When Jaime King visited the Farmers Market in Beverly Hills on February 1, 2015, the standout detail in her otherwise understated off-duty look was a pair of black crocodile-embossed “Malvin” booties by Australian footwear label Sol Sana.
With pointed toes, open sides, oversized silver-tone buckles, removable harness-style straps, and three-inch block heels, the Malvin sat somewhere between a mule and a Western-inspired ankle boot. Emma Roberts had worn the same style just days earlier in Los Angeles, making the two looks a useful example of how one statement shoe can work with very different approaches to casual dressing.
Founded in Australia in 2010 by designer Sara Caverley, Sol Sana developed a strong following among mid-2010s celebrities, stylists, and street-style regulars by offering leather footwear with distinctive detailing at contemporary price points. Its mix of chunky hardware, cutouts, architectural heels, and vintage-inspired shapes appeared on stars including Olivia Palermo, who wore the label’s Tabby wedges during Paris Haute Couture Week, as Sol Sana became especially visible during the era of off-duty celebrity and model street style.
How Jaime King Styled Sol Sana’s Malvin Booties
Jaime King pairs a cream turtleneck sweater and cropped Mother jeans with black crocodile-embossed Sol Sana “Malvin” booties
Jaime paired the black booties with a cream turtleneck sweater and cropped skinny jeans by Mother. The shortened hem worked especially well with the Malvin design, leaving its open sides, buckled straps, and pointed toes fully visible.
Cat-eye sunglasses, delicate earrings, and a white leather A.L.C. crossbody bag completed the look without competing with the heavily buckled shoes.
Jaime King leaves the Farmers Market in Beverly Hills on February 1, 2015, wearing cropped denim that keeps the Sol Sana booties fully in view
A low ponytail and red lipstick added a subtle retro note that worked naturally with the booties’ Western-influenced shape.
At 5’8″ (172.7 cm) with a US shoe size 7.5, Jaime King already has a long, lean frame, so the approximately three-inch block heel added height without dominating the proportions of the outfit.
A close-up of Jaime King’s Sol Sana “Malvin” booties shows the pointed toes, open sides, crocodile-embossed straps, and oversized silver-tone buckles
The Malvin bootie’s open ankle construction and stacked block heel give the heavily buckled design a lighter profile
Emma Roberts Gives the Same Booties a More Casual Look
Emma Roberts took a more relaxed approach to the same Sol Sana Malvin booties, wearing them with a loose high-low wrap tee and rolled-up black skinny jeans while shopping at Urban Outfitters in Los Angeles on January 28, 2015.
Emma Roberts wears cuffed black skinny jeans with Sol Sana “Malvin” booties while shopping in Los Angeles on January 28, 2015
Like King’s cropped denim, Roberts’ higher cuffs kept the Malvin’s buckles and open-ankle construction visible, rather than letting the jeans cover the shoe.
Loose waves, sunglasses, and minimal makeup kept the rest of the outfit understated, making the heavily detailed footwear the strongest visual element.
The comparison is particularly noticeable because of their different proportions. Emma Roberts stands 5’2″ (157 cm) and wears a US shoe size 6, roughly six inches shorter than King. On Roberts, the pointed toe and three-inch heel create a more visibly lengthening effect, while the open sides prevent the dark bootie from visually cutting off the ankle.
Emma Roberts’ cuffed jeans expose the Malvin booties’ crocodile-embossed straps, silver-tone hardware, and chunky block heels
Inside the Design of the Sol Sana “Malvin” Booties
The Sol Sana “Malvin” combines elements of a mule, ankle boot, and Western harness boot. Removable crocodile-embossed straps with oversized silver-tone buckles frame its open sides, while a pointed toe and approximately three-inch stacked block heel give the shoe its distinctive profile.
That combination helps explain why the style worked with both outfits. The substantial buckles and embossed leather provide enough visual weight to stand out against simple denim, while the open sides keep the silhouette from feeling as heavy as a conventional ankle boot.
A closer look at Emma Roberts’ Sol Sana Malvin booties shows how the open sides break up the otherwise substantial black leather and buckle detailing
King styled the Malvin as part of a cleaner, more polished combination of cream knitwear and cropped blue denim, while Roberts leaned into the shoe’s tougher side with black skinnies and a loose tee. Their outfits differed, but both made the same smart styling choice: keeping the hemline away from the ankle so the bootie’s unusual construction stayed visible.
Why Sol Sana Became a Celebrity Street-Style Favorite
Sol Sana found its niche by translating runway-influenced footwear into shoes that felt natural with everyday wardrobes. Instead of relying on logos, the Australian label became recognizable for details such as chunky buckles, cutouts, stacked heels, clean-lined mules, and substantial sandals.
That balance made the brand especially visible in mid-2010s celebrity street style. Jaime King and Emma Roberts wore the same Malvin booties in very different ways, while Olivia Palermo, Lily Collins, and Sarah Hyland each gravitated toward other Sol Sana silhouettes. Across those looks, the common thread was simple: distinctive footwear paired with relatively uncomplicated clothes.
Here are more Sol Sana shoe moments from the Best Quality Luxury Shoes Online Store archives:
👠 Explore Sol Sana’s Celebrity Shoe Moments:
- 🧩 Olivia Palermo wore Sol Sana “Tabby” wedges at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture show, pairing the sculptural shoes with a checked Zara shirt-and-pants set, fur vest, and Dior accessories during Paris Fashion Week.
- ☀️ Lily Collins stepped out in stacked-heel Sol Sana sandals with a Sam Lavi two-piece ensemble, showing the label’s chunkier footwear in an easy Los Angeles summer look.
- 🥿 Emma Roberts’ wider mule wardrobe includes Sol Sana’s distinctive “Malvin” mule-bootie hybrid, alongside the more refined slip-on silhouettes that became a recurring part of her off-duty style.
- 🤍 Sarah Hyland went in the opposite direction with flat Sol Sana “Joaquin” slides, wearing them with a cropped Brandy Melville top and vintage-style Levi’s shorts for a relaxed petite-proportion look.