One thing we love about the Holidays is getting together with old friends! So, Ped is delighted to have one of our oldest pals, the Aurora Shoe Co., back in the Ped family this season! When Ped first opened as a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle in 1993, Aurora was one of the first shoe lines we carried. We adored their simplicity and expert craftsmanship, and so did our customers!

Unfortunately, Aurora disappeared for a few years, but now it’s back and as wonderful as ever. Aurora’s new owner, David Binns, appreciates the legacy of the company and is continuing its commitment to hand making shoes using top-of-the-line leather. Aurora constructs its shoes in Aurora, N.Y., from all-American materials that will last and last. And if you ever wear through the hardy Vibram rubber soles on your shoes, Aurora will happily resole them, so you can love those shoes some more (and you will, trust us).

But don’t just take our gushing word for it. Check out this video to see the care that goes into every pair of Aurora shoes:

Doesn’t that make you feel good about slipping on a pair of Aurora’s? And what a nice guy David is!

Ped currently offers two Aurora styles. The New Chinese:

We love how easy this design is! The way the strap weaves through the heel—Aurora’s signature detail— is so cool!

And the Middle English:

How can you resist this great all-around flat? As David says in the video, Aurora’s shoes mold to fit your individual foot, so you’ll never find footwear that’s more comfortable. And for those of you wishing we had all four of Aurora’s styles, good news! We’re adding the New Mexican and West Indian to Ped’s Aurora lineup for spring!

We are so happy to have our old friend, Aurora Shoe Co. back in the pack! Making them your new friend will be a stellar way to start the New Year!

Laura in Santa Barbara, CA, wrote us this month with her “Tale of the Sole,” but, as she notes, “It’s a sad one, I’m sorry to say.” Here’s her tragic story:

Remember those Argila Alana’s that I got, oh, only a few weeks ago?

Well, silly me, I brought them to New York City on my last trip. But I also brought bronchitis. On the day we decamped from the On the Ave Hotel where we were billeted, I was feeling particularly low. And it was early, so I was jet-lagged. In any event, I remember wrapping the precious things up and THOUGHT they made it into our larger suitcase. But, alas, they did not.

When I discovered this, I immediately called the hotel, but several days had passed, and naturally, they were never turned in. 

So some chambermaid is sashaying around NYC in my stunning sandals.

Honestly, this is the only thing that made me cry in the last month, when Santa Barbara nearly burned to the ground, we got a flat tire while evacuating, and Tai got a foxtail up his nose. It was the SHOES that pushed me over the edge!

But it ends happily because I just ordered those darling Chie Mihara Frederica’s! Not that I can afford them, but I just don’t care—my wound needs to be salved.

We’re sure those Frederica’s have Laura back on the upswing. And we hope winning a $100 Ped Gift Certificate for sending the best Tale of the Sole in May will also make her feel a smidge better about losing her lovely Argila sandals.

Do you have a Tale of the Sole? Tell us—and show us (we LOVE pictures!!!)—what happened to you while wearing a Ped item, and you, too, might be the recipient of $100 in Ped credit. Each month we pick the most sole-ful tale to share on the blog. Here’s hoping June’s story is less of a tear-jerker. So, let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!