In this work, a mathematical framework is developed to describe some of the important intermediate wetting states of a superhydrophobic surface between the two extreme states of Cassie and Wenzel. The superhydrophobic surfaces considered here are comprised of sharp-edged polygonal pores or posts. Two different critical pressures are defined in this work, and used to distinguish pinned, partially pinned, and de-pinned air–water interfaces from one another. This information, in particular, is used to develop predictive expressions for the critical pressure and wetted area of the surfaces. Good agreement is observed between the predictions of our expressions and those obtained from numerical calculations or experiment. The work presented here compares the pressure-dependent performances of the superhydrophobic surfaces having different pore or post designs with one another.