These summer sandals are a treat for your feet

We've been loving our Alegria clogs all winter, and so have our customers, who've told us time and again their clogs are their "go to" shoes for comfort and style. Thankfully, you can get the same style and comfort this summer with our new Alegria sandals.

Available in blue paisley and metallic pewter, the sandals feature the same patented components of the clogs, including a removable leather insole, an anatomically correct footbed that forms to the natural shape of your foot, a rocker outsole that rolls as you walk--reducing pressure on your heels and the balls of your feet.

And, while all those healthy "feetures" are great, we love them because they're cute, especially the butterfly clasps! Don't forgo style for comfort this summer. With Alegria's Barcelona sandals, you can have both!

Passion Fueled Fashion series

This is the first post in a series of profiles of people Peters Path admires for their efforts to make the world a better place.

Kate Atwood
Founder, Kate's Club

Kate's Club is an organization that provides support and services to children who have lost a parent or sibling. Kate lost her won mother when she was 12 years old. Although she filled her days with sports and activities after her loss, her real spirtual healing began when she served as a counselor at a bereavement camp when she was 20. She says she was able to feel and see the benefit of bringing peers together that had shared this experience and became aware of the importance of support she did not have as a child.

Kate Atwood

Kate started Kate's Club in 2003, serving six children and their families with an outing to a local bowling alley. Today, they have served more than 250 children, have over 100 volunteers and a curriculum of four main programs providing social, recreational and emotional support to the children of Kate’s Club.

Recently, Kate's Club moved to a large space in midtown Atlanta, where a bright, cozy and fun atmosphere is home to kids in need when they visit. From art and music therapy to support groups and outings, Kate's Club gives deserving kids a chance to find joy after tragedy.

At a young age, this philanthropic star is paving the way for young people who have dreams of making a difference in the world. A success in every sense of the word, Kate has won distinguished awards for her work, including being a 2003 City of Atlanta’s “Outstanding Atlantan”; a 2005 Turner Broadcasting System’s “Pathfinders." She has been featured in People Magazine and has appeared on CNN and ABC’s "The View". We celebrate Kate and the hope and support she has provided to so many children in need.

Peters Path Helps the Child Rescue Centre

In the war-torn country of Sierra Leone, a decade of conflict has made the poverty, abuse and neglect of children so bad many families can't afford to take care of their children. Thousands of children witnessed horrible violence, were subjected to systematic abuse and, in many cases, were forced to become combatants themselves. The war deprived them of an education and, worse, confronted them with the brutal human cruelty at a tender age, destroying their childhood. Children have been orphaned and left on their own on the streets, in danger of violence and sexual abuse.



The Child Rescue Centre in Bo, Sierra Leone, is a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter, clothing, health care, education and skills training for orphans and street children. In addition to nurturing the 46 resident children at the center, the CRC provides educational funding and health care for 100 additional children in Bo who live in family settings.



You can help the Child Rescue Centre help these vulnerable children. From May 4-10, when you buy an organic tee from Peters Path, 100% of the profits will go to the CRC. It's easy to make a difference! Just purchase a cool, comfy tee and help the CRC protect and nurture the children of Sierra Leone.

Get the hottest boyfriends

Did we get your attention? Well, we can't promise you a new love life, just a new look that will add life to your wardrobe. Made famous by Katie Holmes, the boyfriend jean trend is still a hot look that's a welcome change from tight skinnies. No Spanx required!

The one comment I hear the most about boyfriends is, "I'm not sure how to wear them." So, here are some tips.

• Go for straight leg, not boot or flare cut as the you won't achieve the same look.
• Roll cuffs up more than one length so they sit just above ankle.
• You can wear boyfriends with flats or heels.
• Belt them. Most boyfriends are low to mid-rise and look great with chunky, decorative belts.
• Because boyfriends are slightly masculine, pair them with a more feminine top.

Peters Path's boyfriends are made by LTB, and have a darker rinse with a slightly distressed look. We suggest getting a size or two smaller than your normal size for the right baggy effect. Who doesn't love buying a size smaller? Get in on this great trend now!

