All very un-me

A Mary Jane. 

As unlike me a shoe as you can get.  But.. I have a hankering.  I have a real sudden need for a shoe with straps.  Why?  

Well, it often just takes one shoe (Rupert Sanderson shoes of beauty below) to turn your head and before you know it, you wonder how you ever lived without them.

This has happened in the past so there is method in my perceived madness.  May I remind you of my hate hate relationship with sneakers that turned into a love affair of epic proportions after I discovered cracked leather Stan Smiths and then Golden Goose?  And the of course there is the leather biker jacket that went from zero to hero in a matter of weeks. 

So I have high hopes for this style of shoes.  It seems (in my head this is...) to pretty much go with everything.  With jeans, with dresses, with cropped wide legs, with culottes, with skirts - see?  Everything. 

I should probably prewarn the potential Mary Jane purists out there that this may make your eyes bleed.  I have taken the concept of Mary Janes and completely bastardised it - I am so so so sorry.  These are definitely variations on a theme - please forgive me....essentially if it's a shoe and it's got a strap somewhere across the foot - it's fair game for this blog.  They're all shoes that I would never have considered before - maybe that should have been the header??

The other shoe that I've never really got to grips with is a patent nude.  Kate Middy ruined them for me but thanks to Rupert Sanderson - they're back in the game too (just with this shoe - other than that, they're still meh to me).

Check out these and tell me this isn't the ultimate in shoe porn. 

Ellen patent leather pumps from Rupert Sanderson at The Outnet was £525 now £246.75

And then of course I started seeing them everywhere.  And whilst the ones above were never a reality, when I saw these from & Other Stories, I did start to think hmmm - maybe.... 

& Other Stories Suede Mary Jane Heels £89  Love these.  Perfection with a Self Portrait dress no?  Black boyfriend jeans, white tee and black blazer?  Actually scrap that - I'd go a striped tee....




And then the floodgates of Mary Jane heaven opened. 

Navy Suede Block Heel Court Shoe from Autograph at M&S £49.50




Bargain black heels at Shoeaholics.   Tip with Shoeaholics.  You always get 15% if you sign up a newsletter.  You basically just need a new email address each time.... Tis worth it....

Carla by Miss KG was £69 now £19



Another bargain in suede at Office.   (Bargain with a capital B).

Teach Mary Jane heels were £65 now £22




Now we come onto the variations on the theme (Mary Jane afficionados, this is the point you may want to look away).  I'm not sure that a Mary Jane could or should be a slingback, but these ROCK.  Adore the colour - perfect for weddings, jeans, work and for just hanging out in (so long as you can entertain heels this high). 

Gale Slingback Shoes from Topshop £69  They also have these in a teal and a black online.





And then we come across another pair that I think - oh hang on... these may be it.  These could work so so well for me with dresses (as I mentioned the other day - the more I have going up my leg the longer dresses look.  The gap between bottom of dress and top of shoe being shorter.  Just humour me... Oh and this does not include those gladiator "cut into your leg and make it look like a rolled shoulder of pork" ties.   A proper strap?  Yes).   As well as cut off jeans and cropped trousers.  I absolutely LOVE these.  Maybe even more so than the  & Other Stories ones?

Black Alicia by Carvela were £120 now £79 



Stretching the definition of a Mary Jane here (as in my book they have a rounded toe) but if we're taking the strap into consideration then these do fit the brief.  LOVE. 

Silver Argent by Carvela was £110 now £69



And another version in black... if I were working in an office, I would buy these in a heartbeat.  These would have been my "big meeting motivation on my feet" shoes. 

Black Babington by Kurt Geiger London were £199 now £119  Fabulous looking and not that high (in the scheme of high heels).




I do also have pointed with a block heel... 

ASOS Switch it on pointed heels £38



You may have noticed that the ones I favour are those of a higher heel.  To do a Mary Jane in a mid heel would be like crossing solar systems for me.  But that's not to say that they don't look amazing on other people and oh how I wish I could wear them and not feel like a transvestite who's raided his Gran's shoe cupboard. 

Sling back Faux Suede Dolly Court Shoes with Insolia from M&S £39.50



Or in a full on snakeprint.  These I think come into their own and make a plain outfit.  All your neutral classics that you've had for years - fling them on and bring them bang up to date with new season granny chic. 

Slingback Dolly Court Shoes from M&S £29.50




Although I have to say I think it would be the pink mix that gets my vote.  For Summer for work with all black?  These would make all the difference to your outfit (and for the weekend with cropped distressed jeans, white tee and little blazer?  I may even be talking myself into these... for less than £30?!)

Pink Mix again £29.50 from M&S



More sling back and pointed now at Topshop. 

Java Croc Sling back shoes £46




And also in a spot print... these I like... 



Lower and gold at ASOS.   These would be super cute with kick flare jeans... Or any sort of jeans actually.  I can think of so many people these would look so amazing on (me not being one of them...) 

Daisy Street Gold Mary Jane Shoes £27.99



But if we're talking metallic then I like a full on metallic version and these from Office are close to winning me over. 

Mindy Mary Jane Block Heel from Office £65 in rose gold



Or a 60s vibe in the off white?  I think these would look amazing with a pale grey/black outfit combo.

Mindy Mary Jane in Off White £65



Whilst we're on the subject of 60's - oh hello Clarks... 

Clarks Swixties Fayre in nude pink patent £80 One DNA strand closer to being Twiggy with these on. 



Or in the black patent combo £80



Topshop though of course come up super trumps in this category.  Whilst I would look like a 70yr old librarian in these (I genuinely have a habit of ruining lovely stuff), I can appreciate on others, these would look amazing. 

Jonno Suede Mary Jane Shoes from Topshop £69



Now as I've said, a mid heel - I do struggle with, so for me - these in the flat are much much more up my street.  Love. 

Miss KG Audrina Silver Patent (they say mid heel but this is flat enough for me to think flat... no?) Mary Jane shoes £50




And the Audrinas again in the black £50.  Just perfect for work and play.  I'm often asked for other shoe options that aren't a loafer or a ballet flat but aren't a heel and these would be the perfect solution in my book. 



And we do have totally flat at Warehouse, in leather, in the sale which = a steal. 

Warehouse Patent Pump was £45 now £31.50