Mary Jane (shoe)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mary Jane is an American term for a kind of strap shoe that typically have low heels, rounded closed toes, and a buckled strap across the instep. They are often made of black patent leather, although some current incarnations can be in a wide array of colors and are also made of canvas or suede.

Traditionally Mary Janes are a variety of shoe worn mainly by girls, but historically have been worn by boys as well. In modern times they are worn by women of all ages, however, while Mary Janes may be considered formal for girls, they are considered informal when worn by women^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Etymology

Mary Jane was a character created by the Brown Shoe Company. Mary Jane would often tag along with Buster Brown, another marketing character by the Brown Shoe Company.

[edit] Mary Janes today

While the classic Mary Jane still retains its wide popularity and appeal, today's more stylish Mary Janes tend to be platform styles, with half-inch to one-inch soles and three- to five-inch "chunky heels", often with exaggerated grommets or buckles. These styles were especially popular in the United States in the late-1990s and early-2000s, within punk rock, psychobilly, and goth subcultures. Many times the wearers would accent the look with knee-high knit socks in dark-colored stripes or patterns and often complete the look with a plaid, pleated schoolgirl-style skirt.

Mary Janes are a popular part of Kinderwhore and Lolita fashion.

Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie has an ode to these soles on her debut solo album, The Dutchess.