Wondering where to buy Solovair in Scotland?

As you can see on this map here from the Solovair website, there is only one Solovair Stockist in Scotland.

121Shoes at Cameron Toll, Edinburgh, is the only legitimate retailer in Scotland where you can buy Solovair boots and shoes!

Come and browse our huge range of footwear in store, try on whatever you like and have a chat. Click here for more information on our shop including details on our parking, location and facilities.

We also have a huge range of shoes and boots right here on our website, where we regularly run our own independent sales and discounts across all brands INCLUDING SOLOVAIR!

In case you can’t decide which Autumn boots to buy after hearing about the whole Doc Martens vs Solovair battle, we have written up a Solovair review!

Solovair Review

Are Dr Martens and Solovair the same?

The answer is no! At least not anymore…

Everyone has heard of Doc Martens! The classic, yellow stitching and shiny leather boots that hurt your feet for the first month of wear, but look so iconic. Totally worth it once they’re broken in, right?

But did you know that despite Doc Martens initially being born in England in 1901, their father brand is actually a British company called NPS who make Solovair footwear, and who began their business in 1881 in England.

As noted by Solovair: ‘for 35 years NPS produced Solovair (Sole-of-Air) boots and shoes under license, which were sold under the name ‘Dr Martens by Solovair’.’ However, Doc Martens broke away from Solovair and NPS to form their own separate brand.

Now, the two are competitors.

For 140 years, Solovair ‘have been combining traditional craftsmanship and tooling with the latest technology and materials.’ On top of this, every pair of Solovair boots and shoes is handmade with care here in the UK.

You can read more about the origins of both brands here on the Solovair website.

 

Are Solovairs the best boots?

We are here today to run through a brief review of Solovair’s overall quality of footwear for you. If you are interested, read to the end!

We will take several factors into account:

• Material Quality and Durability
• Resoling and Repairs
• Comfort
• Sizing
• Pricing
• Style

Material Quality and Durability:

Leather:

Leather Quality:

Solovair offers tough, premium soles. This doesn’t just come from our ratings, but from many external sources, such as this review outlining some key differences in quality grading between the two brands.

Leather Texture:

Solovair make their boots using corrected grain leather as opposed to full grain leather. Essentially, corrected grain leather is made by smoothing out any textures to produce a beautiful, shiny and smooth exterior.

Don’t worry, if you are still confused, you can find out more about full grain leather here.

 

Resoling and Repairs:

Soles often need replaced in boots and shoes. Especially if you wear them every day!

Solovair knows this, and not only designs their shoes for every day comfort, but also ensures that they use ‘The Goodyear Welting Method’ in all of their footwear. In short, this method not only ensures durability and strength in the soles, but also allows for easy repairs and resoling!

Your average cobbler will be able to resole a pair of Solovair boots or shoes with little to no problems. According to renowned specialist Australian cobblers, Evans: the Goodyear Welting Method made-soles that Solovair sports mean that resoling and repairs are both easy and cost-effective.

You can read more on how this method works on the Solovair website here.

 

Comfort:

Padding:

Do you get blisters under your heels from walking in boots, or suffer from Achillies tendinitis or plantar fasciitis?

Solovair ensures that this will not become an issue and aids those who have foot support difficulties, with the comfort and padding prioritized in the heel as opposed to just the toe. This offers maximum arch support to the foot, but also allows for less friction between the heel and interior of the shoe, reducing blisters and discomfort.

Grip:

Solovair outsoles are made of anti-slip PVC and have a cork cushioned middle layer. Naturally, the company only uses recyclable synthetics to keep the environmental impact to a minimum.

Solovair soles have more grooves hand-crafted into them than the average boot. This means that the soles of Solovair boots generally have incredible grip. This is great for those who walk long distances over rough ground, are on their feet all day, or have to take on the winter when it is snowing or icy!

 

Sizing:

Solovair accommodates for that necessary extra bit of comfort by running half sizes! So if you are not quite as small as a 4, but not big enough to fit into a 5 comfortably, you can grab a 4.5.

 

Pricing:

The potential downside of Solovair is the little extra you will pay compared to other shoes and boots. But remember, everything has its price and you really do get what you pay for!

It’s time to weigh up whether you will mind spending the extra money on a pair of boots that last longer and are comfier when worn all day, or if you would rather opt for a cheaper payment upfront, followed by shorter life span and an expensive resole process.

In the end, it is your money and it is completely up to you how you choose to spend it!

Our opinion is that sometimes, paying a little extra upfront gives you much higher quality, and will cost you much less in the long run.

 

Style:

Colouring:

Solovair’s colouring is subtle and classic.

The shoes and boots come in a range of colours that are easy to style with your wardrobe.

It should also be noted that Solovair’s muted stitching can allow for the boots to be worn with a formal or professional outfit.

This makes Solovair shoes and boots highly versatile.

Leather:

Besides the general colouring that could make or break your decision, there is also a difference in the appearance of the leather when compared with other boots and shoes on the market.

Solovair guarantees expert quality, craftsmanship and longevity in the leather of their shoes and boots. Each product is an incredibly refined and beautiful piece of handmade work, which supplies not only aesthetic pleasure, but extreme comfort to the wearer.

 

Conclusion:

We think that everyone should invest in a pair of Solovair boots or shoes.

You can guarantee durability, ease of repair and local British sourcing of materials with Solovair footwear.

You also know the brand origins are based in the UK and continue to be, and that they have been shoe experts for 140 years! The footwear produced as a result of this is of the utmost quality and style.

Solovairs look fantastic and can be worn for hours at a time with ease, and for a variety of activities, such as walking, work, or for a formal or professional occasion.

As noted, the option is there to properly size for your perfect fit with half size measurements, so that if you are slightly between sizes there will be a perfect pair for you.

You may decide to buy other boots or shoes for a slightly lower price, but few options offer the same substantial guarantees as Solovair. These shoes and boots will allow you longevity, versatility and style. They are an absolute joy to wear.