For the last 40 years, Arche has been hand-crafting shoes in the Chateau Region of France not far from Paris. Their shoes are entirely made by French artisans with 100% natural materials. Let me explain the three components of Arche that make them one of our customer favorites this Spring!

Shape: Comfort with designer style; the modern and timeless silhouettes are designed in Paris.

Materials: The extremely supple nubuck leathers and glove quality calfskins are water resistant, scratch resistant, and breathable. The shoes are dyed in a rich palette of on-trend colors .

Soles: Made from a noble and living product! Pure hevea milk (100% pure latex) is hand poured into custom sole molds. The result is maximum cushioning, durability, flexibility, and shock absorption.

One of the best sellers this Spring has been the Exor- sleek enough for the office and funky enough for the street and Arche’s sophisticated ballet flats are a must (mine are silver)!

Today is Throwback Thursday, so let’s talk about Kork-Ease. These cork wedge sandals were originally made in the 1940′s in Brooklyn, NY. In 1948, a pair of Kork-Ease sandals retailed for $7! Later these wedge sandals became a symbol of the 1970′s and the counter-culture youth movement with their recognizable criss-cross upper.

Fast forward to present day. Kork-Ease has added an anatomical footbed and elaborated on the simple, fun silhouette with splashes of color and a variety of heel heights. Ladies, these sandals are a timeless piece of American fashion. You don’t have to be a modern-day flower child to wear them…but it’s ok if you are. In that case, I’ll see you and your Kork-Ease at a summer music festival.

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Hola!

Pikolinos operates in over 60 countries and has over 8,000 points of sale. Yet, men and women are still discovering the brand here in the US. Their footwear has an unmistakable personality and is all about naturalness and comfort. Pikolinos is probably the one brand that I receive the most compliments when wearing. While their Autumn-Winter line is always filled with stunning boots, to me Pikolinos really shines in the Spring-Summer. Being a brand that hails from Spain, this seems only natural. What a wonderful climate and landscape for the backdrop to this story!

Being “naturally good”, Pikolinos is all about the leather: soft and buttery to the hand with a wonderful, lemon aroma. Incorporating environmentally-friendly materials and design, Pikolinos uses only water-based, solvent-free dyes which result in a natural palette of colors. In addition, their shoes are still crafted with an artisanal production process. Both approaches yield the essence of the brand- unique, natural comfort and style. Pikolinos offers some great options for the transition to Spring (closed toes with laser-cut details and soft tones) as well as some eye-catching summer sandals and wedges (think colorful Maasai beadwork). For the gentlemen, classic loafers and fisherman sandals for the weekends and smart oxfords for the casual office.

Stand out this summer! While your friends are all wearing rubber flip-flops, pretend you just returned home from a Mediterranean adventure, and your sandals were the souvenir!

-Anna