The Mary Jane Sneaker Trend Steps Up in Jennifer Lawrence's It-Shoe Rankings

So long, retro sneakers.

Jennifer Lawrence wears a pair of Mary Jane sneakers from Wales Bonner out in New York City
(Image credit: The Image Direct)

The most elite recognition a celebrity can receive for their craft is an Academy Award. For a footwear brand, it might just be a placement in Jennifer Lawrence's sneaker collection, debuted on one of her legendary Manhattan walks. London-based label Wales Bonner's Mary Jane sneakers just earned the sought-after award. this week.

Jennifer Lawrence ended her streak of retro sneakers and three-stripe Adidas Tokyos in favor her new Wales Bonner pair on April 29. At the same time that she turned the It-shoe spotlight on its founder, Grace Wales Bonner, she also cosigned the Mary Jane sneaker trend making inroads at runway designers (like Eckhaus Latta) and affordable brands (like Puma) alike. It's a style that looks exactly like it sounds: the single-strap upper and curved toe of a Mary Jane, combined with a sneaker's treaded soles and padded footbed built for 10,000-step days.

Jennifer Lawrence wearing the mary jane sneaker trend in New York City

Jennifer Lawrence stepped into Wales Bonner's Mary Jane sneakers for an April 29 walk in Manhattan.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

Mary Jane sneakers tiptoed into the sneakersphere as early as 2023—with an assist from the same designer behind Jennifer Lawrence's pair. Wales Bonner first released silver metallic Mary Janes on the Fall 2023 runway that featured a leather outer and a Vibram sole. Taylor Russell test-drove a pair in her everyday wardrobe; Zendaya skipped onto British Vogue's April 2024 cover wearing hers. The version Lawrence picked up just over a year later has a similar sole and wide strap, but it's rendered in a much more understated, poly-based black fabric.

While fashion editors fixated on Wales Bonner's collaborations with Adidas in 2023 and 2024, the brand's Mary Jane sneakers walked on by. But Jennifer Lawerence's quiet debut is all the sign a sneakerhead needs to update their collection. She proved the style's everyday ease, teaming it with a vintage printed jacket, black longline pants, and a throwback Shania Twain baseball cap. The embossed strap is such a dainty addition, it could match the energy of a Gap x Dôen sundress or collarless jacket just as easily.

This won't be the last time anyone sees Jennifer Lawrence's spring street style trend du jour. Each of her beloved mesh flats, Adidas sneakers, and The Row jelly sandals have paraded down her block multiple times after their debut stroll. The Mary Jane sneaker trend is so comfortable, history will almost definitely repeat.

Shop the Mary Jane Sneakers Trend

Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.