SHOES THAT SERVE: SOLE TO SOUL DOES IT BEST

Lina Sprauve-Battiste knows shoes, and she loves shoes.

It’s evident by the carefully curated selection of stylish footwear in her well-appointed downtown Charlotte Amalie boutique, Sole to Soul.

If you live in the USVI and surrounding islands, you’ve likely heard of Sole to Soul; but in the unlikely event that you haven’t, let me introduce you to a St. Thomas gem that’s solely in the business of keeping women’s feet looking fly.

“I sell shoes for every type of lady,” Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says. “I have stilettoes, I have church shoes, I have shoes for the working ladies, I have sandals, I have comfort shoes. I cater to all ladies.”

In our opinion here at Dress Better on the Weekend, no one does shoes better locally than Sole to Soul. (Fight us!).

“I know my customers, I know exactly what my customers like,” the businesswoman says. “When I go away to shop, when I choose a shoe, I know three or four customers who will buy that shoe.”

Lina Sprauve-Battiste, owner of Sole to Soul shoe store, at her downtown Charlotte Amalie boutique. Photo courtesy of Lina Sprauve-Battiste/Facebook.

With that kind of customer-focused precision, no wonder the ladies keep coming back for more…shoes.

So, what is it about shoes that women love so much?

“It makes them feel beautiful, confident, and it expresses their personal style,” Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says. “It makes them feel good. Shoes take an outfit to another level.”

“So, when you put on a shoe, sometimes you’re like, ‘Ahh, I have to get that shoe’,” she says.

Us shoe lovers completely understand the ‘ahh’ Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste is describing as the release (or euphoria) that comes from retail therapy—something she says she observes happening regularly in her store.

“A young lady could come in feeling down and then they come into the store, and they feel good. They feel better after a purchase,” Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste explains.

A Genuine Love for Customers

This October, Sole to Soul will be celebrating its 10th year in business, and the plug to her business’s longevity, Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says, is her commitment to exceeding customers’ expectations.

“The most important thing is the customer service,” she says. “As someone comes into the store, I make sure I engage with that customer. Customer service goes a long way. Some businesses don’t understand that, but that’s why I’m at Sole to Soul for ten years. I make sure that I cater to my customers.”

Catering to her customers, Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says, is inclusive of everything from a friendly hello when they enter the store to physically helping customers try on shoes.

“I get down on my knees and I put on my customers’ shoes for them,” she explains. “Just making sure that that customer is comfortable.”

Current Shoe Trends

Keeping up with the latest trends in footwear is another key component to the success of Sole to Soul.

“I keep up on the trends. You have to keep up with what’s going on, what’s in style, what’s trending,” she says. “You have to keep up with that.”

Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says some of the hottest shoe trends right now are Mary Janes, fisherman sandals, woven flats, and mesh shoes.

“Any shoe with flowers and bows, that’s really in for twenty twenty-five,” she adds.

Dressy sneakers are having a serious fashion moment, too.

“Sneakers are crazy,” she says. “Every brand has sneakers because they are the hot thing right now.”

Mules and clogs for local customers traveling to off-island locations during the cooler fall months are also high-interest items, including cowboy boots.

“Cowboy boots, I know we can’t do them in the Virgin Islands, but the cowboy boots are crazy for fall, as well,” she says.

As for shoe color trends, Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says burgundy, chocolate brown, and earthy tones are all in the running this year. Plus, fabrics like denim have come roaring back.

“Denim is really crazy again,” she says, pointing out the rise in popularity of shoes in the fabric is due to Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album and tour. “She’s brought that right back again and you’re going to see a lot of that for fall.”

Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste says she tries to bring in at least one or two pieces of each trending style to meet the needs of her diverse customer base.

“Locals travel a lot. From here, people travel all over,” she says. “I recently had some local customers that were going to the Beyonce concert, and they came in and bought cowboy boots from me. I won’t bring a lot of them in, but I would bring a few in.”

Currently, she has a winter boot available in-store for customers who plan on traveling during the colder months.

“People are going away for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so you want to have something for them,” she says. “They don’t want to go up there and buy something, so they come and purchase it locally.”

The Best Brands

Sole to Soul carries shoes ranging in sizes 5 up to 12 and 13 in some brands. And a top brand of hers is Sam Edelman.

“He is one of my favorite brands because the construction is very amazing, it’s comfortable, it’s trendy, and the longevity is also amazing,” she explains. “I love it because the price point is also good, like ninety-nine to one thirty-nine. I get a lot of good feedback about that brand.”

The shoe-whisperer also favors Brazilian brands Carrano and Ferrucci, which carry a higher price point, but are some of her top-sellers.

Many local roads and our islands’ natural terrain can be tough on shoes. Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste recommends local ladies consider brands such as Vionic, which offers good construction and arch support.

“Sneakers are really in right now, too, so I recommend them, especially for our roads,” she said. “Aerosoles, Comfort, and Soft are all great brands that I carry that provide customers with comfort. Like I said, I have something for every lady.”

Although many of her brands offer wearers’ feet great comfort, they do not sacrifice style.

“I try to get the stylish ones—I do carry the ones that are not too stylish, but most times, I still try to bring ones that are stylish.”

It’s Back-to-School season, and Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste is turning her attention to the needs of teachers and students. From now through Aug. 8, she’s running a 20 percent-off special on shoes for teachers.

“I have two shoes available for the little girls, and I have comfortable shoes, like sneakers and pumps, for teachers,” she explains. “Teachers, we appreciate you.”

The successful businesswoman, who comes from a family of entrepreneurs, began her tenure in retail shoe sales on St. Thomas when she worked as a salesperson at the former Essentric Shoe Boutique, the precursor to Sole to Soul. She worked for sisters Denise and Brenda Benjamin for about five years before assuming ownership of the store when one of the sisters relocated to St. Croix. Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste purchased the business and reorganized it as Sole to Soul, which she credits her husband for naming.

“Only by faith and the grace of God, I was able to do it,” she says. “I was in the business, so I know exactly what my customers liked and what they wanted, so it was easy for me [to take the helm].”

Ten years on, she remains grateful to the Benjamin sisters for showing her the ropes of the business and remaining a constant source of support to her.

“After I took over the store, they were still there to guide me and have taught me everything I know,” she says. “I still appreciate Denise and Brenda.”

That guidance has clearly paid off, as the business has remained standing following natural disasters and a global health crisis in recent years. Mrs. Sprauve-Battiste is keen to count her blessings.

“The store has been through two hurricanes and the pandemic, and we are still here by God’s grace,” she says. “It wasn’t easy, but by the grace of God, I am still here. I am grateful for the encouragement and support of my customers.”

Sole to Soul is located behind Greenhouse Restaurant on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront. Its summer hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. While online ordering is currently unavailable, off-island customers may place orders by messaging the store on Facebook or emailing soletosoulvi@yahoo.com. Regular shipments are made to St. Croix, the BVI, St. Kitts, and Antigua.