What a mary jane is, and when it makes sense
A mary jane is the low, closed shoe with a strap running across the instep. That strap is not decoration: it is what holds the foot inside the shoe without having to grip at the toes, and it is why a mary jane stays put where a ballet flat tends to slip off mid-step. The version on this page is flat, with a one-centimetre heel, a tapered toe and a herringbone fabric upper with velvet inserts.
Fabric behaves differently from leather. Herringbone — the fishbone weave produced by alternating the direction of the twill — is stiffer than nappa leather and keeps the shape of the upper even after long hours on your feet, but it will not stretch to fit the foot the way leather does. Anyone with a high instep should check that when trying the shoe on, because the fabric does not give. The velvet of the inserts is a short pile: it is revived with a soft brush and fears water more than leather does, which makes this a shoe for a dry city day rather than for rain.
The wedge sandal answers a different need: gaining eight centimetres without the load a thin heel puts on the forefoot. In a wedge the sole is continuous from heel to toe, so weight stays spread and the drop between heel and forefoot is far smaller than eight centimetres of stiletto would produce. That is why a high wedge can be worn for a whole evening while a heel of the same height often cannot. The style on this page has a velvet upper and a strap that locks the heel and stops the foot sliding forward.
Every style here has a leather insole and a rubber sole. Leather against the foot absorbs the day's moisture and after a few wears takes the shape of the arch; the rubber underneath grips in the wet and cushions each step better than a rigid bottom. Other styles in the same family sit in the women's ballet flats category, which stays put even when one brand's assortment changes.
