Once upon a time, it took both of my parents to strap me into my school-mandated Mary Janes. Now, I've reclaimed the single-strap shoes as my own uniform, but they, too, have done some growing up. The 2026 class of VIP cool-girls are rendering the Mary Jane shoe trend almost unrecognizable.
The ultra-glossy, patent leather Mary Janes of my youth didn't graduate alongside my elementary schoolmates. Its silhouette as a whole is thriving outside the classroom, though. Mary Jane sneakers, studded Mary Janes, slingback Mary Janes, and even mesh Mary Janes are rebranding the once-overdone design as the year's go-to hybrid shoes.
