Are Mephisto shoes worth the price?

March 3, 2005 8:32 PM

I'm a man with big feet (usually size 14 U.S., size 48 European, extra-wide), and consequently have a really hard time finding good shoes that fit me. I've heard great things about Mephisto shoes, but have been wondering if they're really worth the price.

I've been buying Ecco shoes for the past ten years or so, but recently they've stopped making them in my size in styles that I like, and, besides, they wear out after less than two years. They're about half the price of Mephistos (about $170 vs. about $350), but I've heard Mephistos last longer and can easily be refurbished. If I can keep a pair of Mephistos for eight years, say, it'll be worth the extra cost.

Does anyone have experience with Mephisto shoes? Are they worth the seemingly-outrageous cost?

posted by cerebus19 to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

I've got a pair of Mephisto loafers that I really like, but I didn't pay anywhere _near_ that amount for them. I'm certain I paid less than $125 for the pair, and almost certainly closer to $90 or so. Who knows...I may have just bought shoes from a totally different, lower-cost line of theirs.

That being said, I've got very wide feet, and they're great shoes. Without a doubt, they are the most comfortable shoes I've got if I've got to stand around a lot over the course of a day.
posted by LairBob at 8:44 PM on March 3, 2005

I have a 14 year old pair of Ecco's that I still wear; I second your dismay.

I also blanched at the $350 price tag on my black Mephisto oxfords. Now that I've worn them every day for the past 6 months, though, I'd gladly buy them again tomorrow. I'd probably buy them if they were $700. They're perfect.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:56 PM on March 3, 2005

I also take a size 14 or 15, width 4E, and I weigh over 400 pounds, so I'm pretty tough on shoes. I've been very happy with a New Balance #975 walking shoe lately; I wear it everywhere. You can find these online for about $75.

My wife is also fat and has serious foot problems, and she won't wear anything but New Balance. Also (it says here), NB don't use sweatshop labour and they pay a fair wage. Alas, you won't get anything like eight years out of these shoes; more like a year.

Hope that's another useful datum for you.
posted by rwhe at 9:08 PM on March 3, 2005

Hmm..

I had a pair of Mephistos once. I was at the stage of discomfort when you're prepared to try orthotics, this, that, everything. They totally sucked and fell apart faster than I would have expected.

If I recall correctly, New Balance saved the day.

When I bought my first pair, they were quite expensive. Now they make two lines it seems, and I haven't quite figured out what's going on with the division between the $75ish and the $125ish.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 9:25 PM on March 3, 2005

I have several pairs of Mephisto shoes that I wear on a rotating basis. I couldn't be happier - they look good, feel great, and have lasted a very long time.
posted by ctdean at 9:34 PM on March 3, 2005

I bought the 975s for $125ish in a New Balance retail store in Seattle. Googling them found them for less than $75, however. Could discounting be some of the difference?

I recommend buying online if you know what you want, because a broader variety of sizes is available. (I had to settle for size 14 from the storefront, when 15 would have been a skootch better for my right foot.)
posted by rwhe at 9:35 PM on March 3, 2005

Thanks for all the advice. Before I wore Ecco regularly, I used to wear New Balance. They were pretty good, but, at least at that time, they didn't make any shoes in my size that I liked that were dressier than sneakers. I like a good pair of sneakers for working out, but the rest of the time I like to wear a kind of dressy casual shoe that doesn't look out of place shopping at the grocery store or with my business-casual slacks at work.

The New Balance 975 looks like a great shoe, but it's too casual for me to wear to work. Does New Balance make anything good in a dressier style?
posted by cerebus19 at 9:42 PM on March 3, 2005

eh?
posted by Jack Karaoke at 9:51 PM on March 3, 2005

Mephisto don't last. My partner got a pair for office wear, and they were shot after a year. He didn't hike in them.

We gotten far better wear from Thom McAnn (sp?) we've bought at Kmart! I get those because they fit my wide feet (my partner gets them on business trips to the States, and the same size has always fit). Mind, the ones we get are rather casual.
posted by Goofyy at 10:15 PM on March 3, 2005

I love my Mephisto hiking boots. My dad wears Mephistos for his wide feet and really likes them. I don't know that there's a "right" answer here though - you're just going to get lots of feedback for how they work for others, but it's such an individual thing...
posted by judith at 10:34 PM on March 3, 2005

I have never regretted any amount paid for shoes -- as long as they fit. Any shoe that does not fit comfortably at the moment I first try it on I have learned to reject -- having flat feet and following this policy means I might go for very long periods searching for a shoe that meets a particular need. My foray into Mephistos was short lived when I bought a pair without following these rules -- they did not work for my feet.

For dress/casual wear, you might want to look at Allen Edmonds. All kinds of sizes have they.
posted by Dick Paris at 5:08 AM on March 4, 2005

I have to second the New Balance. I have 15 4e feet, and for years only wore canvas Converse. I got some heel spurs, and my doc recommended the NB. I haven't had a problem since.

I really like the 925's, in black or brown they look "normal" shoes, and the sizes go up to 16 6e.
posted by Marky at 5:31 AM on March 4, 2005

14 narrow here. I love my Rockport wingtips--dressy enough to wear with my tux, yet are as comfortable as sneakers (really). Their selection is somewhat limited, but their site has a very useful search by available size feature.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:48 AM on March 4, 2005

How about refurbishing Mephistos--i.e., resoling, restitching, or the like? Anyone here with Mephistos tried getting them refurbished?

If so: How much did it cost, how long did it take, and by how much did it extend the life of the shoes?

Thanks!
posted by cerebus19 at 9:02 AM on March 4, 2005

I had a pair of mephisto light hiking boots that I bought 10 years ago in nyc that were the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn. The bottom of my feet would ache so bad after a few blocks that I would want to cry. They looked freakin awesome though. I still get compliments on them.

That said, my dad had a pair of mephisto wingtips he loved.

I second new balance.
posted by vronsky at 10:39 AM on March 4, 2005

My husband has a size 14 4e foot (he's also very overweight) and New Balance are the only shoes he wears now. He has five or six pairs (he's the stylish one!) that he rotates daily and he gets about a years wear out of each pair.

In the past he's tried Docs, Havana Joes, Clarks, Rockports... just about everything, but NB offer the most comfort and durability. I think they're normally between $75-$100 but they don't make true dress shoes. He does have the pair that Jack Karoke linked to above and they look nice with almost everything.
posted by Mamapotomus at 10:49 AM on March 4, 2005

I'm not sure where you live, but I just discovered this great shoe store in NY called Eneslow. I highly recommend it. They specialize in foot comfort and shoes for people with foot problems. The sales people are well trained (they measure both feet, etc.) and there's even a doctor and custom department on the premises. The website looks pretty thorough as well, there's an "Ask The Pedorthist" form on there if you can't get to the store. And check the tips page too. I bought a pair of stylish Dunham's there that I love.

Also, having had ACL surgery recently, my physical therapist told me you shouldn't wear shoes past nine months (of course, depending on how much you wear them). After that, they can start messing with your body's alignment. I generally wear shoes until my socks get wet, but this advice helped me rationalize my shoe-buying fetish.
posted by hellbient at 11:45 AM on March 4, 2005