Mary Jane - the “mysterious” item lasting with time

 

The birth of the “ageless” shoes 

 

Appearing since the 19th century, Mary Jane shoes are familiar as girls' shoes, worn to school by girls. With a closed-toe design, a rounded toe cap and a cross strap to secure the foot, the shoe shape is exactly like a large version of a toy doll shoe. Their highlight is the soft, smooth leather material that feels extremely comfortable when moving without causing foot pain. And, the truth is that the name Mary Jane is taken from a famous cartoon character in the comic strip Buster Brown, used by The Brown Shoe company to name these shoes. Around the early 1920s, the Mary Jane shoe line for adult women appeared, dominating the North American fashion market at that time. The time when shoes really took the throne and became famous across continents was many decades later, when global fashion houses such as Dior and Yves Saint Laurent launched Mary Jane shoes with variations of their own style. 

 

 

Making “kindergarten” outfits trendy again

 

For a long time, Mary Jane shoes have always been loved and used by people in everyday life, until the first half of 2023, when these shoes suddenly flared up again as a new trend. Fashion brands compete to design new and unique Mary Jane models. Still the same classic design but with additions, variations, harmoniously alternating between classic and modern, Mary Jane shoes are constantly put on the catwalk during fashion weeks, most coming from famous fashion brands such as Prada or Chanel. Not only that, artists are also extremely fond of these “kindergarten” shoes, as paparazzi constantly catch Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa or Olivia Rodrigo appearing with Mary Jane shoes. Since then, the Mary Jane wave has rolled in and become more popular than ever.