Convertible Heel Reviews

Mossto Review – Praga Bootie Heels after 9 months

This is another non-sponsored review of convertible heels – today I’m focusing on the Mossto Praga booties (with the EQUAL style heel). I first heard about Mossto in October 2018, almost exactly a year ago. After a month of deliberation, I purchased the Praga booties from their European website in November, and received them in January of 2019. I wore them several times through the summer but now that the weather is getting a little cooler through autumn, I’m wearing them more often, and feel ready to talk about my experience with Mossto in depth.

I spoke with the owners of Mossto USA, Mike and Ike (really!) and they have agreed to create a generous discount code for my followers, so if you like the concept and designs that Mossto has to offer, use the code ILOVELUCY for 20% off.

Unboxing

Packaging is not a dealbreaker for me (I order a product for the product and not the box it comes in), but when the packaging is particularly cute, I do take notice – and Mossto’s packaging is super cute. The shoebox has a carrying strap that keeps the box securely closed when it’s being carried, and they include not only one but two bags of spare heel extensions (I’ll talk more about the extensions in a bit).

Named for Globetrotting

All of Mossto’s footwear are named after fashionable cities around the world. And specifically, I chose the style called Praga, which is an ankle boot made from power elastic and leather. I deliberated between Praga and Amsterdam, but in the end I chose Praga as it looked more comfortable at the back of the heel, having a small elastic insert by the Achilles tendon so it won’t cut into the skin. (I was so glad I went for it because the back of the heel is indeed comfy.)

The Praga shoe appears to be sold out / discontinued now, but the closest next design is called the Milano. I also love the look of the Milano, but I’m glad I went with the Praga as leather is easier to clean salt and mud off compared to the Milano’s suede – and every Canadian knows that the winter and spring is a messy time and our shoes need to keep up.

Courageous, Fashion-Forward Designs

There is a trend among convertible heels for sure — most brands tend to focus on black sandals and open toe designs, probably because:

they’re easier to fit (since you don’t have to worry about round toe vs pointed toe, you worry less about foot widths, you don’t have to worry about fitting a variety of instep heights, etc)
there’s less fabric usage, so less material costs (apart from the sole of the shoe, it’s just some straps on the ankle and straps across the toe, really — much less fabric than covering and supporting the entire upper foot, and no need for toe boxes, heel counters, etc).
Black sandals are generally a “safe” design as you’re not deviating too far from a fashion classic with trendy colorways and designs

So I love when brands like Mossto use their half-century of shoe making experience to design some brave, trendy and fashion-statement shoes and booties. I’ve been looking for close to 4 years for another pair of suitable leather kitten-heeled booties that I can use as my “run around” shoes in the autumn (ever since my last pair got eaten by the neighbor’s dog), and I think I’ve found them in these Praga shoes.

Heel Heights and Styles

Mossto has two heel heights. During research and development of their shoe, they mentioned that the two heights that were found to be the most adaptable for the sole of the shoe and the comfort of the wearers were 4cm (~1.5 inches) and 8cm (~3 inches). This is consistent with what other convertible heel brands have said of their own research.

The heels are made from a hard molded plastic, and the detachable heel extension has a magnetic shank that nestles inside of the bigger attached heel.

Mossto has accessory heels in their UP store, where you can purchase heels in many different colors (and even Swarovski embellished styles). They sell the caps / covers, which allow you to keep the 4cm heel, or you can purchase the 2cm heel extensions (NEO style only) if you want a little boost (giving a 6cm / 2.4″ total heel height), or the 4cm heel extensions for maximum added height (giving an 8cm/3″ total heel height).

Mossto also manufactures their shoes in 3 different heel shapes or styles.

EQUAL, which is a square stiletto with a very slight convex curve to the back
NEO, which is a bit more blocky with a wider base, and it’s shaped like a semicircle
EXCEPTION, which is a round delicate-looking stiletto (and probably my personal favorite, aesthetically speaking. It’s a shame that so few styles on the site feature this heel!)

The heel on my Praga is called the Equal heel. If you click on the listing of a particular shoe, for instance the Milano booties, you’ll see many different colorways, and depending on the color you choose, you might get either the Neo heel, the Equal, or the Exception.

Limitation in heel choice

Do note that the extensions for those heels are not interchangeable, so if you buy a shoe with an Equal heel base, it can only be worn with an Equal extension. So while these shoes are certainly adjustable in height (especially in the Neo, with the intermediate height heel) and in their color and design, Mossto doesn’t have the versatility of switching from a block heel, to stiletto, to kitten, or completely flat. It’s not a big issue to me, as you know I highly prefer stiletto over any other heel, but it is something to keep in mind if you want to maximize your versatility.

