Ped fans, remember back in October when there was a lapse in blog posts? Well, part of the reason was that after shopping for Ped at the European shoe shows, my husband and I met in Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate our anniversary (and my birthday). Although we were only there for four days, we had the most romantic and wonderful time!

Our home base for our stay was the modern Hotel Claris, which is located right in the heart of the city and boasts a fabulous rooftop deck! (It even allows small dogs.)

Relaxing on the Hotel Claris's rooftop deck!

To get ourselves acclimated, we took a Barcelona City Bus Tour the first day. A two-day pass lets you jump on and off wherever you like. For us, that meant visiting places designed by that Catalan visionary of modernism, Antoni Gaudi, with whom I am obsessed!

One of the most spectacular stops was the Sagrada Familia, the elaborate Roman Catholic cathedral that Gaudi began building in 1882 and worked on until his death. (He’s buried in its crypt.) Still under construction, this awe-inspiring church is scheduled to be finished in 2026.

My husband shot this cool photo of the Sagrada Familia (note the ongoing construction) in a motorcycle mirror. The interior resembles a forest!

Other Gaudi destinations included the Casa Batilo and the Park Guell, my favorite, which includes Gaudi’s home (although the line was too long to go inside—if you’re going to go Gaudi sightseeing, go early). We loved it so much we named one of our favorite Vialis boots after the Park Guell!

I'm listening to an audio tour of the Casa Batilo, which has an interior inspired by the sea and an exterior that looks like leaves and bones. On the right is one of the many fantastical mosaic-covered sculptures in the Park Guell.

Everywhere you look in Barcelona, there is something amazing to see!

The guy on the left was performing a show with Beatles marionettes! On the right, I could not resist trying this random beautiful bench!

As Ped fans know, I revel in good food, and Barcelona did not disappoint! We had fabulous seafood at the tiny Bar MUT, delicious tapas at Tapas 24, and wonderful espresso at Il Caffe di Francesco. We also snacked at Mercat de Santa Caterina, a great market for meats and cheeses, and we ate paella on our last day at Cal Pinxo on La Barceloneta, Barcelona’s seafront promenade.

On the left, my husband beams over the best paella EVER on our last day. On the upper right, we enjoy some jamon at the Mercat de Santa Caterina, and on the lower right, the hub smiles over anchovies!

Of course, no trip is complete without doing one of the things I do best: shopping!!! We found all kinds of interesting stores, ranging from the original Vialis boutique to Vincon, which is a modern home store that’s kind of like IKEA but cooler, to Almacen Marabi, a wonderful shop full of felt toys. We also stopped by Nu Subates, my friend Roger’s all-Cydwoq store!

Standing in the doorway of Barcelona's all-Cydwoq store, Nu Sabates.

(Note the men’s Classic Oxford in the Nu Subates’ window—Ped just got this style for women!)

Our four days in Barcelona flew by! We’re sure to go back, though, because we fell head over heels for the food and culture (and, of course, Gaudi)—what a way to celebrate love!

"Buenos Dias!" with a smile from Park Guell!

If you’re like me, Ped fans, when the days grow short and the temperature dips, my spirit sometimes needs an extra boost. And if that thing that recharges my emotional battery staves off the chill outside, too, then all the better!

Fortunately, we thought ahead here at Ped HQ to make sure we’d have some extra-special treasures arriving in the warehouse to brighten your grey, wintry days. (Of course, they’re still fun when the sun’s out!) Behold a small sampling of delightful new things just in from Antipast, Epice, and Sophie Digard!

The mother and daughter team, Emiko and Junko, who are the design geniuses behind Japan’s Antipast, know a thing or two about keeping things fun while keeping things cozy. Their socks are always the cutest, softest, and toastiest! Case in point, the new Fun Fan Socks:

The winter blues don’t stand a chance when you’re wearing flowery fans on your ankles! We love these trouser-length sweeties, but we also have a knee-high version!

Speaking of knee highs, our favorite tall sock from Antipast this season is the Airship Knee High:

Need to take a break from daily grind?  Just look down at your legs and let your mind float away on a hot-air balloon!

Of course, Antipast’s loveliness extends beyond just socks. They also make scarves, arm warmers, and gloves.

How beautiful are these Rose Gloves? Everybody at Ped HQ practically fainted when we took them out of the box—they’re just the thing to pretty up a slushy day!

Another way to bring colorful flowers into wintry weather is with a beautiful scarf from Paris’s own Sophie Digard.

We’re especially crazy about this new Freesia Scarf. Like a soft bed of blossoms, this scarf will make you feel wonderful every time you wind it around your neck.

If you prefer something more abstract, check out Sophie’s eye-opening Biscuit Pop Scarf:

What an amazing amount of labor goes into this wearable work of art! You’re guaranteed to turn every head on the street!

We also just received Sophie’s ever-popular Flower Petal Necklace in rich autumn colors that will look spectacular with your LBD at holiday parties!

A mix of velvet and crochet, this necklace simply could not be any prettier! And did you know that the two sides of each flower are different and allow you to spin and slide them on their cord to create endless variations? So fun!

Maybe you’re looking for something that can work both as a scarf and as a shawl, in which case, Epice has an expanse of luxury with your name on it!

Everyone at Ped loves stripes, stripes, and more stripes, so this finely loomed wool Morocco Scarf has us swooning!

And if you want to up the luxe ante, nothing does that like cashmere! Epice’s wool and cashmere Chevron Scarf is like a soft and cozy piece of heaven!

