For the longest time, pointy toes, high heels, and frou-frou dominated the catwalk. Girly girls rejoiced, but the rest of us said, “So fussy…” and “Ow!” Happily, the pendulum is now swinging the other way—the classic oxford is the coolest shoe going (this year worn laceless if you’re on the cutting-edge), and a clear masculine influence is everywhere on the runway.

But the new menswear-inspired shoes go beyond just tomboy appeal—these designs are devoted to modern women who need to go, go, go but who want to look stylish getting from here to there. Here are a few of Ped’s latest ways to do just that:

Chie Mihara always excels at putting a feminine and modern spin on classic styles. Case in point: the Darrer, Chie’s contribution to the laceless look:

So fun and super chic! The boys may have inspired the oxford, but the metallic leather and heel are just for us gals! Think how great this laceless beauty would look with a pencil skirt!

We are always begging Rafi and Ari at Cydwoq to rework some of their men’s designs for women. When they indulge us, the results are predictably fantastic, as demonstrated by the Date:

I couldn’t resist this one and got it for myself! I’ve hardly taken it off since i first laced it up! I’m a skirt-wearing kind of gal, and the Date is so flirty with my knee-length, A-line numbers!

Meanwhile, Ped’s Laura has a big crush on the Cydwoq Collect:

What a fantastic shoe! The woven brown leather is eye-opening and will have everyone talking! And the western-style buckle provides the perfect accent, as well as a custom fit.

Speaking of fun details, take a look at Cydwoq’s new Legal:

J’adore! This knockout flat calls to mind a classic golf shoe, with its smashing front flap punctuated by a central rivet. But the Legal is so much cooler than anything that’s ever hit the links and features “aging” grey leather that darkens with wear.

Cydwoq also uses “aging” grey leather in the Recent, which offers a hep-cat take on the interplay of masculine and feminine:

We love the fluid insets on the heel and toe. Plus, this loafer-like flat is a cinch to slip on and off, thanks to the artistic elastic lacing!

It’s not only shoes that are benefitting from putting a little male in the mix—check out the fabulous Deform ankle boot from Cydwoq:

When you buckle up this bootie, you are instantly going to become the object of envy for everyone who sees you! Definitely badass in the best kind of way!

We love all the different ways the above designs put an infusion of femme into traditionally male shoes, but if you simply want a timeless oxford, Fiorentini + Baker’s Eliza is the straight-up, gold standard:

So gorgeous. So comfortable. So beautifully made! And it looks GREAT with everything!

Sure, menswear is the inspiration for this new crop of wonderful shoes, but it’s the feminine twist that makes them must-haves! Classic sophistication was never so much fun—or such a treat to wear!

(By the way, this week’s Sweet Treat is Trippen’s incredibly comfortable  Sioux. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of an Ped page to land at the Sioux with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)
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Hello to Ped fans from the flood of treasures deluging the Ped warehouse! Fantastic new things for spring and summer are arriving as fast as we can open the boxes!

When we started unpacking Trippen’s latest, though, everything came to a momentary halt while we all gathered around to smile. Such innovation! Such fun! Such sheer funkiness that makes everyone want to dance! The fact that Trippen is socially committed to treating its workers well and making shoes with as little environmental impact as possible makes us love them all the more! Give it up for German ingenuity and genuine ethics!

Here, for your viewing—and wearing!—pleasure, are a few new Trippen favorites:

Embodying everything we like about Trippen, the new Match is the perfect kick-around shoe for spring (and every other season, come to think of it):

Constructed on Trippen’s “penna” rubber sole, this pebbled brown flat will keep you light on your feet. We love the exposed seams and the back-to-back button closure in front!

Another winner in the lightweight category is the Trippen Sioux:

So soft and utterly featherweight, this simple leather charmer redefines “comfortable.” Once you wear it,  we predict the rest of your shoes are going to get a little dusty.

Another great wear-everywhere shoe, also built on Trippen’s “cups” rubber sole, is the Knife:

What’s fantastic about the lacing is it not only looks great, but it also adjusts to accommodate almost any foot width. Form and function = the best!

For those of you looking for little more height and a jolt of urban edge, check out Trippen’s Tarantula:

Not nearly as terrifying as a big, hairy spider, but heart-stopping in its own way, the Tarantula will have all eyes on you! But you’ll be comfortable in the spotlight since this stunning sandal boot stands on Trippen’s super-cushy 1.75″ t-shaped rubber wedge.

