Jane Winkworth is known internationally as the founder and designer behind the globally renowned brand, French Sole. Offering fashionable classic flat footwear for women of all ages, Jane is known as the Queen of the Ballet Flats. Her exquisite and unique range of traditional ballet flats in every conceivable shape, style and colour are instantly recognized as the only ballet shoe to be seen in.

Jane started out as a trained restorer and painter of fine art and porcelain, working for some of the world’s most influential collectors including London's Victoria and Albert Museum. During the 'swinging sixties', Jane lived in trendy Chelsea where she designed ballerina flatties for herself and her friends. Jane worked closely with Michael Gamba at Gamba Shoes and Annello and Davide in the Charing Cross Road to make unique handmade shoes from her designs.

By 1989 Jane saw a gap in the shoe market and anticipated that there would be a demand for the simple yet stylish little ballet style flats that she was so fond of wearing herself. Trips to France and Spain were spent buying up all the ballets she could find to bring home, to not only furnish her own shoe closet and those of her friends, but to form the basis of a unique mail order business selling only ballet style shoes - French Sole was born and the rest is history! As the founder of ballet flats Jane Winkworth continues to delight with her fabulous collections year after year and the brand goes from strength to strength.