So you guys I finally did it. After talking about them for almost the whole year (actually I first talked about them in September of 2018), I just decided to finally buy the Jenni Kayne mules (even though I also recently added the St. Agni mules to my collection). Do I really need another pair of mules? No, but I’m blaming the pain meds post-surgery for this one. Or maybe it was the “I feel sorry for myself” shopping urge lol. Either way I’m glad I purchased them because I can now finally stop talking about them. And tl;dr: I’m returning them! Yep, all that energy and time spent pining for them was wasted because these shoes are not comfortable (at least for me).
My biggest issue with these mules is the quality of the leather. I got the natural oiled leather version and tbh the leather feels like cardboard. It’s super stiff without any of that stretch you expect from leather. My St. Agni mules (reviewed here) feels like a luxurious glove on your feet. This one? Not so much. The Jenni Kayne version uses elastic bands to try to get the mule to hug your feet, which is kind of a cheap solution for a pair of shoes that cost $395. Maybe the regular leather version has more stretch and feels more luxurious but since they only come in black and I already have a ton of black mules, I’m going to pass. Even Everlane’s Boss Mules feel more luxurious and hug the feet better than these Jenni Kayne ones (and for the current price of $84, the Everlane mules are a steal!). Though I should mention my absolute favorite mules are the St. Agni ones.
Also the there’s no padding on the insole of these Jenni Kayne mules so I can imagine prolonged walking in them would be uncomfortable. They do run TTS though and the 38 fit me fine.
Overall I’m very disappointed in these mules (though my wallet is rejoicing). I guess you never know how something is going to be unless you try it for yourself, and sometimes it’s worth it to just bite the bullet and buy it so you can stop pining for it. I think in general I love the idea and aesthetic of Jenni Kayne but I feel like I can build a more quality wardrobe of basics with the current ethical brands I already purchase from.
{May 2023 Update: Even though my love for my St. Agni mules are going strong, I decided to return to these Jenni Kayne mules because I really need to give my St. Agni ones a break sometimes. Plus I needed something other than a black shoe. So when I found a navy suede pair of these Jenni Kayne mules for $100, I decided to give JK another chance. And I’m glad I did because I really do like these shoes now. It probably helped that someone else already broke these in a bit so the fore foot area was a bit roomier and also much less stiff. I will say I don’t wear the JK mules when I know I’ll be walking a lot because it still pinches at the forefoot area (right where it creases) on my left foot (maybe my left foot is slightly wider?). Anyway I think for $100 they’re a great second pair of mules for me though I still probably wouldn’t pay the $395 (thought I have to say after 3 years they haven’t raise the price at least.}