About Sole Mates
Happy feet, every step of the way.
We believe healthy feet are the foundation of a happy, active life.
At Sole Mates, we bring high-quality kids' and barefoot shoes for all ages, carefully selected for comfort, health and everyday adventure.
Foot Health First
Supporting natural growth and movement.
Trusted Quality
Premium brands imported from Germany.
A Perfect Fit
An intensive size guide to get the right fit.
For the Whole Family
Shoes for kids and adults alike.
Our Story
We’re delighted That you’ve found your way to us.
We are a family who took the plunge and moved to Mauritius – bringing our young children and lots of new ideas with us. In our new daily life, we soon noticed something: foot health, particularly for children, often doesn’t receive the attention here that we were used to back home. Many shoes may be pretty, but they aren’t necessarily functional or conducive to healthy development.
Over time, we felt a growing desire to make a difference. As parents, we know how important well-fitting, high-quality shoes are for children’s feet – and what a difference it can make when shoes not only look good but also provide proper support. We were particularly impressed by the concept of barefoot shoes, as they allow for a natural walking experience and strengthen the foot muscles.
It was this conviction that gave rise to the idea of setting up our own family business. We wanted to create a one-stop shop where parents could find high-quality children’s shoes – carefully selected, functional and tailored to the needs of growing feet. At the same time, it was important to us to offer barefoot shoes for all ages, to promote a new awareness of natural walking.
Today, our company stands for exactly that: quality, personalised advice and genuine conviction. We want to help families make the right choices for healthy feet – whilst also doing our bit to raise awareness of foot health in Mauritius.
The Hempel Family
Founders, Sole Mates
Our Story
We’re delighted That you’ve found your way to us.
We are a family who took the plunge and moved to Mauritius – bringing our young children and lots of new ideas with us. In our new daily life, we soon noticed something: foot health, particularly for children, often doesn’t receive the attention here that we were used to back home. Many shoes may be pretty, but they aren’t necessarily functional or conducive to healthy development.
Over time, we felt a growing desire to make a difference. As parents, we know how important well-fitting, high-quality shoes are for children’s feet – and what a difference it can make when shoes not only look good but also provide proper support. We were particularly impressed by the concept of barefoot shoes, as they allow for a natural walking experience and strengthen the foot muscles.
It was this conviction that gave rise to the idea of setting up our own family business. We wanted to create a one-stop shop where parents could find high-quality children’s shoes – carefully selected, functional and tailored to the needs of growing feet. At the same time, it was important to us to offer barefoot shoes for all ages, to promote a new awareness of natural walking.
Today, our company stands for exactly that: quality, personalised advice and genuine conviction. We want to help families make the right choices for healthy feet – whilst also doing our bit to raise awareness of foot health in Mauritius.
The Hempel Family
Founders, Sole Mates
Our Values
What We Stand For
Natural Movement
We champion barefoot principles for healthier, happier feet.
Quality & Safety
We offer only trusted brands, made with care and high standards.
Honest Guidance
We help with sizing, fitting and advice, so you know you're getting it right.
Family Focused
We're parents too.
We get it.
Global Responsibility
Proudly serving our Mauritian community, with ethics and values.
Our Brands
The Truth in the Soles
Children's feet develop best when they walk barefoot, as this provides optimal training for motor skills, sensory perception, and foot muscles. At home or on soft surfaces, socks or soft crawling shoes are sufficient to protect the feet without restricting natural movement.
The first proper shoes are usually needed between the ages of 1 and 2 to protect children's feet from external influences such as heat, moisture, dirt, etc. It is recommended that the first shoes should only be purchased and worn when children have been able to walk freely and confidently for at least 6 weeks!
As a general rule, the shoe should be at least 1.2 cm longer than the foot in the toe box (to allow for rolling motion and growth!).
Ricosta
We source our children's shoes from “Ricosta,” a manufacturer of conventional children's shoes for both beginners (“Pepino”) and confident walkers (“Ricosta”), as well as barefoot shoes (“qnuffs”) and school shoes.
“Ricosta” is a widely available, high-quality shoe brand in Germany that offers excellent quality.
Leguano
Our barefoot shoes come from a renowned leading barefoot shoe manufacturer in Germany, the company “Leguano”.