Eco-friendly can by stylish with bamboo fabrics

When you think of eco-friendly, comfortable clothing, visions of beige cotton t-shirts tend to come to mind. But today's alternative fibers offer more fashionable, sophisticated options without compromising comfort.

Peters Path's bamboo line proves this with chic, fitted tops and shirts that can be dressed up or down with jeans or dressier bottoms. Bamboo, which is a wonderfully renewable resource, offers a variety of benefits, including breathability, slight elasticity and the ability to produce vibrant, rich color since the fabric is highly permeable and favorable for pigmentation.





A recent article by a well-known textile manufacturer notes some interesting facts about the use of bamboo in apparel, highlighting the superior fiber and softness, which they say outranks Tencel, and the durability of the fabrics, which withstand standard washing and drying machine cleaning.

Because bamboo resists disease, the plant does not require potentially harmful chemical treatment. The fabric also possesses resistance against the sun's damaging UV radiation, and also has anti-bacterial properties. It's a great choice for people who are prone to skin problems and allergies.

We plan to continue adding bamboo to our line of ec0-friendly fashions, so keep checking in to see what's new at Peters Path!

Words of Wisdom

I'm a big fan of cool, funky art with inspirational sayings. Emphasis on cool and funky. These days, it seems "phrase art" is a bit ubiquitious, and sometimes pretty hokey.

However, I do like pieces that are intriguing or have phrases that either motivate or inspire me. One such piece is a canvas giclee by a hip company called Papaya Art that hangs in my downstairs parlor room (my posh way of saying bathroom). It's a beautiful image of a woman with dreads tied in a headwrap that doesn't quite seem to match her vintage-looking profile. The words "Dream", "Imagine", "Create" and "Expand" hover over one of my favorite sayings of all time, "Follow Your Bliss". I have to remind myself to do that a lot when life starts to weigh heavily on me.

Find something that inspires you daily, whether it's art, music, poetry or nature. Use that inspiration to guide you and you'll see you're following your bliss, too.

What is for-profit philanthropy, and more importantly, why?

Peters Path was recently fortunate enough to be featured in an insightful and entertaining blog called Triple Pundit, for a series on philanthropy. The article focused on profitable philanthropy and talked about how many companies engage this model later in their business plans as a reaction to consumer demand or to remain viable in a market that's shifting toward corporate consciousness and social responsibility, but highlighted Peters Path as a company that was actually established on this model.

This got us thinking about the concept in general and how the fashion industry plays a part. It also made us realize not many people know about the concept at all. In fact, people often say, "why don't you just give money to charity instead of forming a company to do it?" So, I thought I would explain our philosophy and the difference between us and some of the big brands that are considered for-profit philanthropers.

Companies like Ben & Jerry's, The Body Shop and even Gap, with its (PRODUCT) RED campaign, which no doubt have altruistic characteristics, were not founded for the purpose of giving. These companies engaged in philanthropic endeavors later and have now become known for their compassionate consumerism--something Peters Path set out to do from the beginning.

We knew we had the passion and motivation to do the work it took to establish the company. But some may wonder if this model, while nobel, is sustainable and relevant. As Triple Pundit points out, experts say it is. They site a study by Cone revealing that the move toward cause branding and corporate responsibility indicates an evolution in consumer thinking about the ways businesses interact with society, and that an overwhelming majority of Americans (85%) say they would switch to a more socially conscious company's products or services, making this a competitive differentiator--and critical market advantage--as well.

We look at this as a great sign that, even in a down economy, people are socially consious and care about philanthropy. We also know the reality is, it's hard to continually donate money to charities. That's why we believe our company is truly making a difference. By creating an opportunity for people to "shop for social good", we offer a sustainable source for recurring contributions. We realize the ongoing potential for charitable giving by offering customers a way to give through compassionate consumerism. We knew we wanted to help various charities more immediately than we could do through sometimes tedious grant applications or donor solicitation, which may result in small, one-time donations.

Our passion is what drove us to create this company. We want to make a difference and we want our customers to help us with their share love of fashion. Passion Fueled Fashion! That's what it's all about.