While it’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when out-there trainer trends, including ballet and loafer sneakers, weren’t common place. Now, however, the trending styles are assuredly mainstream. Now, sporty footwear hybrids are cropping up everywhere. The latest mash-up to emerge? Mary Jane trainers.
Half French-girl classic, half running shoe, Mary Jane trainers are less egregious than the name suggests and it’s already reaping the endorsements of tastemakers. (See: Dua Lipa, who put her Puma ambassadorship to good use by road-testing the trainer conglomerate’s new Speedcat Ballet Flat while in Australia for her Radical Optimism World Tour.)
Despite its novelty, there is no denying we’ve become accustomed to fashion’s penchant for Frankenstein-like footwear. (That is, silhouettes that feel mashed together by a mad scientist in a bid for internet sensationalism.) There’s no doubt that Mary Jane trainers fall into the camp—as we know, searches for Mary Janes have rapidly increased over the past twelve months—but there is definitive proof that the Mary Jane trainer trend certainly has legs. (Pardon the pun).
Miu Miu helped herald in the rise of this style with the launch of its Tyre range. These sneakers were technical in form but boasted the softness of a ballet flat and finished with an elasticated strap that fastened across the foot. The ivory and cloud grey colourways arrived on the market at the right time as they immediately started selling out upon launch. The padded fabric and suede tip felt like a natural extension to the retro and contrast trainers iterated in previous seasons and signalled our appetite for unconventional shoes.
The collision between practicality and daintiness sums up the appeal of Mary Jane trainers and, on the heels of the blokette aesthetic and balletcore movement, feels like a prime time to emerge.
Huge brands are co-signing this too, from expensive-looking high-street options across Zara and Mango to bona fide athletic versions from Vans, Nike and Salomon. Adidas will be quick to follow their competitors too with the promise of a Mary Jane samba on the horizon. In the meantime, there are plenty of other versions to shop from the likes of Wales Bonner, Cecilie Bahnsen and Marni. See the best Mary Jane trainers, below.
