French Women Live in Mary Janes—15 Pairs That Look the Chic Parisian Part

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In recent seasons, the humble Mary Jane style has rebounded to style prominence, and the variety of styles and ways to wear them has firmly convinced me that these might be the most versatile shoes around. Dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, this shoe has a long history, and it's easy to see why the buckled style has made a comeback for 2025. As we know, fashion is cyclical, and right now, this silhouette has been rediscovered and returned to the daily lexicon and daily wardrobes of most fashion people around. The appeal of Mary Janes comes from the preppy style and French influence that is evidently having a moment right now. (Just look to ballet flats returning.) But Mary Janes have diversified their form—from sky-high stacked heels to minimalist flats, ensuring they fit easily into a variety of wardrobes.

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(Image credit: @victoriaptrsn)

This combination of bold red and blue denim is so good.

The brilliance of Mary Janes can be extended further than the variety of heel heights to suit all wearers. Designers and creators have taken the identifying feature of the shoe, the buckle details, and played on this with numerous straps, embellished detailing and varied colourways. The styling of this shoe makes it even more endearing if that's possible. Despite being an elegant shoe, it lends its-self as much to eveningwear as daily jaunts, with styling ranging from shorts to jeans to midi dresses and mini skirts.

In celebration of the return of this shoe, I've highlighted the best Mary Janes at varied heel heights, and added some examples of ways to wear them this season.

HOW TO STYLE MARY JANES

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(Image credit: @alexachung)

Looking for flat shoes for evening? Enter Mary Janes.

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(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

The multi-strap detail adds to the feminine feel of this pair.

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(Image credit: @thatsaleaf)

This bold platform pair comes courtesy of Nodaleto.

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(Image credit: @aida.bdji)

Flat Mary Janes are the chic shoe you can wear all day long.

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(Image credit: @annelauremais)

Even trending maxi skirts suit a pair of Mary Janes.

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(Image credit: @nlmarilyn)

This entire look feels incredibly contemporary.

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(Image credit: @lefevrediary)

Clearly socks and Mary Janes are a winning combo.

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(Image credit: @anoukyve)

Anouk shows how fitted tailoring and Mary Janes go hand in hand.

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(Image credit: @vikilefevre)

A spring-ready look I'm excited to recreate.

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(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

The square toe adds a fresh feel to this classic shoe.

SHOP THE BEST MARY-JANES:

Florrie Alexander
Florrie Alexander
Shopping Editor

Florrie embarked on her fashion journey whilst studying in Aix-en-Provence, she began to write her dissertation on the history of fashion and landed her first role at Harper’s Bazaar. Following this, she interned for various publications including Elle, Grazia and Marie Claire before joining the fashion team at Conde Nast Traveller. There, she contributed to international photoshoots, styled pages and covers, and produced engaging digital content. Over eight years of fashion industry experience, Florrie has honed her skills from styling e-commerce photoshoots to personal shopping. Florrie first joined Who What Wear UK as a freelancer before becoming the Commerce Writer. Now, as the Shopping Editor, she monitors current trends, new-in styles, wardrobe heroes and how best to style them.