Fresh off the roll out of her new album “The Great Impersonator,” Halsey performed at Amazon Music’s live concert series in California. When she first arrived to the event she was wearing a throwback mini-skirt with polka dots.
The look seemed to nod to the 1960s as well as the 60s by way of the 90s. To that point, Halsey wore a pair of black patent leather Mary Jane shoes. The round toe footwear included a thick strap across the top of the foot. The shoes also included a thick chunky heel.
Halsey wore the heels over a pair of knee-high white socks.
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Mary Janes are typically a chunkier silhouette. They include a signature strap across the top of the foot. Some include more than one strap.
The Mary Jane has gone back to the 16th century. It was often worn by children but women also worn by women. The strap increases security which makes them a utilitarian style. Once referred to as “doll shoes” they have been called Mary Janes since 1904. Brown Shoes Company established that moniker.
Many brands have their own version of the Mary Jane whether as a flat, platform or even a more slender stiletto style. In the 1920s it became popular to do T-strap Mary Jane shoes while in the 1990s it became popular to do them as a platform.
Manolo Blahnik introduced its Mary Jane 30 years ago. That style features a stiletto heel and a pointed toe. In June, the company celebrated the anniversary of that shoe.
“[Kate Moss is] the one who made it the shoe of desire,” Blahnik house archivist Jamie Prieto told Footwear News in June. After modeling the look in the August 1994 edition of British Vogue, “[Kate] called and said, ‘I only want two shoes for next season, a black and a white pair of Mary Janes.’”
