Today I’m doing a non-sponsored review for two different shoe styles by Mestrae, a company based in Malaysia. Check out the demonstration above or read more below (and see their Kickstarter Campaign if you want to grab your own shoes and bonus accessory heels for $84).
Mestrae is known as Asia’s first interchangeable heel brand. (While I’ve reviewed other convertible shoes from Asia, those had a single attached heel that was adjustable, as opposed to the Mestrae shoes which have 20 different heel options in different colors, heights, and styles.) Mestrae also has outlet locations in America and Spain, which makes shipping easier if you’re in the US or Europe.
One pretty interesting fact is that Mestrae used Dassault Systemes to design their interchangeable heels, which is the same as I use to digitally draft my clothing patterns! (So for some stupid reason I was really pleased about this and felt as though I already had something in common with Mestrae.)
Price
Mestrae’s shoes are not Walmart cheap (for good reason!), but they’re very inexpensive compared to other convertible heel brands — their prices start at about $130 US (which includes two heel heights, typically a 3.5″ stiletto or block heel, and a small heel cap for flats), and additional accessory heels can be purchased separately, starting at $30. Because I bought these in 2018 during a 30% off sale, my shoes were about $86 US instead. (Compare this to $250-$400 average price for other brands!)
Shipping & Duty
My shoes shipped by FedEx, and my import fees were only around $21 (as opposed to the $88 duty bill I got with my first set of convertible heels – but of course, the price of those shoes were 3x as much!). If you don’t live in Canada, the shipping and duty costs will obviously be different for you.
Colorway and Fabric Options
One thing that drew me to Mestrae’s site is how many different material options they offer. The ‘gold standard’ of shoe materials are typically suede and leather, which other convertible brands offer (sometimes exclusively, with just a few velvet options which aren’t practical for weather in Canada). Many of my viewers asked if there were any vegan options out there for convertible shoes, and Mestrae has the most non-leather options I’ve seen from any convertible shoe brand. The majority of their style options are made from polyurethane (synthetic PU “leather”) and genuine leather options are the minority.
This is also Mestrae’s second iteration of convertible heels – back in 2016 they launched their first line (Mestrae 1.0), and then during the summer of 2018 they made improvements to their design by coming out with Mestrae 2.0 which feature a more secure heel, more designs and styles, and a more intuitive way of changing the heels. This does mean that anyone who owns the 1.0 style shoes won’t fit the new heels, but it takes a lot of courage and ingenuity for a company to say that they need to take a step back, make improvements to their design, and relaunch.
The Charlene Shoe!
It took me a long time to decide which style of shoes I wanted, and I already own far too many black shoes, so I went with Charlene: a bright red peep-toe sandal. The red upper fabric is soft and allows me to flex my foot easily. It doesn’t blister my feet, and there’s a shimmer to the fabric that you don’t see on their product listing. (I’ve taken my fingernail and tried to scratch this off, and there is no glitter fallout; it’s more of a metallic thread woven into the fabric).
I also chose the Charlene because I prefer the look of a stiletto over a block heel (but Mestrae also offers chunky heel options, if that’s your thing). The Charlene shoe comes with a 3.5 inch stiletto heel, as well as a small cap to cover the flat heel when the stilettos aren’t being used.
Turnaround Time
As I mentioned, I bought my shoes during a sale, and due to the volume of orders, it took a few months to receive my order (I purchased them in mid-June and received them in September). According to their website, the usual turnaround time is 4-6 weeks for in-stock orders. However, the Mestrae team kept excellent communication with me the whole time through email and Whatsapp, explaining that the first batch of shoes didn’t meet quality control, and they would remake my shoes to proper specification. In the meantime, I had been wavering whether to get the size 6 or 7 (I normally wear 6.5 Wide, and ordering shoes online is always a bit of a gamble), so when they told me about the delay, I asked if I could change my order from size 6 to a 7, and they told me it would be no problem.
Accessory Heels
They also included some free block heels for the wait: the Goldie 3.5″ chunky heels (linked are the 2.5″ because the 3.5″ are sold out), which are gold glittery block heels, and Bonnie 2.5″ chunky heels which are more of a holographic silver. I once again tried to scratch at the finish with my nails, and while maybe 2-3 pieces of glitter fell away, it didn’t rain glitter — so these heels should be able to take some scuff. (I have used the glitter heels on a couple of occasions, but I much prefer the stiletto heel and wear that most often).
One good attention to detail about the heels is that the higher the heel, the more angled the top edge is cut — so the heel fits naturally with the shape of your foot and the block heel visually doesn’t stick out at an odd angle. The sole of the chunky heels and the heel caps have a bit of tread to prevent slippage, and although there’s a tiny bit of tread on the stiletto, it’s not too noticeable since the surface area is so small.
All of the heels for Mestrae 2.0 are completely interchangeable. In the video you’ll see me wear the Sophia heels on the Charlene shoe and vice versa — obviously the colors don’t match, but the heels fit just fine. So you’re welcome to mix and match as much as you like!