It’s hard to single out one design, but perhaps the favorite of all our favorites is Trippen’s new Good:

This sliced and spiced interpretation of the classic mary jane is off the hook! Plus, we adore the “black ice” leather—a color like no other! Too cool!

And lots more Trippen fabulousness  resides over at Ped’s main site! So click over, and put a German spring in your step this spring!

By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” is Trippen’s Medea Boot, which looks terrific any season! (Ped fans know I love boots with summer dresses!) Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, to arrive at the Medea with the discount code that will enable you to take 20% off at checkout! Give the people behind you something to see, while you give your feet a gorgeous and comfortable treat!
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As I mentioned in my last post, my favorite new look—so hot in Europe right now—is oxfords worn without socks and paired with either cropped pants or skirts! Simultaneously chic and casual! Of course, for lots of you the temperature is dropping, so you can always add funky tights or cozy socks to keep your ankles warm. The key ingredient is the oxford!

Happily, Ped’s designers have come up with endless variations on the classic menswear lace-up! Whether you like yours heeled or flat, embellished or plain, Ped is sure to have an oxford that’s right up your alley. Here are a few of our favorites this season.

The newest oxford in the Ped warehouse is Accessoire’s cutting-edge and comfortable Martial Oxford:

We love everything about this shoe from the inky blue color of the super-soft suede to the easy-going wedge sole (all the height and none of the hurt) to the subtle seaming over the toe and heel! The French always know how to turn a head.

Another especially arty oxford is Couple Of’s Shelly Oxford:

Now this is how to do black without getting boring! Couple Of excels at meticulously constructing a shoe with just the right details to take it out of the ordinary and into funky town! Cutting the outsole so it arcs over the toe and dips down behind the stacked-leather heel is pure design genius!

Of course, if you’re looking for a flat, no-nonsense oxford, there are still ways of doing that with style and flair. Presented for your approval, Fiorentini + Baker’s Eliza Oxford:

Although its design is straightforward, there’s something about this F+B classic that takes our breath away. Plus, we just received a shipment in our new favorite Rabbit Grey color (and it also comes in luscious Marine Blue).

You say like the simplicity, but you also appreciate a heel? Then Coclico’s got your number with the Bathan Oxford:

Between the fabulous chunky wooden heel, the sinuous curves and topstitching of the design, and the grey anthracite suede, there is just so much to like about this shoe! Just think of how many outfits it would enhance! (And, psst, it’s just about to become this week’s “sweet treat,” starting tomorrow, October 19! Be sure to click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to get to the Bathan with the magic discount code that will enable you to get 20% off at checkout.)

Another great heeled number is Argila’s rocking Lucie Oxford:

The caramel color is so rich! But this beauty also comes in black for you noir fans! Such a wonderful way to turn up the heat with the sexy schoolgirl look!

Although we think all of the above offer a feminine twist on the menswear look, we know some of you Ped fans like things a little frillier. As always, Chie Mihara is the BFF of girly girls around the world. With her Loti, you can have your oxford and ruffles, too!

And, needless to say, the royal blue leather is to die for!

The “o” in oxford has zero to do with being old-fashioned and everything to do with being on the cutting edge (au courant, if you will)! So, lace up and step out!

Sure, ankle boots are all the rage this season (and Ped has some of the best), but the knee-high boot’s lock on style is still solid! A tall boot always adds extra “oomph” to whatever you’re wearing. At Ped, whenever one of us is scratching her head (Terry is exempt from this) about what would look great with a particular outfit, nine times out of 10, the answer is a full-height boot. Effortless but full of impact, tall boots instantly amp up everything, including our positive attitudes!

Here are a few of the to-the-knee (and over) lovelies currently enlivening the Ped house.

Our arty new line from Israel, Couple Of, has one of the coolest boots at the party:

This Elon embodies everything Couple Of does so well: a clean design with a few key details that escalate the interest, all packaged in a meticulously crafted boot that’s as wonderful to wear as it is to see. We love the faux split spat with its topstitched detailing. So cool! Plus, the washed leather and the discreet elastic insert on the inside of the calf make this boot easy on the leg.

If you like your boot to shout a little louder, then take a listen to Cydwoq’s Alpha!

Get down with your bad self—how kickass is this boot? We’re down for the count over how the six nickel silver buckles complement the marbled black leather of this knockout. And word to the wise: adjust the buckles to get an ideal fit for your calf, and then use the inside zipper to whiz in and out of this boot in a flash. (By the way, I bought this one for myself, and I’m going to rock it on the streets of Paris later this week!)

