Buckle up

The humble Mary Jane shoes keep pace with fashion’s whims

March 22, 2013 08:05 pm | Updated 08:05 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Miu Miu.

Miu Miu.

“When I wear my Mary Jane’s shoes/ I can escape from a blues/ The whole world seems a little bit brighter, brighter/ My heavy steps get a little bit lighter, lighter… Wooh my Mary Jane’s.”

Not something you’d expect to hear from Fergie. The low-cut, inset strap shoes, flat or block-heeled, were named after the comic strip character that Richard Felton Outcault created for “Buster Brown” in 1902 (and not Peter Parker’s red-haired love, Mary Jane Watson).

The nerdy shoes, originally associated with school kids, later entered older wardrobes due to their inherent Lolita-esque vibe that also made them a part of punk culture. In fashion, Mary Jane shoes have found interpretations in labels like Fendi, Manolo Blahnik (the ‘Campari’) and Jimmy Choo (‘Kindle’) or even clean-with-shampoo-and-toothbrush Crocs. Mary Janes are also the shoes of choice for Flamenco dancers who can’t afford to fling their footwear onto unsuspecting spectators but still need the click-and-clack. Prada Autumn/ Winter 2012 was heavy on Mary Jane shows. The recently concluded Fall/ Winter 2013-14 shows, too, saw Mary Janes in several forms.

While golden-stap Mary Jane shoes worn under polka-dot dresses and over striped tights kept the nostalgia theme going at Miu Miu, at Anna Sui they kept pace with the patterned tights and burst of colour. They were simple at John Rocha, and Mary-Antoinette-goes-to-school at Moschino Cheap and Chic. At Rochas they came with inward sloping heels, while at Carven they came with tyre-tough soles. Dolce & Gabbana kept things flat and simple.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.