Mephisto: sandals and comfortable shoes for women
The sandal is the most widely represented category on this page: it is the open shoe that fastens with one or more buckles or with an adjustable strap, and the adjustment is there to take up the swelling of the foot on hot days, not only to set the size. Alongside the sandals the grid brings together low-top sneakers, slip-ons, loafers and ankle boots. The larger part of the selection is for women, with a few men's pieces among the suede sneakers.
The soles almost always have a rubber thickness and a low heel with a wide base. That geometry matters more than it seems: a wide heel spreads the weight over a larger surface and reduces the sideways movement of the ankle, which is why a shoe of this kind can be worn for many hours without tiring the foot. The last is generous across the forefoot, so anyone with a high instep or a broad toe area finds more room here than in a narrow-fitting shoe.
Leather and suede are the two dominant materials and they ask for different care. Smooth leather should be fed with a neutral cream two or three times a season and takes occasional rain well. Suede is always brushed dry, with a brass or rubber bristle brush, and protected with a water-repellent spray before the first wear: if it gets wet, let it dry away from any heat source and brush it only once it is completely dry, to lift the nap again.
On sizing it is worth remembering that a sandal with a strap adapts to several widths, while a closed leather shoe calls for more precision: anyone halfway between two sizes is better off with the smaller one in a closed shoe and with the larger one in a sandal. To compare the offer beyond a single brand there are the category pages: sandals for women and loafers for women.
