I love me a good mule. California is really a great place to wear mules almost year-around. I wear my Everlane Boss mules quite frequently. So I know if I added another black mule to my closet it would mostly definitely be worn. I had been eyeing the Jenni Kayne mules fooorever but I couldn’t quite pull the trigger ($395!). So I looked for alternatives, and the St. Agni mule (which is the favorite of every sustainable/ethical blogger out there because of their thoughtfully-designed hand made shoes) made it onto my radar. I have both brands saved as a search in the RealReal so when this pair popped up in my size, I snapped it up it even though it wasn’t the woven leather ones I had originally wanted. But how could I resist for $72 of credit?
First a note on sizing. I purchased these in a size 38. I’m usually a 7.5-8 and a solid 8 in Everlane. St. Agni is supposed to run narrow so they advise purchasing a full size up (so in this case I would buy a 39 since European size 38 is about a US 7.5). However I got really lucky with these and they’re the perfect snug fit. My heel also just fits without any overhang. I think by buying them used, someone had already done the work of stretching them out a little. But they look great, with only some minor wear on the soles and a slight wrinkling to the leather.
A little investigating on the internet tells me that this is the Saul Babouche Slide and it’s no longer being sold. The leather of these mules are thicker than the buttery soft leather of the Martiniano Glove shoes and thicker than the leather of the Everlane Day Flats and the Boss Mules. But even though the leather is thick it’s not stiff. It’s just the right amount to hold my foot in place. I also really love the slightly padded insole, which makes these flats super comfy (the Everlane mules have very minimal cushioning in the heel). I can walk in these all day with no blisters or pain points at all. These have quickly become my favorite pair of mules so get ready to see them on the blog often!
P.S. A follower on Insta mentioned that getting the sizing right for St. Agni can be tricky and that she had to do several return shipments to Australia on her own dime that really added up. If I were to buy a new pair of St. Agni shoes I’d probably purchase from a site like The Dreslyn since they’re based out of LA (though they still charge a return fee). I also see that Bloomingdales also carry some of their shoes.
{December 2021 Update: I’m still in love with these mules and are my favorite pair of St. Agni shoes to date. I’ve tried out several others (including more mules like the ever popular Paris mules) but nothing compares to this first pair. You can find my other St. Agni shoes reviews here.}
{May 2023 Update: I’ve been wearing these consistently for almost 4 years now and my love for them is still going strong. These are actually the only St. Agni mules left in my collection because the woven leather ones started irritating my feet (it might be because post-pregnancy my foot has changed a bit). But these Saul mules have molded to my feet perfectly and they’re hands down my favorite pair of shoes. So much so that they’ve worn down quite a bit and I’ve finally taken them into the shoe repair shop for new soles and heels (an $82 fix!! for a $70 shoe—but 100% worth). I still see this style time to time on Poshmark and would definitely recommend them if you’re in the market for a good leather mule. Also I see these in suede and as much as those look great when they’re new, it definitely wouldn’t hold up like these all leather ones!}