll give the people following you something to talk about when you saunter down the street in the Ebbi because the fold-over suede cuff laces in the back. And the raised seams that arc over the instep and encircle the ankle add further eye-popping interest!

If you like a well-heeled boot to boost your height, then feast your eyes on Fiorentini+Baker’s new Bessi:

The 3″ stacked-leather heel gives this sexy boot a leg up, while an inside zip lets you breeze in and out in a flash. F+B’s bonsai green leather is a Ped favorite, and it looks especially fresh on the Bessi!

Another great heeled style from F+B is the take-no-prisoners Zilla Clog:

The hand-cut wooden sole features a 3.5″ heel and a 1.5″ platform under the ball of your foot. The brass studs that rim the collar and attach the luxe black leather upper to the sole are, in a word, badass! Who knew a clog could be this smokin’ hot? (Somebody hand me a fan!)

When it’s the weather that’s hot, though, you may want to let your toes out to play. But you can still maintain your brass-studded style—just buckle up F+B’s Tribo Sandal!

Take a minute to admire the wonderful details of this easy-going yet dazzling beauty: the leather toe thong is rolled for comfort; the studded straps are leather-lined to be soft against your skin; and the leather sole is designed to mold to your foot with wear. Fiorentini + Baker does it all so well!

Another fantastic F+B sandal is the Tulip:

Crafted in our favorite rabbit-hued leather, this flat is both tough and girly, combining the edge of a gladiator sandal with petal-like cutouts that cascade down the front of the foot. What a way to go through spring and summer! Prepare to be the object of everyone’s sandal envy!

Of course, we have all of F+B’s classics over at Ped’s main site. So let Fiorentini + Baker’s leatherwork and style seduce you—we know you’ll agree: That’s amore!

(By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” practically sings, “Spring!”: Karin Wagner’s delightful Alps Brooch. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, and you’ll arrive at the hand-felted Alps Brooch with the magic code that will bring 20% at checkout!)
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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!

We love our reliable favorites here at Ped, but every now and then it’s fun to spice things up by trying a few new things. Last spring we introduced 49 Square Miles bags and Argila shoes to Ped’s lineup, and this fall we’re seasoning the season with a few more fresh designers we hope will make you smile.

First up, the ultra-cool, wood-soled footwer of Swedish Hasbeens. Yes, they’re clogs, but they’re so much more! Inspired by the love-the-earth style of the 1970s, Swedish Hasbeens crafts their shoes from sustainably forested wood and chrome-free, vegetable-tanned leathers. You can feel good about your shoes without sacrificing a scintilla of style. Here, see what we mean:

How rocking are these apple green Jodphurs? We are officially in love—as are several well-known celebrities, like Sarah Jessica Parker, who has been snapped wearing Swedish Hasbeens’ Peep Toe on the set of the next Sex and the City movie. It’s definitely a cutie:

And just in time for when the mercury plunges, Rain + Jack arm warmers have arrived. We’ve known Helen Sharp and Si Doi, the creative hands and minds behind Rain + Jack, since the days when Ped was a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle, so we’re delighted to carry their luxe, Australian lambswool, fingerless gloves. Even better, Rain + Jack custom knits Ped’s arm warmers in our favorite color combos. For instance, chocolate and tiffany blue:

And you Ped fans know how much I love all things green:

Another new addition to Ped’s family is Pepita, a whimsical jewelry line out of Milan, Italy created by Sveva Camarati, who learned to appreciate beautifully crafted miscellany in her grandmother’s atelier. Sveva’s fabulous way of combining antique baubles and fabric beads has already proven popular with you Ped fans! Her dazzling creations barely make it out of the box before they whiz out the Ped warehouse door on their way to new homes. If you haven’t had a chance to drool over Pepita yet, here are a couple of our favorite pieces:

This Florinda necklace is where it all began for me. I saw it while traveling, tried it on, and never looked back. It’s unlike anything else, with flowers formed from clusters of tiny hand-sewn fabric spheres, interspersed with antique brass beads.

Another Pepita eye-opener is the Angela bracelet:

We think all these newcomers fit right in at the Ped party. (They certainly know how to start a conversation!) And we have still more ways to wow on the way–including a new shoe line! So, stay tuned.