Mephisto Sydel Women's Sandal Review

The Mephisto Manifesto

Over the many years of playing my part in the shoe world I have truly enjoyed the various mispronunciations of many brand names. One of my favorites is when folks call the brand Mephisto: “Manifestos”. I have often been asked if we “carry Manifestos” and I always smile and say “...of course we carry the manifesto of comfort”. It doesn't really matter what you call them when you are after this level of comfort and quality. If a shoe brand were ever the metaphor for a manifesto of comfort it would have to be a pair of Mephistos.

Each pair of Mephistos is made with incredible attention to quality. The leathers are gorgeous top grains and the stitching is often done by hand. Each pair can take over a month to make. The last or shape of their shoes is considered anatomically correct and the arch support is really quite lovely. I feel that the sandals this company makes are truly exceptional and of course I have a pair.

My most cherished pair of Mephisto's are my Sydel Sandals.  Two svelte straps of soft white patent leather adorned with rhinestone buckles hold my feet to the loveliest soft lined footbed with a perfect fitting heel cup. A long smooth line of arch support, a gentle bump of support at the metatarsal arch and a toe bar that offers a little grip for these open backed strappy slides make them a dream to wear. This pair of sandals seem so basic in their styling that they often go unnoticed sitting on a display table or in ones closet but the moment I slide my feet into them everyone exclaims “...oooh what cute shoes you have on...where did you get them?...I bet they just go with everything!” . They make me feel like a shoe-lebrity or princess twinkle toes. With a great pedicure I can wear these little dreamboats to the dressiest of events. I might add that patent leather is the way to go with white as it is so easy to keep clean. I have had these sandals for years and the white is still pristine. Thank you Mephisto for making comfort a manifesto to live by.

Head to your local Mephisto retailer to find a pair of Mephistos best suited to your foot.  If you can't find a local Mephisto dealer in your area, check out Zappos, ShoeBuy or Online Shoes.

Fitting Notes:

Mephisto sandals come in European sizing and do seem to run a bit generous. They fit medium to wide feet well but the styles with adjustable straps are friendly to narrower and/or low volume feet as well. Mephisto makes many styles of footwear using various sizing systems so there should be a pair out there with your name on them and I am happy to help with your specific foot and the styles you are interested in. Also, many of their styles come with removable footbeds to accommodate orthoses.