Upon shopping the prefall shoe rollout, I noticed a very distinct trend. Four brands – three strictly shoe + accessory and one specialty – released a version of the low heel, slingback Mary Jane.
the slingback Mary Jane, compare + contrast
The two middle-of-the-road styles feature a buckle across the top of the foot as well as a buckle slingback strap. The least expensive and most expensive do not have the slingback buckle.
Heel height wise, the budget shoe has a 1.85 inch heel. The description of the economical shoe does not offer heel height. Judging from the photo, I think it clocks in at two to two-and-a-half inches. This is also the only style with a classic shape heel, in lieu of the sculpted shape that the remaining styles feature. The lesser expensive option has a two-and-a-half inch heel. The splurge-level expensive option heel stands short at 45 millimeters, which is about 1.77 inches.
Toe box-wise, they either have a pointy toe or are especially narrow. See the bird’s eye photos of each style below.
While I pulled photos of each style in the black colorway, they are available in several color options. Another trend: they are all available in metallic silver. On that note, along with style, have we also found the hue of autumn footwear?
The colorways don’t end at black and silver. The budget style is available in patent oxblood and patent light natural. The economical style is available in a red croc embossed leather and a leopard calf hair. The lesser expensive is available in glossy red, glossy tan, and glossy black leather. It is available in textures too: leopard calf hair, bright pint crushed velvet, and espresso velvet. Lastly, the most expensive is available in a galactic sparkle colorway and a glossy pale pink leather. Below the item photos is a shoppable line up of all of the colorways.
But first, let’s get real about the price:
- Budget: $95
- Economical: $248 to $268, frequently on promotion
- Lesser expensive: $165 to $330, marked down seasonal colors
- Splurge-level: $975