Wrap this beauty around your shoulders and just say, “Aaaahhhh!” You might even start to wish it was winter all the time.

These things are just a few of the wonders in the treasure trove that awaits you at Ped’s main site! On a cold and dark day, a little indulgence can go a long way.

(And speaking of wonderful indulgences, don’t forget to check out this week’s “sweet treat” because it’s especially delicious: Chie Mihara’s Jupi! Get the sexy schoolgirl look for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page, which will whisk you to the Jupi and the magic code for you to enter at checkout! Yum!)

Here at Ped HQ, we’re always curious to know how Ped fans mix and match their Ped purchases with other treasures they already own. Longtime Ped customer, Debi T. in Georgia, took the time to tell us:

I wanted to thank you again for having the perfect Jamie Joseph rings, that I could match up to very special bracelets I have been given by my son and husband.
The oval turquoise ring is a perfect match with a bracelet my son bought me in Kathmandu last year. Just think, they were made on opposite sides of the world! Amazing! I get many compliments on the pair, with lots of questions about where I got those gorgeous pieces!

The pink quartz oval ring I matched with a treasure of a bracelet my husband bought me in Bethlehem, Israel three years ago. The bracelet links are made from ancient Roman glass in varying colors of pink and blue. I couldn’t have found a better match for that bracelet than the pink quartz ring.

I absolutely LOVE my Jamie Joseph rings!!! Thank you Dayna for loving what I love!

P.S. Last weekend I attended the annual “Midwives Alliance of North America” conference, and wore my Trippen “Holy” boots. A midwife who traveled all the way from Africa commented that she loved my boots and wanted to know where I got them. She was glad for the information. I don’t know if you will get an order from Africa or not, but now they know!

Beautiful Debi T. in her Jamie Joseph rings and Trippen Holy Boots. (Of course, what really sparkles is her lovely smile!)

We’re so grateful you’re spreading the Ped love, Debi! To thank Debi for telling us how she wears her Ped and for letting others know where she shops, we’re giving her $100 in Ped credit!

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. So, let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!

(By the way, the “Sweet Treat” this week is Cordani’s retro-gorgeous Remy heel! Get 20% off this beautiful shoe by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Remy, where you will find the discount code! So, save a little money, slip your foot into the Remy, and suddenly have all the glamour of a 1940s movie star! Don’t be surprised if someone asks you for your autograph…)

As you Ped fans know, we’re always on the lookout for new shoes and treasures to add to the Ped family. But our standards are almost impossibly high. Our checklist includes ethical and environmentally responsible production, exquisite craftsmanship (preferably by hand), first-rate materials, unusual design, style for miles, and comfort!

Which is why we are beside ourselves with joy to welcome Vialis into the Ped house!

Founded in Barcelona in 1996, Vialis (pronounced Vee-alis) quickly became known throughout Europe for beautifully made shoes designed to meet the demands of modern stylish women. Vialis’s shoe salons in Spain and France became shopping destinations, and in 2004, the company introduced their shoes to the global market. Opening eyes with unmistakable Spanish flair, every Vialis style is constructed from carefully selected leathers and other materials, meticulously put together by hand to create a show that feels just as spectacular as it looks!

Take a gander and you’ll see why we’re wowed!

Since our previous blog post was all about oxfords, let’s start with Vialis’s unconventional take on the classic:

Wow! The Mila shoe is simply the coolest thing going! So urban and edgy, its design suggests an oxford but foregoes the laces. You can tell how supple the leather is simply by looking at the picture (it’s that buttery)!

Moving on to our other must-have style of the season, Vialis puts an equally interesting spin on the ankle boot. First up, the Rambla:

So many things to like: the wooden heel, the exposed nail heads so perfectly placed, the folded-over cuff, and the double-D ring brass buckle in back (which you don’t even have to undo because Vialis has cleverly hidden elastic inserts to let you slip in and out of this bootie in a flash)! Color us enamored!

Perhaps your black bootie quota is filled, and you’re looking for a brown number instead. Then drink in the Guell:

Of course, we love the hand-cut wooden heel, but our favorite design element is the double-layer cuff /collar of this lace-up beauty. You have the option of wearing it down and letting the interior suede show or wearing it up, so it curves around the back of your ankle just so. Either way, people are going to want to steal the boots off your feet! (Don’t fall asleep on the train.)

Perhaps you’ve noticed at Ped HQ we’ve recently developed a thing for blue leather. We can’t get enough, and Vialis is happy to fuel our new passion with the Marcella bootie:

The acme of chicness! The combination of seaming and grosgrain piping gives this minimal boot maximal style! And, needless to say, the blue color is to die for.

Taking things a little taller, Vialis has created one of our favorite mid-calf boots ever:

The way Vialis combines a rich brown leather front with a caramel suede back in the Barceloneta Boot is so eye-opening! Ped’s Laura is beside herself with love for this wood-heeled beauty!

But we’ve saved Vialis’s most innovative design for last! Behold the totally rockin’ Fontana Boot:

Sure, it’s a gorgeous boot that’s ideal for chilly days with a faux shearling-lined suede shaft, but you can whip that off by unsnapping it from the bottom and wear the stylish clog-like shoe on its own! In a word, FABULOUS!!!! We love, we love.

The Spaniards certainly know a thing or two about making artistic shoes that are wonderfully feminine and utterly wearable (witness our other Spanish lines, Argila and Chie Mihara), but Vialis has put its distinctive stamp on Spanish style. We’re thrilled to add their winning personality to the Ped lineup!

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!