Shoe blog

Spectator Mary Janes

Do you know those days in which you just want to grab your boyfriend’s shirt or T-shirt, throw on the boyfriend-cut jeans, top it off with some bohemian scarf, and call it a day? Lately, I’ve been in that sort of mood–but regarding shoes. More specifically, I’m craving a certain type of shoes–how shall I best describe them, maybe a bit rugged, maybe a bit masculine, a bit on the sturdy side, perhaps, with enough design interest to satisfy my quirky curiosities and also with enough of a feminine edge to prevent any case of mistaken identities. Let me illustrate:

These Alberto Fermani Mary-Janes are a perfect example of these shoes I’ve been craving. They are a criss-cross Mary Jane update of the spectator style, usually defined as ‘a woman’s pump usually having contrasting colors with a perforated design at the toe and sometimes heel’ (Merriam-Webster dictionary). I don’t care so much about the contrast colors (although I do rather like the gradient toe), but I do care about the wingtip and the perforations, and I very much like the somewhat rugged, sturdy design–you know, for the days when you want to feel a little edgy, a little artsy, a little different. The criss-cross Mary Jane straps are feminine enough to make this shoe unmistakably yours (and not, say, your boyfriend’s).

More examples? How about these Logan Mary Janes in scuffed suede (they are pre-distressed for you! and there is also a moderate heel):

Or these Teti over-buckled Mary Janes:

I am also thisclose to grabbing these flats from Geste Proposition:

These Paul Smith Mary Janes are almost too feminine for my masculine-style cravings, but they’re pretty nevertheless:

I know these don’t have a wingtip, but the design is too interesting to pass up (Cydwoq brown Mary Janes):

And for the high-heel crowd out there, don’t worry! Do I have something for you! Why don’t you try these Dolce and Gabbana high-heeled metallic Mary Janes with wingtip and perforated detail:

It may be because spring is so reluctant to just unpack its bags and stay around here for a while–I don’t know, but this rugged mood is pretty overpowering. Maybe I’ll treat it with some (spectator Mary Jane) retail therapy…