Mary Janes

While the classic Mary Janes are the flat-soled, round-toed variety most often seen on little girls, high heels and pointed toes are also popular. In fact, one of the most famous styles of Mary Jane of all is Manolo Blahnik's black patent Mary Jane pump, with its high heel and pointed toe.

Mary Janes have been around for a long time, particularly in childrenswear. Although they're most often seen today on girls and women, variations on the Mary Jane style are also common in shoes designed for young boys.

Who Was Mary Jane?

Yes, there actually was a "Mary Jane" who gave this style of shoe its name. However, this Mary Jane wasn't a real person, but a mascot of the Brown Shoe Company. The makers of famous brands such as Dr Scholls and Naturalizer, and the company behind leading internet shoe store Shoes.com, Brown Shoe's most famous character was the legendary Buster Brown. He, along with his dog Tige, became the face of the shoe brand that shares his name.

Buster's sister, Mary Jane, was a lesser-known character when she was used in the advertising campaigns of the 1940s and 50s. But, her name is now connected to one of the most famous styles of footwear around, the Mary Jane shoe.

How to Wear Them

Because Mary Janes come in such a wide variety of heel heights, toe shapes and colors, they're designed to be worn with almost anything. The traditional flat-soled Mary Janes are most often worn as dress shoes when worn by children. When adults wear them, however, this style works best with more casual clothes.

High heeled Mary Janes can look fabulous with skirts and dresses, and can also look good peeping out from the bottom of a pair of pants. For many women, these shoes are an essential part of their office wardrobe, and the style is smart enough to see you through both a day at the office and an evening in the bar.

Mary Janes are also essential footwear for anyone interested in Lolita fashion. The Lolita look originated in Japan, and aims to mimic the doll-like look of children and young women from Victorian times. The overall look is cute and childlike, and its popularity amongst American and Japanese teenagers is perhaps one of the reasons for the rising popularity of Mary Janes for this age group. The shoes are also a key part of more mainstream fashion, however, and look great with jeans and a sweater for those days when you don't want to wear heels. In fact, there are even sneaker versions of the Mary Jane style–-you don't get much more versatile than that!

Different Styles

These days, Mary Janes have moved on from the round-toed children's shoes that made the style famous.

• We love these aubergine Mary Janes in soft kid suede from Zappos. The flower detailing on the strap is utra-feminine, while the slight heel gives the shoe a more grown-up, sophisticated look.
• If you're looking for running shoes, check out these pink Mary Janes from Sketchers, which mix Mary Jane style with a rubber sole.
• These leopard-print Mary Janes by Manolo Blahnik have high heels and are the ultimate in elegance and style!