Price and Shipping Fees

I checked the Mossto site periodically and found that the Praga shoes were on clearance, marked from 144 Euros down to 86 Euros (which converts to about $94 USD). But shipping from Spain ended up being another 60 Euros, so I paid around $175 USD after conversion. It took over two months for the shoes to be delivered, and it was only after that point that I realized I could have ordered from their US location and saved myself so much time (not to mention possible savings in duty charges, as Canadians pay less importing from the US compared to Europe) but I’ll discuss more about the full ordering process below.

A Family Business

The owner of Mossto is Patricia Ruano, who thought of the idea of interchangeable heels in 2008 after an event (the same common song and dance about how high heels can be a literal pain after long work days or parties). And while there are many iterations of interchangeable heels, Patricia created a unique take on it by incorporating strong magnets. It took over 3 years for them to design, prototype and perfect the shoe, and they released their design for the first time at the end of 2011.

Patricia mentioned in an interview with Paso A Paso that she worked in a technology center, and due to the nature of her work, she had the resources and skills for research and development in this field. From what I understand of Mossto’s interview (please excuse any inaccuracies as my Spanish is not very strong), shoes are a family business for the Ruano family. Diego and José Vicente Ruano, Patricia’s brothers (?), worked in the shoe industry, learning from their father, who made shoes for some 45 years. Now they’ve continued the family business –applying modern technology to traditional techniques. They now operate Sanitipies and Prefabricados Ruano; researching, manufacturing and supplying different types of toe caps, heel counters, and soles depending on the needs of the shoe, the company who finishes these shoes, and the wearer — whether they require hard plastic, elastic, rubber, etc. The Ruano family are constantly trying new technological materials and textiles and pivoting according to the needs of the industry. For instance, they mentioned in the interview the need to pivot away from metal in shoes in response to Europe’s changing policies around wearing shoes through metal detectors in airport security.

Previously the family focused primarily on upper end men’s shoes –but now with Patricia, the Ruano family had the opportunity to use their respective skills and create something new in the women’s shoe industry, and from that came Mossto.

The Shoe in Detail – Materials

The sole is flexible but still supportive, and the insole is lightly cushioned for a comfortable walking experience. On the upper, power elastic panels are used strategically where the foot is known to flex in both the high heel and the low heel position, so it remains comfortable.

Quality leather is used around the toe and heel counter, and around the majority of the ankle cuff (except for an insert of elastic right at the Achilles tendon).

On the inside, the leather areas are lined in what feels like soft suede and microfiber. (The elastic panels are unlined so they retain their stretch and breathability.)

The soles don’t have tread, so I recommend lightly scuffing it for better grip on slippery terrains. However, the bottom of the heel caps and heel extensions both have a small amount of tread.

Ordering Process and Shipping Times

It took a little over two months for me to receive my boots, for a few different reasons (not all of them on Mossto’s part). The first is that apparently anything going in or out of Spain requires a DNI / NIF / NIE number (which from what I understand is an ID number that each Spanish citizen has). However, since I’m Canadian, I don’t have this kind of ID. This isn’t Mossto’s fault of course, but I wasn’t comfortable putting in something like my Passport number as that opens one up to identity theft. (This is the first reason that I recommend ordering from their US location instead)

Once I found a workaround for the ID, and the shoes were ordered and shipped, the Spanish border held the parcel for over a month and inspection was slow. And then when the parcel was finally released and shipped to Canada, the Canada Post system was in the middle of a rotating strike, which caused further delay! And it was only after I finally received my shoes in mid January that I realized that Mossto USA exists and I could’ve bought my shoes there instead! Live and learn. So if you’re in Europe, ordering from Spain might be easier; but if you’re in the US or Canada, definitely get your shoes from Mossto USA to avoid the high shipping fees and exporting complications.

Shoe Sizing and Fit

As mentioned in previous videos, I tend to wear 6.5 in North American shoes. My true shoe size is 6 Wide (sometimes 5.5) but I get by alright with size 7 most of the time since many brands don’t carry multiple widths or half-sizes. But my “non-standard” feet makes ordering shoes online (especially in European sizes) a bit of a gamble. So, do I go with 37 or 38? (I only found out this year that size 37 in French shoes are different from size 37 in Italian shoes!)

