Solea Ankle Boots with Buckle Strap and Padlock Charm, Faux Leather

Ankle boots with buckle strap and a small padlock

These ankle boots with buckle strap are a plain, low-heeled pair with one piece of jewellery: a gold-tone buckle on the ankle and a small padlock charm hanging next to it. Solea makes them in faux leather, in black and in a dark red.

The heel is 3 cm and the shaft is 15 cm high. A zip closes the boot and the inside is lined with fabric. Sizes run from 36 to 41.

At a glance

The piece: models 220248 and 220249 by Solea

Solea lists the black pair as model 220248 and the red pair as model 220249. The text is the same for both: ankle boots in faux leather with a subtle shine, a decorative buckle and lock on the side, a low heel of 3 cm, a soft fabric lining, a zip and a shaft of 15 cm.

The maker calls the toe pointed. In the photos we would call it almond-shaped: narrower than a round toe and softer than a real point. If you avoid pointed shoes because they pinch, this shape is usually kinder.

The red is darker in the photos than the word suggests. It is a wine red, close to burgundy.

Who they're for

For you if you want one pair of boots for the cold half of the year that works under trousers and under a dress. A 3 cm heel walks like a flat and still looks dressed.

They also suit you if you would rather not wear animal leather. The upper is artificial leather, and the lining and footbed are fabric.

Closer look: what the maker states and what the photos show

• Faux leather upper with a subtle shine (maker's data)
• Decorative buckle and lock on the side (maker's data); both gold-tone (photos)
• Heel of 3 cm, shaft of 15 cm (maker's data)
• Zip closure (maker's data); on the inner side (photos)
• Soft fabric lining and fabric footbed (maker's data)
• Almond-shaped toe, low block heel (photos)

The buckle and the padlock are decoration. You get in and out with the zip.

Materials and build: faux leather, fabric lining

The upper is artificial leather. The maker's text uses both faux leather and vegan leather for it, which mean the same thing here. It has a light sheen in the photos and a smooth surface without a grain pattern.

Inside, the boot is lined with a soft fabric and the footbed is fabric too. The maker says that makes the boots suitable for cooler days. It gives no material for the sole and no detail about the lining, so we would treat them as boots for autumn and mild winter weather with normal socks.

Size and dimensions: heel 3 cm, shaft 15 cm

The size table gives the insole length: 23.5 cm for size 36, rising by half a centimetre per size to 26 cm for size 41. Measure your foot from heel to longest toe and choose the size with an insole slightly longer than that.

A narrower toe takes a little length away at the front. If you are between two sizes, we would take the larger one. The shaft of 15 cm ends just above the ankle, as you can see on the model.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for both colours. The insole length is the inside length of the boot.

Styling: show the ankle strap

The model wears the boots with patterned black tights and a skirt, so the strap and the padlock stay in view. That is the idea. With trousers, pick a cropped or slim leg that ends above the buckle.

The maker says they go with trousers and with dresses. The black pair is the quiet one. The wine red is good with navy, grey and camel, and it lifts an all-black outfit without shouting.

Occasions

These are boots for the office and for dinner afterwards. The heel is low enough for a commute on foot and the gold-tone detail is small enough for a meeting.

Faux leather wipes clean easily, which helps on wet autumn days. The maker makes no claim about rain, so we won't either.

Care: what we know and what we don't

The maker's data has no care instructions. If there is a leaflet or label in the box, follow that first.

As a general habit with faux leather, wipe the upper with a soft damp cloth and let it dry at room temperature. Skip leather wax and oils; they are made for animal hides and can leave a film on synthetic uppers.

The wow detail: the padlock

A tiny padlock hangs from the ankle strap, next to the buckle. It moves a little when you walk and catches the light. It is the kind of detail people notice on the second look, and it is why the boots feel a bit like jewellery for the ankle.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 5 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the boots are unworn and in their original box. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More boots are in our women's boots collection.