Chanel Confirms Mary Janes Are This Summer’s Alternative To Strappy Sandals

Hands up who loves the naked strappy heel trend, but is intimidated by, well, their nakedness?

To that we say, firstly, your toes are probably actually fine, but secondly, same.

Thankfully, Chanel’s 2020 Resort collection has confirmed that there is a delightful alternative to the minimalist strappy sandals that people seem to be pairing with everything this season – the Mary Jane shoe.

For Chanel’s 2019 Resort collection, Mary Janes have been reintroduced to the runway – with flat and block heeled versions complementing the nautical designs.

This time around, for Karl Lagerfeld’s successor Virginie Viard’s first show at the helm of the brand, models sported various iterations of the classic style, featuring pointed toes, contrasting colours and the whiff of a french heel.

chanel resort 2020 mary jane shoes

Getty Images

Typically twee and ladylike, brands such as Prada, Erdem and Gucci have spent the last couple of seasons reimagining and embracing the shoe design, that features a strap over the arch of the foot.

According to The Independent: ‘The name comes from the shoes worn by Mary Jane, a character from the Buster Brown comic strip (drawn by R F Outcault) which first appeared in the New York Herald in 1902.’

twiggy mary janes

Getty Images

Since then the shoe has enjoyed numerous reincarnations, worn in the ’20s by flappers, ’60s by Mary Quant and Twiggy, the ’90s by Courtney Love and the ’00s by Alexa Chung.

Now, we can lay our claim to the iconic shape, and we’re considering styling them in the image of Love – complete with vintage slips and granny cardigans.

Related Story

  • chanel fashion show sets

    The Most Amazing Chanel Show Sets

Related Story

  • keira knightley second pregnancy

    Keira Knightley Reveals Second Pregnancy

Related Story

  • best designer shoes

    The Shoes You Won’t Regret Investing In