Customer Reviews Mephisto Helen

Buyer beware! Mephisto has changed the style of this old timer. I have worn this shoe for years and the 2013 model is narrower than last year. My little toe rubs on the side and this was not the case in the same shoe & same size as last year. They have increased the length so now they are too long and made them more narrow in the toe area. I think Mephisto is trying to be more fashion conscious or it is a ploy to get people to buy the not so popular Helen Plus. If anyone from Mephisto is reading this review -- please go back to making Helen a true medium.

Color was grey as compared to the same color I have had in two previous pairs. Also, the leather was thinner and stretched more than previous pairs. Otherwise, excellent comfort.

I have owned several pairs of these sandals and have loved them. I bought the nubuck ones thinking that they would be softer than the leather ones - but I was wrong. They cut up my feet in several different places. The arch support is great but they really have to be worn in before the top part feels great too.

My shoe size is 11.5 but slightly wide (C width), and I usually wear a 12. After reading somewhere that these shoes run a size small I ordered the 13 (euro 43) to play it safe. Not only did I find these shoes to be narrow but the 13 was slightly too short for my 11.5 foot! Disappointing as I love the look and features. They seem beautifully made with lots of support.

I have wide feet so I was able to adjust the strap and they were way more comfortable. Not the sexiest shoe but good, steady casual shoes. Living in NYC, I walk a lot. Happy I found these shoes.

I bought these hoping they would be a more elegant alternative to my high arch Birkenstocks, which are miracle cures for plantar fasciitis and great for my arthritic toes but really ugly. The arches of these Helens are not as high as those of the high arch Birks (they are comparable to a regular Birkenstock, I feel) and unlike Birkenstocks, which are flat, these sandals have a heel that is somewhat raised. I found that this made my foot slide forward and press down uncomfortably on the strap between my toes. Sadly, I am returning these sandals.

I like the style of this shoe, but the strap rubbed the inside of my foot and I could tell a blister would easily appear had I worn the shoe to walk any distance (I just tested it around the inside of my house). The arch support was great, I normally wear a US size 8, I ordered a 38 and the size was perfect.

I bought these sandals on the premise that they were comfortable. I have had them for a few weeks now and I do not find them comfortable at all. My rubber flip flops are more comfortable. I hope they get better broken in. For the price I expected more.

So narrow in the toe area! I bought these and loved them right up until I took my first step in them and realized that my toes had to cramp together in order to stay on the platform. The sandal was plenty long enough, just not wide enough -- and only too narrow in the toe area. Very odd. I've never had this problem before. I would have gone to a "wide" (which I have never done before) but these come in only one width. It's such a shame because the design is great. The toe strap so much nicer than the thongs Birkenstock makes. But, alas, I have had to return these and get the Birkenstock Gizeh instead. In a dress shoe, I might have just sucked it up, but the point of these kinds of sandals is that your foot has a healthy, natural footbed and the toe cramping was a deal-breaker. Zappos has the best service ever, by the way!

I purchased these sandals because I have them in a gold croc pattern and have worn them for years. Unfortunately the silver cobra will be given to charity. It is a great sandal that goes with everything and has a good footbed. However, I have worn them about ten times and the leather has stretched so much I can't keep them on my feet. I have put extra holes in the strap and can't go any further. I don't know what the difference is between my previous pair and these. It's a very expensive sandal to wear for only two months!

This shoe was slightly smaller (shorter and narrower) than the black one of the same size that was part of my order.

I have the black patent Helen and love them. Just got the dark brown scratch leather and they are just that. The inside of the leather straps are rough and scratchy. They are not comfortable like the patent. I will be returning them!

I love these shoes! But, alas, I have such a hard time finding the right fit in sandals for my super narrow fit and long toes. I usually wear 9 in sandals but my toes were a bit over the edge. Also, I wish the straps over the front of my foot were adjustable, and not just the one near my ankle. I'm sure a size 10 would be too big and there is no 9.5.

Very cute shoe. The fit was good and the shoe was comfortable and cushy! However, the part between the toes was too scratchy for me and hurt my foot. I will be returning these. Not worth the money for me! Sending them back!

I've worn these three times now and have gotten the worst blisters. They are stiff to the point of hurting. Will they ever soften? I hope because they look good.

This is a beautiful sandal but I'm returning it. I found it to be too narrow in the instep. And my feet are on the narrow side of medium. Since the footbed is raised on the edges, the outside of my foot hit that edge and felt a little too uncomfortable. Also, my toes are perhaps too long and I could position the thong comfortably enough. Darn!

I loved the style of this shoe, but after wearing it for only 3 weeks, the shoe broke at the buckle.

Although I love Mephisto sandals due to the nature of the leather (floppy) in this sandal, I returned it. I want to be able to slip into a sandal, not have to bend down to pick up the thongs so I can insert my foot. I will order another Mephisto in a stiffer leather.

I bought these in the silver snakeskin colour. I really like the way the bottom feels, however, there is way too much space in the sandal (I have fairly narrow feet) so I have to grip with my toes to prevent the sandal from coming off. It's not comfortable! If it weren't for that, they would be very comfortable.

This is very comfortable at first but if you want to walk a long day, it is tiring like any other thong that make your toes grab to keep your shoes on. I have had Mephisto sandals that I liked so much they plumb wore out, and others that were very good and I liked a lot. These, I gave up wearing despite the wasting the high cost of Mephistos.

I tried this sandal in the store to see if my toes would fit and they barely did, with lots of room in the rest of the shoe. What stopped me from ordering these sandals in the color I liked was the fact that the bottom of the sandal was very rigid and prevented me from walking with a normal toe-flexing gait. They did not really "roll" at all and allow me to bend my knees while walking. This seemed strange to me because nobody mentioned this in any of the reviews I read (did not read all 700+, only a couple hundred) so hey, maybe it's just me! I'm glad so many others do find comfort in these sandals!

I wanted to love it after reading countless positive reviews on it. But after wearing it around the house, the leather on the big toe area irritated my skin.

I bought two of these sandals, one in gold, one in black patent. The shoe comfort was good overall however the black patent was stiff and I had blisters at top of foot after wearing them only 2 hours. The gold sandal gave me no issues after a full day of wear. Arch support is very good for plantar fasciitis sufferers.

Sadly, this shoe was too narrow for my foot. I wear a M width, but my foot overhung and the strap wouldn't buckle loose enough. Can't figure it out but I had to return the shoe. Nice looking shoe and I wish it had fit.

Shoes are well constructed with good arch support, but a major flaw is that the underside of the leather is so rough that I couldn't wear them without cutting my feet. Had to take them to a shoemaker to rectify it.