Customer Reviews Mephisto Helen

Disappointed - I am very disappointed in Mephisto. The leather is tough and it makes a blister on my two big toes. The arch is wrong and I am sending them back. They are not manufactured in France any longer. Helen are made in Haiti. I have 5 pair of Helens and these do not come close to their comfort. I will not order them again.

At first these shoes felt great! I wore them for a couple of weeks and got lots of compliments. Then they started to hurt right under the buckle. It feels as if the buckle is bruising the top of my foot. I tried loosening it, but that doesn't change anything. The buckle just hits my foot wrong. So I'm going to have to give them to my daughter, sadly, because I loved the way they looked.

Helen - I previously wrote a review about this sandal and the fact that the thong piece is a killer. I still have the bruises to prove it. I have purchased the Birkenstock Tabora which is also a thong style and have been pleasantly surprised by the comfort. The footbed on the Birkenstock is not as good as the Mephisto though. To me the perfect sandal would be the Birkenstock upper with the Mephisto bottom which has a better fit and comfort.

Not for me (unfortunately)! I am on a quest for a really comfortable brown sandal that I can wear with jeans or skirts. I like the look of Helen, but not the pain! (I tried Hannel also, same problem.) I tried this one since so many of you raved about it. I have Plantar Fasciitis and high arches, and the Memphisto sole seems to be a good supportive shoe for that. But it's the top part -- so stiff, maybe I'm just a wimp. I've worn them on carpet for 2 days and the tops of my feet feel bruised (under the strap with the buckle). And I guess I just can't wear thong type shoes with anything between my toes. My feet must be extra sensitive. Also, I don't think my foot is very wide but the two smallest toes on each feet keep slipping over the outside lip of the shoe. These shoes are pretty heavy too. I wish I could wear them. But I can rave about Zappos - what a great web site, great selection, photos, and descriptions. And SUPERB service!

Don't buy if you have narrow toes - I love the look of this shoe, but it doesn't work if you have narrow toes. It keeps falling off my toes. I still struggle to wear them because I like them so much, but wouldn't recommend them.

Mephisto Helen - This shoe is comfortable, but only once you have really broken them in. I have a regular size foot and yet these still feel very narrow on my foot. My pinky toe tends to dangle off the side at times. My sister has a pair and this happens to her to. This is a cute shoe, but next time I'll go back to my Birkenstock!

Helen - I love the look of this sandal and find the footbed comfortable. The thong area is another story. It is stiff with sharp edges and I am keeping the band-aid companies in business because of the bruising caused by the digging into my feet. If I didn't love the way they look I would never wear them again.

Cool looking sandal - I liked the look of the sandal. I saw them on vacation and was not able to pick them up. Got them from Zappos. I have a wide foot and that was a concern regarding the inside strap of the toe. They hit me funny in that area. Look great and seem true to size as far as length. I wouldn't recommend them for people with wide feet.

Good footbed on this shoe - I love this style of shoe and this brand has excellent cushioning however it is stiff and the toe insert hurt my toe. I love the shoe but am returning it.It was a tight fit even with the buckle let out. I have a high instep but this caused a problem because it runs small.

Cost vs comfort - Although comfortable, your cost are are outrageous. I am disabled and money is very difficult to come by. If would be reasonable to at some point provide a discount or sale price at some point.

I bought these about 6 weeks ago. While the fit is excellent, it is taking forever for the leather to soften, and this is taking a great toll on my feet. I have had a succession of blisters between the toes and under the upper strap. Now looking for a different pair of sandals, this is enough punishment!

Pinched my toe - I have 3 other pairs of Mephistos in the same style, but this year’s yellow Helen was brutally flawed. The leather is too hard and pinches, especially the left toe- my toe on the top got a blister within 30 minutes of wearing (unfortunately outside so I could not return them). They are also harder and with less padding, less arch support than Mephistos generally has. All in all, a much lesser quality of shoe. I will hesitate before buying Mephistos again.

Proceed with caution if you have bunions. The strap over the toe hits me at precisely the wrong place on my left foot, which has the beginnings of a bunion. That was the second thing I noticed when I tried these on. The first was how supportive the foot beds were. I had never put on a shoe that felt like this -- almost like it was molded to my foot. And that's why I'm so disappointed to have to return them. After trying the shoes on and walking around the house for just a few minutes, I had to face up to it -- that the friction from that strap rubbing along my bunion would have caused a blister. It didn't appear that they would stretch in a way that would make that one shoe more comfortable so I just packed them up to return right away. Your mileage may vary, of course, even if you do have bunions. I had no problem with the right shoe during those few minutes of wearing. I don't really like the look (too hippie-ish), but I had only comfort in mind when I decided to try these.

Mephisto Helen - The top grain model that I purchased is stiff and caused multiple blisters across my instep, bruises and after three weeks of wearing them, they still hurt my feet. I don't think that I would ever purchase it again. A shoe that costs this much should not hurt your feet!

Sorely disappointed - I guess I have a wide foot, because they didn't suit me at all, had blisters all on the side and arch of my foot. The footbed was not comfortable, it scratched a lot. This is overall a great brand, so they are allowed a slip up every now and then.

Tan grain Mephisto Helen - Loved these shoes in nubuck, however the tan grain leather is uncomfortable between the toes even after wearing them several times to try to break them in. I do not recommend them in leather however highly recommend them in nubuck

WARNING: Changed buckles that break! Just got a pair to replace 8-yr old Helens I've worn (and loved) to death. The buckle BROKE OFF the 1st time I put the shoes on & was re-buckling the 1st strap on my right foot. My old buckle was metal. Never failed. New buckle = CHEAP PLASTIC. I'm crushed. BEWARE. P.S. I'm a wimpy couch-potato 125lb gal who doesn't lift weights...

Width - I bought these sandals and had to return them. I have a medium width foot and they were very narrow. Cute, Cute shoe--wish they ran a normal width.

Super sensitive skin - I got a pair of Black Helens yesterday; walked two miles. They were so comfy and I loved them until I developed a SEVERE case of hives on the upper part of both feet. I have very sensitive skin, and SOMETHING in these leather uppers must have irritated my skin. Sadly, I must return my shoes today, but wanted to warn other people with sensitive skin that there is a possibility these shoes will irritate you to the point of hives, too! :(