Solely Jane Review: Interchangeable Shoes For Travel
Updated: Aug 22
I adore a good gimmick like the last guy. I love catchy Facebook ads and the "but wait, there's more!" sales pitches. Sometimes I even buy into them (I'm still regretting that buy 2 deal on the bug zapper).
So when I saw something travel related that could really boost my packing skills, my first thought was, "I've got to have it!". As a shoe monger and habitual over-packer when it comes to my soles, I was instantly intrigued by the Facebook campaign for Solely Jane.
If you haven't seen it, Solely Jane is a small business providing interchangeable shoes to improve your packing skills when you travel. You buy a base shoe (sole), and then as many lock-in tops to your shoe that you desire.
They had me reeled in and on the hook. So I had to know - was this another suave marketing pitch or was this nouveau idea worth trying out? Always Pack Tissues investigates.
Note: Always Pack Tissues represents many tried and tested travel sites as what is called an 'affiliate' partner. That means if you click on my ads I may get a commission from a resulting sale.
If You're Short on Time
You've seen the ads, now you want to know - do I like them? Can I get you a discount?
YES and YES. The shoes are comfortable enough to wear to an all night wedding (I have!), sturdy enough for walking around brick streets after a rainstorm (did that too!) and not too clunky to pack. They are versatile for casual to dressy outfits and so fun to mix and match.
You're going to want to read more in my review below, but if you are truly short on time, check out the quick details to purchase at a discount:
Buy your Solely Jane Interchangeable Shoes now and use the Solely Jane discount code ALWAYSPACKTISSUES for 10% off.
The flats are in!!!! Check out the flats line now at this link. Use ALWAYSPACKTISSUES for 10% off!
Need bases?
Choose from black or tan here:Â
Need tops?
I chose and recommend:
the Jamaica (Red)
the Savannah (Leopard print)
and Phoenix Onyx (Black)
Be sure to check back for when they roll out their highly anticipated flats line!
Want to know how they fit and an honest review of Solely Janes? Read on. I've shared a Solely Jane size chart and other valuable details below.
What Is Solely Jane?
In short, it's a classic shoe sole made in black or brown with nearly 25 varieties of shoe toppers. Mix and match tops and soles in whatever way you choose. The more you bundle, the more you save.
Choose from leopard print, tans, blacks, blues, browns and even pink options. A classic comfort sole and two solemates (the tops) will run you about a hundred dollars. Tops by themselves are $33 at the time of writing, which seems pretty reasonable for a new pair of kicks if you already have the base shoe.
The motivation from the Solely Jane team, as I've read, is to create and offer a heel (soles are 2.5" tall) that provides comfort, while also providing variety at a low cost.
What It Isn't
Solely Jane only makes sandals. There are currently no closed toed shoe options.
The Interchangeable Shoe Unboxing
I initially chose the brown base with the Savannah and Phoenix Onyx tops.
The black Phoenix Onyx top is your standard strappy black sandal, but paired with the brown base I think makes a new statement for itself without losing the versatility of black.
The sass of the leopard print is just my style, perfect for pairing with other wild accessories, or for spicing up a basic black outfit.
When I opened the package, my immediate thought was, "oh no." The soles are really heavy. (But don't worry, keep reading).
If you're considering luggage weight as part of your light-packing strategy, then this definitely needs to be factored in. They are not bendable at the arch*, but rather a firm solid block of synthetic wood material. There is a nice tread on the bottom, which I tried out on a rainy day after a storm - no slipping!
*If you need more arch support, Solely Jane is selling a product perfect for you. Check it out here.
I was excited to see the flat packed shoe tops were indeed extremely compact, and they are both of great quality. The black sandal top looked and felt like a man-made leather (in a classy way) and the leopard print ones had a suede-like feel, very lightweight.
Pulling the shoe tops on and off the sole were very simple, and the rubber button to snap them in was an interesting manufacturing detail that I rather like. So far, the unboxing was looking really exciting.
Are Solely Jane's True to Size?
For my experience, the soles were a great fit, but the two shoe tops (solemates) were wildly different in fit. In fact, the fit was so astronomically different style to style that I contacted Solely Jane's customer service to try out the next size down as well.
For reference, I'm a 7.5-8 depending on the shoe, and got both size 8 soles and solemates to start. You can actually mix and match the sole size and solemate size, so keep that in mind and use the website shoe sizing guide if you are unsure.
A note on the website shoe sizing guide - unless you are a masterful ruler reader down to an eighth of an inch, it's a little tricky trying to determine which size to buy. Here's my take:
Always Pack Tissues' Solely Jane Shoe Size Buying Guide
​ | My typical shoe | Solely Jane Size to Buy |
Sole/base | I'm a half size | Round up |
​ | I am a whole size | Buy that size ;-) |
Solemate/shoe topper | I have narrow/petite feet | Round down |
​ | I have wider/larger feet | Round up |
Solemate/shoe topper that has a high ankle (like the Savannah) | I have small ankles | Round down |
​ | I have bigger/wider ankles | Round up |
I determined that the size 8 tops were way too loose on my feet. I poked holes to tighten the straps and even then, the fit was too loose, almost dangerously so.
Use Solely Jane discount code ALWAYSPACKTISSUESÂ at checkout for 10% off!
Don't Make the Same Mistake I Did
Because I had the wrong size tops, my walking test with the size 8 solemate tops was not great. I was pretty disappointed, but determined to make it work. As I said, I poked holes, I tried wrapping the Savannah strap around my ankle differently (a bit of a challenge to get used to in itself), and ultimately ended up reaching out to Solely Jane to get a size down.
