Customer Reviews Mephisto Helen

I have worn this style/model shoe forever... this is at least my 6th pair (I wear them year round, pretty much every day). I have a very high arch and always loved the pronounced support. But I am disappointed that the arch support in this shoe I just purchased seems to be less robust than prior. I wonder if they are changing the specs, or if manufacturing quality is changing. Also, I need a 40EU/10US, though in most other shoes I wear a 9.

Even though I gave the Helens (I bought the Desert Buffalo and Black Waxy) only four stars overall, they are the top of the line for comfort sandals. The four stars are because (1) they are very expensive; (2) they roll my feet slightly to the outside; and (3) the toe-hole caused blisters to the top of my big toe until I could get the leather softened enough (I finally had to take a nail file to the bottom edge of the leather of the toe-hole). However, negatives aside, the arch support is excellent (I have very high arches, and the Helen fits them perfectly). Other than the blister mentioned above, they are incredibly comfortable to stand in or walk in for long periods of time. And while their style is definitely a cut above the standard aging hippie Birkenstock look, the Helens still appear a little... searching for the right word... non-urban. But their comfort level trumps their looks when you're going to be moving your feet. Last, but not least... I'm short, so I love that the Helens add a safe extra 1-1/2 inches to my height! Felicia Rose Levitt, author of The Road to Aradell (a Sexy Complicated Love Story).

Ordered on Memorial Day, received them the next day. Love the look and they feel like a dream except there is a problem. I have a medium-sized bunion on my right foot. It isn't usually an issue. The strap on the Helen hits just at the top of the bunion. After wearing around the house for 30 minutes the leather is already digging into my foot. I have med to wide width foot. Wide width shoes are too wide, but if you ask me, my feet look a little like Fred Flintstone's. I really hate to return the sandals, but I fear if I do any serious walking the strap will start to cut into my foot. Hard to rate since I feel the shoe is terrific. It doesn't ' work for my right foot.

Love this sandal, the only problem I had was it cut into my toes. Hopefully will soften up in time, in the meantime I will wear a band aid for cushion. They also ran a little narrow for me but will get used to them. A size larger would be too big. Good arch support, I have plantar fasciitis so they were good for me. Love the casual style. Cute with jeans or casual skirts and capris.

This shoe is absolutely adorable! I ordered the snakeskin print and it is extremely fashionable. I am 21 years old and would wear these anywhere. They were too narrow for my foot though. I have a wide toe-box area and I definitely see my pinky toe falling off the edge. That just doesn't look good! I didn't realize that the Helen Plus shoe is the same shoe but in a wide. I've ordered that so I hope it works! I just wish Mephisto made the Helen Plus in a cute pattern like snakeskin.

These sandals are very comfortable, stylish, and versatile to wear. I can wear them with shorts for a casual look or wear them with a summer dress for all-day city touring. If these came in other interesting colors, I may buy another pair.

This is a very comfortable sandal; however, it is rather heavy on the foot and doesn't flex much. I really like them if I'm doing a lot of standing with only a little walking (good support and soft foot bed), but if I do too much walking, I get a blister on the top of my foot by the strap and I find the shoe to be a bit "clunky". I like the way they look with a casual skirt. Order a full size larger than you normally wear!

I just bought this sandal and it is so comfortable. I am a 7 1/2 B and a 7 fits perfectly. I have painful heels and this is just wonderful. I have not hiked the mountains with them, but I feel I could wear them forever. Worth the money.

Cathie - I have very long toes and thought that the ridge would pose a problem. Not so. The only problem I have with the Helen is that the buckle and subsequent strap has brused the top of my right foot. There does not seem to be enough "give" in the sole to prevent this. Other than that, the arch support is phenominal, which is the main reason I bought a Mephisto shoe. I give you 5 stars for arch support. Love the style - it's casual and also somewhat dressy.

Fit and size were perfect, just like my old beloved Mephistos, but the leather on these is really stiff and sharp and I didn't want to have to see if I could "break them in." I am returning them.

