I’ve been wearing Mary Janes for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had very narrow feet. So, when I was a little girl, the only shoes that would actually stay on my feet were Mary Janes, extra narrow. This was a source of great disappointment to me in late grade school when penny loafers became all the rage, because my feet were still so narrow. Penny loafers would just fall right off my feet, so while all the other girls had penny loafers, I had to go to school with babyish Mary Janes buckled to my feet.
Obviously I got over my disappointment. Mary Janes have made a comeback in recent years. Now, you see women of all ages wearing them, in many classy and fashionable styles. And I am one of those women who loves the Mary Jane.
It got me thinking, Where did the name Mary Jane come from? I turned to my trusty friend, Wikipedia for the answer:
“Mary Jane was a character created by Richard Outcault for his comic strip, Buster Brown, which was first published in 1902. She was the sister of the title character, Buster Brown.
In 1904, Outcault traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and sold licenses to up to 200 companies to use the Buster Brown characters to advertise their products. Among them was the Brown Shoe Company, who later hired actors to tour the country, performing as the Buster Brown characters in theaters and stores. This strategy helped the Brown Shoe Company become the most prominently associated brand with the Buster Brown characters. The style of shoe both Buster Brown and Mary Jane wore came to be known by her name, Mary Jane.”
Today I own many pairs of Mary Janes, including this basic black pair, which I wear all the time. They are comfortable and go with everything. Let’s hear it for the Mary Jane!
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