In this case, I ordered in size 37 (only because the size 38 was sold out in the Praga style). Since leather shoes have the ability to stretch and these booties have the elastic side panels, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. The length fits fine, but I find the width to be a bit narrow. I would probably have been okay with size 37 in the sandals, but because the Praga is completely closed-toe, they’re a bit more snug than I’d like them to be. Unfortunately, shipping from Canada to Spain for an exchange is not really an option, and I believe this style is now discontinued anyway. But I would have gone with the size 38” if I were to do it all over again. (Or, just ordered from their US site where they have North American shoe sizes. That’s my second reason for preferring their site.)

The fit definitely improved with breaking in, though — the fabric is elastic and hugs my foot nicely, and the only squeezy part is on my baby toe on my left foot where it’s leather (and there is a possibility that this can break in better over time).

I wish I had spoken more with their customer service prior to ordering, but their European site took a few days to get back to me for any question. Fortunately, the customer service livechat on their US site is very responsive, and they’ve quickly answered every question I had since then. (The third reason why I’d go with the US site for ordering instead.)

Heel security

I was mildly concerned that because the heels have no locking mechanism and nothing to snap together, that maybe the magnetic heels might not be very secure, but I was pleased to be proven wrong — the magnets are quite strong and they hold in securely.

There is no learning curve to these shoes, no tutorials needed — it’s absolutely an idiot-proof design. There is no possibility of putting the heels in the wrong way because of the way the shank is shaped. If I hit my heel on something, I can hear the heel extension shift slightly, but it’s never enough to dislodge the heel or make it feel insecure.

Quick Release as a Safety Design

One thing to note about the magnetic design is the easy release system: one time I was walking on cobblestones and my stiletto lodged in the soft mortar between two stones, which pulled the heel right out of my shoe. I noticed immediately as I took my next step, of course, and it was easily rectified — I just plucked my heel out of the ground and put it back in my shoe, and it didn’t happen again. However, I was able to speak with Mossto USA about this, and they commented that the easy release is by design — for instance, in a standard shoe, if you caught your heel in grating, your whole foot would become stuck, you would have to stoop down and dislodge yourself. At minimum, the heel might get scuffed or scratched, and the aesthetic finish of the entire shoe would be ruined. At worst, you might get your heel caught while crossing the street, which could be a safety hazard.

Whereas with the Mossto heel, they explain, when your heel is caught you’re not stuck — you can walk on and you have the option to discard that heel if it fell in a grate and use a new one (since they send an extra matching pair), and you can buy new heel extensions in a variety of colors, as mentioned above. Their accessory heels are the least expensive of any brand, starting at less than 10 Euros on sale in the European store, or $20 USD in the North American store. I hesitate in calling these heel extensions “semi-disposable” since that sounds wasteful (and also makes it sound like the heels are cheaply made), but they made the easy and quick release heels specifically in mind that accidents do happen, and you’ll be prepared if you ever become stuck. The design is not unlike a lizard that drops its tail when stuck in a sticky situation or caught by a predator!

Still, I would recommend you practice common sense, and if there are any ridiculous terrains that you wouldn’t normally wear stiletto heels like through muddy fields or in wet cement, don’t wear your Mossto shoes there either. 😉

Can you carry the magnets in your purse?

Now, is the magnet itself a concern? I admit, I will typically carry the heels in a different pocket and not in my purse next to my cell phone or credit cards, just in case there is a small chance that the magnets might affect their functionality, so I don’t fully know the answer to what happens if you throw the heels in your purse. But at the moment, I’ve had no real issues.

Would I recommend Mossto?

Mossto currently has other brands beat in a couple of ways: They have the largest selection of different styles and colorways of shoes (which makes up for the limitation of changing block heel to stiletto), and their heel-changing technology is the fastest and easiest to use, even if you have limited strength or mobility in your hands. While their shoe prices are middle-of-the-road in price and affordability, I appreciate that spare heels are the most affordable (if the neighbor’s dog had chewed up the Mossto heel like a spare rib the way she had chewed up my last bootie heels, I wouldn’t have to throw away the whole shoe but rather have just replaced the heels!).

Last I checked, the stock on their European site is relatively sparse if you wear size 37 / 38 like me, but their North American site seems well stocked at the moment. Check out their website if you like, and feel free to use the 20% discount code they made just for my followers: ILOVELUCY (works for all first-time orders).

Until next time,

~ Lucy

Mestrae Interchangeable Heels – Charlene impressions after nearly a year

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!

The Charlene is a shimmery bright red peep-toe sandal with 3.5″ stiletto heels.

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!

The Sophia is a rich, deep red satin open-toed sandal with a 3.5″ chunky heel.

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