Perhaps you appreciate the take-no-prisoners style of the Alpha, but you want something a little more feminine with a heel. Presented for your approval, the Cydwoq Vintage Kappa:

Be still our boot-loving hearts, this one is over the top! The color—unbelievably beautiful! The design (especially the back)—drop-dead gorgeous! And because the Kappa is from Cydwoq, its heel is placed in the sweet spot directly under your weight for maximum stability and comfort. So much to savor!

On the other hand, there’s a place in every closet for a simple black boot with a sophisticated heel. This season, Coclico’s got just the ticket:

The Niben boot may be minimal, but it’s far from plain! The design is ultra clean, and the stained wooden heel and platform sole give this buffalo leather boot just the right kick. This is a boot to work many ways on any number of occasions, and you’ll always know you look spectacular!

Some of you Ped fans, though, enjoy the high drama, so we’ve saved our true boot diva for last: Fiorentini + Baker’s Beck boot!

Yes, applause, please! What a boot! This gorgeous black number looks terrific cuffed and laced behind your knee, BUT you also have the option of unlacing the back and unfolding the top to create a true over-the-knee boot! So saucy! And so beautifully crafted because it’s from F+B, the Italian wizards of boot-making!

As always, there are many more tall boots to choose from at the main Ped site. So, go get high—it’s perfectly legal!

(Although it’s not up to your knee, this week’s “Sweet Treat” is still delectable! Get 20% off Argila’s Josephine Boot by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Josephine and the sought-after discount code! Laceless is riveting!)

Ped fans, did you hear about the discovery of the oldest known leather shoe? Archaeologists found it in an Armenian cave, and scientific testing has determined the lace-up bootie dates to 3653–3627 B.C. (holy cow!) and was worn by woman on her approximately size 7 right foot. Although its mate is missing,  there is no doubt a prehistoric fashionista wore this shoe because the sole bears the imprint of her big toe and shows evidence of having been repaired several times.

By Associated Press/Deptarment of Archaeology University College Cork. Provided by the Department of Archaeology University College Cork, Cork Ireland, this photo shows a well preserved and complete shoe that was recovered at the base of a Chalcolithic pit in the cave in Armenia.

This Armenian discovery is astonishing, but it doesn’t altogether surprise us. After all, Cydwoq founder, Rafi Balouzian, comes from a long line of Armenian shoemakers. In the early 1900s, Rafi’s grandfather was a renowned master shoemaker in Armenia, and Rafi’s  father also went into the business, establishing a factory that manufactured shoe parts.

After moving to the United States, Rafi himself went into fashion design, but left it briefly to pursue post-graduate degrees in interior architecture and environ- mental design. But the man is a walker, and, eventually, he walked right back into his  family’s shoe-making tradition, founding Cydwoq in 1996.

So, what do Cydwoq’s cutting-edge styles of today have in common with that Armenian shoe from 5600 years ago? More than you might think: Cydwoq’s handmade construction is all-leather, using carefully selected  hides that are vegetable-dyed and put together using water-based glues. And like the ancient shoe, all Cydwoq sandals, shoes, and boots conform to your foot over time for a custom fit. If you manage to walk through the sole or have any other problem, Rafi and his Cydwoq colleagues will happily make the necessary repairs.

Here are three of our latest Cydwoq additions, which showcase the long-long-long-long-long-established Armenian commitment to comfort, and durability, plus Rafi’s modern-day dedication to style.

Every time we look at Cydwoq’s gorgeous new Pi Bootie, we go a little weak in the knees. Fortunately, if we were wearing this beauty, we’d manage to stay on our feet because Rafi has placed the heel in just the right spot for maximum stability and comfort. Truly, the Pi is one for the ages—good design is timeless!

Another new style that’s captured our hearts is the Cydwoq Gamma:

What a great flat! Classic but utterly modern! Buckle up for a lifetime of easy walking.

Finally, here’s the Cydwoq Orient, which I think bears a slight resemblance to its long-lost ancestor:

Knit leather—could anything be cooler, both literally and figuratively? So fun to wear, this treasure will make you the talk of the town!

In The New York Times story about the discovery of the ancient shoe, Armenian doctoral student, Diana Zardaryan, who pulled the shoe out from its grass-lined storage spot, is quoted as saying, “To find a shoe has always been my dream.” We know just how she feels! Thank you, Rafi, for making our modern-day dreams come true.

(Incidentally, the “sweet treat” this week is another fantastic Cydwoq style: the Gaudi heeled sandal. You still have a few more days to click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper corner of any Ped page to reach the magic code that will give you a cool 20% discount on this summer stunner.)