Mules are worn by women, kids, and even men today, and it comes in varied styles that go from casual to dressy:

Rockport Garden casual mules for women

Dressy mules from Stuart Weitzman

Casual mules for men from Naot Footwear

Dressy flat mules for kids from RAGG Kids

You’d be surprised to know that mules go all the way back to the 1700’s.  It’s definitely more vintage than most footwear (though not as old as Roman sandals).

Back then, only men and women of class wore mules. Wearing it conveyed a status symbol by implying luxury. Laborers could not wear mules because it was hard to work in such a pair of shoes that would slip off easily. The rich displayed the privilege of not needing to work by showing off their backless shoes.

If you’re curious how 18th century mules looked like, refer to the photo below:

18th century mules for women

Today, people still wear mules more because it is easy to wear rather than for status symbol. Mules were quite hot back in the late 1990’s, but its popularity has simmered down.

This coming spring however, mules are making a comeback. Check out these spring shoes from YSL and Alexander Wang:

YSL Closed Toe Stilleto (Spring 2010)

Alexander Wang Trish Loafer Wedge (Spring 2010)

To stay in trend for spring, check out these ladies’ mules from Zappos.com:

CARLOS by Carlos Santana Funky

Corso Como Simple

Donald J. Pliner Filvi

You can also purchase these options for the special man in your life:

Born Will

Finn Comfort Weimar

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Little girl’s mary jane shoes

The flat sole and the rounded toe were perfect for little children’s feet and the single buckled strap helped keep the shoe in place. Black patent leather was the material they were traditionally made out of but some styles, such as the one in the picture above, had bows and ribbons for decoration.

Mary janes looked adorable on children.

Of course, it didn’t take long before women started wondering if mary janes would look as good on them as well, so little by little, the grown-up version of the mary jane shoe started to evolve.

Vintage 1970s snake skin mary janes

Here we see a vintage pair from the 70s. This fashionable pair features laces instead of a buckle strap. The toe is also somewhat squared and the 2″-high heel, although square and stable, is already too high for any young child to wear.

Courtney Love as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Hole

The mary janes made a big comeback in the 90s when they were glamorized by grunge bands like Hole. Wearing mary janes with pale-hued baby doll dresses while belting out rock tunes on stage, Courtney Love was the embodiment of the Lolita fashion that was popular in the 90s. Grown women dressed in Lolita fashion by wearing petticoats,  stockings, blouses, and other “cute” clothes. Obviously the mary jane shoe, which was borrowed from the kids, played a crucial role in achieving this look.

Fast forward to present and we see the mary jane shoe undergo a major haute couture transformation.

Luxury brand shoe designers like Christian Louboutin have turned mary janes into not just exclusive for-women-only shoes, but also into highly sought after red carpet footwear:

L to R: Jennifer Connelly, Rachel McAdams, and Christina Ricci

The single buckle strap has doubled, tripled,  and even quadrupled, like on Christina Ricci’s shoes. The toe has become pointed and the heel is recklessly thin and dangerously high.

Channel your inner child and try some of these multi-strapped mary janes from Heels.com:

Plaid blue mary janes: Harajuku Lovers Airlie, $87.99

Two-strap mary janes: Corso Como Edan Maryjane, on sale at $107.99

Three-strap mary janes: BCBGirls Illinois Heel, on sale at $40.00

Off-white multi-color mary janes: Naughty Monkey 4 Square Pump, on sale at $55.99

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