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Not quite a loafer, not quite a sandal, the Mary Jane is an enigma of a shoe that might just be about to have its big moment.
Yes, you probably remember Mary Jane from your elementary school days. But that doesn’t mean they should be left there. The T-shaped-fastener shoe has been backed by the likes of Harry Styles, Tyler, the Creator, and Bella Hadid, who just took some monster Mary Jane boots out to watch the Balenciaga couture show.
With famous faces introducing Mary Janes to red carpets last year, labels are now listening to this demand for more diverse footwear choices for men and they’re popping up in stores everywhere — and not only at the hands of Gucci.
The latest offering in the ongoing Telfar x Converse partnership, for example, comes in the form of a Mary Jane Pro Leather sneaker/ballet flat. That’s major for the MJ. And it’s mainstream.
All of the above points to Mary Jane shoes becoming way more appreciated this summer. As such, we put together a list of some of the season’s best options. Highsnobiety editors around the world added their two cents on the shoe of the moment.
Thom Bettridge, Editor-in-Chief: “This is the most masc of the Mary Janes in attendance. It’s a Murray Jane.”
Malaika Crawford, Market Editor: “There are tragic elements to this shoe, but I actually love them. It’s very gigolo, very ’70s.”
Corey Stokes, Fashion Director: “These are for a grown man.”
Thom: “This page is really making me want to buy things. It’s working.”
Malaika: “Very Scandinavian, and maybe not for everyone.”
Thom: “If Birkenstocks are like trying a joint for the first time, these are like taking DMT.”
Malaika: “These are a very traditional English take.”
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