14 Pairs of Practical Mary Janes To Take You Into Fall

Buckle up, this ’90s classic is here to stay.

Mary Janes are officially back, though it would be fair to ask if they ever left. Not only does the strapped-up shoe seem to be unaffected by the shrinking trend loop, but it also transcends age demographics and fashion subcultures. What other shoe can make you simultaneously feel like a small private school child, a rebellious teen in a coming-of-age drama, and a mature woman with practical, cushy footwear choices?

See: Winona Ryder fronting Marc Jacobs’ campaign for its new J Marc shoulder bag, strapped into in grunge Mary Janes galore (albeit a pretty extreme version). The photoshoot dropped in late April of this year, but the fact that I could’ve written that sentence 30 years ago proves the style’s staying power. Other celebrity Mary Jane fans of late include Alexa Chung, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and so many more.

As the style gains popularity, brands are continuously iterating on the design of the closed-toe strapped shoe, taking it from its schoolgirl roots to edgy sky-high platforms and everywhere in-between. This year, Miu Miu alone dropped both a ballet-inspired satin Mary Jane flat as well as this chunky stomper of a shoe that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hot Topic — which have both achieved equal levels of Instagram virality. The brand’s wide-ranging MJ designs can serve as a case study for the genre-bending capabilities of the classic shoe.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up our favorite Mary Janes on the market so that you can get ahead of the curb for fall’s biggest shoe trend. And as you’re shopping, remember to ask yourself: WWWD (What Would Winona Do)?