Although this type of silhouette was present in the early 2000s, when sports brands truly strived for innovation in design with sneaker heels, sneaker boots and a general sense of experimentation, it was Salomon x Sandy Liang and Cecilie Bahnsen’s first Asics collection which introduced the Mary Jane to a wider audience. The two really paved the way for the ballet sneaker back in 2023. These releases really built the foundation for more feminine silhouettes and, since then, we’ve had ballerina styles from Nike, adidas, Puma, and basically everyone else. They were truly the collabs that launched a thousand drops and Mary Janes have been trending ever since. 

“[This is] a broader cultural shift, where femininity is being reclaimed rather than rejected,” footwear sourcer Alice McCarthey (aka @boot.alicious) told us back in February. “Earlier generations of fashion often linked empowerment with more masculine styling, now designers are comfortable making femininity deliberately exaggerated.”