The Söfft Kelly Sneaker is a comfort shoe’s answer to the mary jane sneaker trend. At first glance, it looks a lot like some of its competitors–low profile, velcro strap across the instep, gum rubber sole–but this is, at its core, a comfort shoe that has dressed itself as a fashion sneaker. Söfft, an American brand that has been making well-constructed footwear since 1927, has not abandoned that premise here: the Kelly fits true to size, provides good arch support, closes securely, and grips reliably. But the design choices that follow from those priorities are, in places, visible.
Size & Fit
The Kelly fits true to size; in a 6.5M (what I normally wear in flats), the fit is exactly as expected, despite having exterior measurements among the widest (3-5/8 inches) and longest (10-1/4 inches) of the ten pairs of mary jane sneakers and ballerina sneakers that I tried this year (even larger than the adidas Samba Jane which was 3.5 inches wide and 10 inches long). Yet the Kelly wears “smaller” than those numbers suggest. The round toe, while present, tapers more than the classic mary jane shape, and the suede toe overlay draws the eye forward rather than outward. For a shoe marketing itself on comfort credentials, the silhouette is sleeker than expected.
And the Kelly was comfortable immediately out of the box. The leather-lined footbed is cushioned with better arch support than most lifestyle sneakers at this price point, and the 1″ wedge heel is subdued enough to read as flat. The heel collar height, at 3 inches, cups the back of the foot securely and contributes to the overall stability. The velcro closure is more considered than a first glance suggests: The hook side threads through a small metal frame before adhering to the loop; reinforced by the buckle, it holds more securely than a simple single-strap velcro closure.
Quality
The materials hold up to inspection: the Italian suede is soft and consistent in finish; the quilted nylon is evenly stitched with no loose threads on the pair reviewed; the sawtooth rubber outsole is flexible without feeling flimsy; and the padded heel collar and lining feel comfortable on the feet. At $119.95, the construction quality is appropriate for the price (the suede in particular feels more considered than synthetic alternatives at this tier).
Design
On the foot, the Kelly is a clean, low-profile shoe. The “White/Multi (White)” colorway, which uses pale grey and bright white, is versatile without being stark, and the slim silhouette flatters the feet. From a normal standing distance, it reads as a well-made lifestyle sneaker with a mary jane strap.
Up close, the picture is more complicated: The quilted nylon paneling, which makes up the central portion of the upper alongside the Italian suede toe and heel overlays, has a slight puffiness that borrows its design language from soft goods. The strap, wide and flat in a ribbed grey textile, compounds the effect: it reads as a fastening rather than an accent, and its width relative to the shoe’s profile gives the vamp a utilitarian quality that the metal hardware does not entirely offset.
The pale palette does not help. White and pale grey at nearly identical tones means the material contrast between the quilted nylon and the suede, the shoe’s main design gesture, barely registers. The sharpest line on the shoe is the navy stripe at the midsole, which sits below eyeline when worn. The result is a shoe that looks clean on the foot but, examined in hand, appears to have arrived at its aesthetic after the engineering decisions were already made. For a brand founded on comfort-forward construction, this is probably an accurate description of the process, and is not a criticism so much as an observation about priorities.
While the Söfft Kelly performs reliably, it photographs a bit flat and the aesthetic trade-off is real: this is a comfort shoe participating in a fashion trend, and at close range the seam between those two identities is visible. For those who prioritize fit and function over fashion-sneaker aesthetics, it is a strong option. For those who came to this category primarily from the style direction, there are more visually interesting options at similar and higher price points. (I ended up keeping the adidas Samba Jane instead.)
The Söfft Kelly Sneaker retails for $119.95 and is available at Amazon, Dillard’s, DSW, Nordstrom, and Zappos.