This would have been my fourth pair of these shoes. I live in them in the summer. But the price hike to $160 gave me pause. And then I ordered them anyway, knowing it was time to retire my older pairs. And they arrive. And there is a new "feature." A HUGE, like 20-point font-huge, MEPHISTO log on the side. I have to return them. I may be shooting myself in the foot because the shoes are comfortable, and I am at a point in my life where comfort trumps fashion, but I cannot be a walking billboard for Mephisto without someone paying ME $160 an hour to wear them. Seriously. Sad.

I received a dirty/worn pair with no box, no tags, no packing material. Hair was stuck on the heel cup, dirt on the bottom and dirty toe marks embedded on the footbed. These were just thrown in an Amazon box. Unacceptable for expensive shoes! I have been a Zappos customer for many, many years. I need to consider another retailer now. Im assuming the merge with Amazon is now causing quality control issues. Aside from that bs, these are very cute sandals and look well made. I sized up 1/2 size and that appears to be the right size for me. Im a solid 8.5 and the 39/9 is the correct size. I returned these and ordered from another retailer.

I wish these sandals felt better on my feet when walking. They are so cute and the footbed felt wonderful initially l - but - when walking the footbed seemed too stiff and the leather was stiff between the toe. It was quite uncomfortable. I really wanted them but can't keep them- ugh!

So cute but more like 1.5 sizes too small and narrow.

Lovely look but the Buffalo leather used in the Helen is unforgivingly rigid. Walked 10 feet over carpet and realized these were a no-go. Re-ordered in a larger size in same leather and a nubuck and again, the fit was painful. Though about saddle-soaping the heck out of them, but as there is no guarantee the leathers would have softened, I decided to return instead. I have a pair of Mephisto Zachs in the same leather and the hide in those is supple and very comfortable. As usual, Zappos offers/offered stellar service!

Loved the color and style! However, the sole and leather strap was extremely stiff. They also seemed narrow. Shoes were too expensive to take a chance that they would break in enough to be comfortable. Returning

THis stiff leather felt painful on the tops of my toes. I am exchanging them for nubuck leather

My last pair of Mephisto sandals with the tan leather are still comfortable. I bought the Helen for the black straps. While the footbed gives tremendous support, just like my original Mephistos, the black straps have stretched so much that I must curl my toes to keep the sandals on my foot. This stretching occurred after only a few months. I would not recommend this sandal.

The fit is very good, but they do not feel like the previously made Helen. They are very attractive, but I will be sending them back because they are not giving the support I expected since I owned several pairs of the old style. Mephisto quality has decreased tremendously as the are making more attractive shoes.

I was really disappointed in how stiff the shoes were. I ordered a similar pair from Naot and loved how soft and supple the leather was on them but I preferred the footbed on the Mephisto. I wore them several times to try to break them in and finally decided to keep the Mephisto but just wished they used a softer leather. I wear these mainly inside the house because I don’t feel comfortable enough to wear them outside since they are still pretty stiff

I found these extremely uncomfortable, especially between the toes. Also, the "blue" color is a weird metallic...not what I was expecting at all. :-(

If you have a wider foot a bunions this is not the shoe for you. Even tried sizing up and I was still hitting the edge lip of the foot bed. Too bad because the actual feel of the foot bed and arch support were great. Only wish they had the shoe in a wide.

Tried a pair of foot petals for this sandal but they didn't help. Want this pair but can't afford to try to break in the style.

I love this brand and this style however the leather that this sandal is made of is very stiff and uncomfortable. Another minus is the white footbed....really? I sent them back and ordered another in a different color and material.

Fit and size true. Great arch support. But, I have to say, these sandals are very hard to break in. They are stiff and unyielding when walking; very uncomfortable. They aren't what I'd hoped, especially for the price and reviews, BUT, keeping them and wearing them a bit every day in attempt to make them pliant. Hoping it works.