Because of the weight limitations of the first brand of convertible shoes I reviewed on Youtube, now I ask for weight restrictions for any of the shoes I buy. According to Mestrae, the shoes have passed rigorous testing by an independent footwear testing company, which reported that the chunky 2.5 inch heels have been tested up to 100kg (220 lbs), the 3.5 inch chunky heels have been tested up to 190kg (200 lbs), and the stilettos have been tested up to 75kg (165 lbs).
Changing the Heels
I’ve found that the heels are easy and intuitive to change — I can change my heels with one hand and while standing up. There is a wide, shallow latch on the sole of the shoe on the inner side of the heel, and when you press it, the lock slides away to release the heel. Releasing the latch, it’s spring loaded to automatically lock again. It doesn’t take a lot of strength to press the latch, but the lock will stay secure until the latch is deliberately pressed. The joining parts are metal so they shouldn’t snap off the way plastic parts might. (Some other interchangeable heel brands use plastic joints, or metal-to-plastic, and those will run the risk of wearing down or breaking over time).
Hiccups with the Charlene Stiletto
I fully admit that I did have a problem with the stiletto heel the second time I wore my Charlene shoes. The first time I wore my shoes, they were on carpet (inside) and then on a textured concrete so there was no slippage. The second time I wore my shoes, it was on glossy waxed hardwood and that’s when I noticed that the stiletto heel on one shoe wasn’t very secure; it slipped backwards a bit when I walked (so that the heel and the arch of the foot were angled away from one another). I emailed them about the problem, and the president and owner of the company, Pam, personally got in touch with me to rectify the situation. The Mestrae team asked me to send back my shoes so they could study the structural error and see what went wrong during manufacturing. They wished to put the shoe through more rigorous testing and see if they can build a better product through this experience. I mailed my shoes back to their US hub, and they sent me a replacement pair of shoes (more on that in the next section). What I didn’t expect was that after they found the source of the problem, they repaired my original Charlene shoes and returned them to me!
(Before you think I was receiving special treatment for my “internet status”, I didn’t mention that I have a Youtube channel, so I don’t believe that they gave me special treatment — I truly believe that they are proud of their product and want to prevent defects and make their shoes as good as they can be.)
The Sophia Shoe!
When Mestrae offered to replace my Charlene shoes with anything they had in stock in my size, I deliberated between the Thandie and the Sophia (they’re very similar except the Sophia is red satin and has a chunky heel, while the Thandie is black vegan leather with a stiletto heel). In the end I ended up going with Sophia (since, again, I have enough black shoes to last a lifetime!), and I was not disappointed. The deep red satin is lush, and I love the scalloped detail on the ankle. Some other clients of Mestrae have noted that the chunky heels can be heavy, and I tend to agree — I notice this less when I’m wearing the Charlene with a chunky heel, probably because it’s more fabric wrapping around the toes, but in an open-toed sandal like the Sophia I can definitely feel the difference in weight distribution between the block heel and the thin strap across the toes. However, it’s not so bad that it impedes walking (or dancing!).
The Soles
The soles are lightly padded and very comfortable to walk in, and they’re soft so that they adjust to the shape of your foot, whether you’re in high heels or low heels. As mentioned above, the chunky heels and the flat heel caps have tread, while the tread on the stiletto is negligible. The sole itself has no tread though, so you may want to scuff or score the bottoms before walking on slippery terrains.
Shoe Sizing
Converting from American to European sizes can be tricky, and I’ve always been wary if a size 7 shoe online translates to a 37 or 38 European because it makes all the difference. I’ve found that Mestrae’s sizes run slightly large, so if you wear a half shoe size like myself, you might be okay with going down in size. Personally I prefer my shoes to be a bit on the loose side and I’m glad I went with size 7 in the Charlene.
Being between sizes, I probably could have sized down in the Sophia and gone with size 6 instead of 7. Hindsight is 20/20 — the Charlene might have been trickier, again because there’s more fabric around the toe and I always need plenty of space around my toes, but with a sandal like Sophia, my toes have plenty of room, and the size 7 is quite long for my foot. I may consider adding gel insoles in both my Charlene and Sophia shoes, not because they need the extra cushion, but just to take up a bit of the extra space and make the fit a touch more snug.
Would I Recommend Mestrae?
I was already working on my review for these shoes when Mestrae launched a Kickstarter campaign to expand their designs, so the timing was perfect — at the moment you can get a pair of shoes and 4 different styles of heels for only $84 until September 17th. As mentioned at the top, this review is not sponsored at all — I purchased these shoes — and while there have been hiccups with the wait time and the stiletto security, their economic prices, their fabric and colorway selection, and most of all their warm and personalized customer service have impressed me.
I get tons of compliments on my Charlene shoes, and I’m almost certain that I’ll be a repeat customer in the future as they have so many different options to choose from. I just got engaged this year, and couldn’t help but notice that Mestrae released a bridal collection with lace and optional rhinestone embellishments, as well as a limited edition winter line with booties and more styles planned in the future — and with the four accessory heel options I already own from Mestrae, I know I’ll be covered no matter the weather, event, dress code, or terrain.
~ Lucy
Convertible Heel Reviews 