I am SO glad that I did.
I went ahead and got the black onyx tops again, this time in a size 7 and because the Savannahs gave me so much grief with my extremely narrow ankles, I opted for a new top - the Jamaica red size 7.
WOW.
What a load of difference the top size makes. Don't make the same mistake I did and give up on the first go round. I made the assumption that because I'm a 7.5 that a size 7 top would never work for me. I don't ever buy size 7 shoes, after all.
Work with the Solely Jane folks until you have found a sole and a solemate that work together for your foot.
Go for the right size based on my chart and you'll find the shoes to be a great match and very comfortable.
Give the shoes a few days to acclimate to your foot.
Ways to Wear Solely Jane Shoes
Although not the world's most amazing photo of my feet below, I wore my Solely Jane's to a wedding recently and they were outstanding. I honestly can't recall a wedding where I didn't throw away my heels afterwards from pain.
These shoes held up so well, especially on a slippery dance floor (there were many alcohol spills!), because the grip on the bottom is so great. As you can see, I chose to be a little avant garde and I wore these with fun socks.
It was honestly a great decision for warmth on a cool evening, but I've seen lots of French women do this too. Socks with a little bit of mesh or a bow will work great for this. Here's an example from Amazon. Think of cutesy ankle adornments, bows and stocking socks that wow.
These shoes are also excellent on wet days (again, the tread is amazing!), for dinners out, even mile long strolls. I've tried it all!
Consider wearing your Solely Janes to:
A day at the museum
Strolling the farmer's market
Walking European streets after dinner
An evening of dancing on a cruise ship
Places where you want to dress up, but there will be (gasp!) stairs!
When you have to pack small for a cheapo flight somewhere
Other ideas for Solely Jane so you are ready for anything:
Keep a pair of bases in your car with three different style tops for anytime wear and last minute fun
Keep a set ready in your "go" bag for weekend travel
Instead of wine, gift some tops to someone who already owns the base, you have more than 20 to choose from!
Keep your base soles in your behind-the-door shoe rack like the rest of your shoes, and put your Solely Jane tops in a drawer like choosing clothing!
An Honest Solely Jane Review: The Verdict Is In
Final verdict on the soles: they are comfortable and true to size, but heavy and clunky with no arch bend. The tread on the bottom is great.
Final verdict on the solemate tops: the fit (once I found the right size pairings) is great. I'm sitting here in my pajamas and my Solely Jane heels right now, like a proper mid-century house wife. That's to say, they're comfortable enough for hanging around the house!
You'll feel fabulous, stylish and very clever for having found such a unique shoe.
Packability score: For spring and summer vacations or even for cruises with formal nights and mix and match dress styles, this is a great pick. I got these shoe bags from Amazon for my husband earlier this year and with just one bag I can fit my soles plus at least three solemate tops. It's amazing because in the one bag I've successfully packed at least three pairs of shoes. If that's not revolutionizing shoe packing, then I don't know what is.
With one base and multiple options for interchangeable shoe styles, I can go from daytime casual to evening smolder with little effort and virtually a zero-footprint on my packing space.
I call that a win.
Would I Recommend Solely Jane Interchangeable Shoes?
Yes! They get top marks from me for the style, versatility and seriously cool interchangeable options.
Just be sure to consider what type of shoe works for you. If slingbacks are generally a challenge, consider a wrap around ankle like the Savannah. If you have ankles that are too small, maybe one of their slip-on options would be a better take. Know your foot and order accordingly.
I have to say, I think with this one purchase I've just revolutionized how I pack for travel, and I've still got about 22 more options to purchase. Imagine an entire shoe closet in the space of a file folder or small shoe organizer specially made for travel. The possibilities with Solely Jane are endless. Good job, Solely Jane team. You have my vote.
Buy Your Solely Jane Shoes Here and don't forget to use Solely Jane discount code ALWAYSPACKTISSUES for 10% off!
Stay tuned because the Solely Jane brand just launched their new flats line, and I can't wait to try them! Once mine arrive I'll be giving a full review here!
Btw, the Savannah heel tops have the wrong right-left labels! The one labeled left actually goes on the right foot, and the one labeled right goes on the left! It's definitely not intuitive to figure out because they sort of still work fine on the wrong feet. I had the same problem with my Savannnahs, and I initially started wearing them on the wrong feet as well. They always kind of felt a little strange, like the angles of the straps weren't quite right, and the back strap tugged on my ankles a little more than I liked whenever I walked. Then one day I was looking at the pictures on their product page on the website, and I noticed…
Providing an update since I received the flat base yesterday. Unfortunately, it looks like the rails for the flats are skinnier, so the rails on the heel tops don't even fit into the rail slots on the flat bases. This is very disappointing, as I can't see any reason why they needed to design the rails to be incompatible with each other. I tried using my hands to hold the heel top rails against the flats just to see how the heel tops would look and fit on my foot in the flats, and as far as I can tell, it would fit fine (the arch doesn't end up being too high); it seems like it would work just fine…
Thanks for the review! Looks like we have similar taste in the tops, because the Savannah, Jamaica, and Phoenix ones are the best looking in my opinion (I just hope they release more colors in the Savannah and Jamaica, and that they release nude strappy styles like the kind worn for weddings).
In terms of sizing, I had the opposite experience that worked optimally for me, which goes to shoe just how unique every individual's feet are. I normally wear 6.5 wide, and found through trial and error that the size 8 tops on a size 6 sole was the most comfortable optimal fit for me. I tried both size 6 and 7 for the soles and found that the…
Nice looking shoes, too!