Style After 60
Mary Janes Are Back. For Once, the Fashionable Shoe Is the Comfortable One.
AdvertorialBy Margaret Ellis │ November 12, 2026
Fashion doesn't usually do women over 60 many favors. The shoes that come back around tend to be the ones we were glad to see the back of: the stiletto, the platform, the pointed toe that pinched.
This time is different. The Mary Jane, the strapped, round-toed shoe half of us wore to school, is everywhere again, from the catwalks to every shop window on the mall.
And here's the part nobody in fashion seems to have noticed. The shape they've brought back is the one foot specialists have quietly recommended for older feet for years. For once, the shoe that's in style is also the shoe that's good for you.
Why This Shape Suits a Foot Over 60
After 60, the cushioning pad under your heel thins, your feet get a little wider and longer, and your arches flatten. Three things about a Mary Jane happen to answer all of that.
- 1 The strap It holds the shoe to your foot, so your toes don't have to. Ballet flats, slippers and mules all leave your toes gripping, step after step.
- 2 The round toe Your toes spread wider now than they did at 40. A rounded front lets them lie flat side by side instead of being squeezed together.
- 3 The flat, low heel No forward tilt. Your weight stays spread across your whole foot instead of being pushed onto the ball of it.
That's why your grandmother's generation wore them for decades without complaint, and why they never really went away in the shoe shops that serve older women.
What's changed is that they're fashionable again. You can wear the sensible shoe and the stylish shoe at the same time, and nobody will think twice about it.
The Catch
Most of the New Ones Aren't Actually Comfortable
Fashion copied the shape and left out everything that made it comfortable. Turn over most pairs on the mall and you'll find:
- Stiff patent leather that presses on a bunion instead of giving around it.
- A narrow almond toe, which is really the old pointed flat in disguise.
- A thin, hard leather sole with no cushioning, and slippery on a wet sidewalk.
- A thin strap that rubs, or gapes open by the afternoon.
So you buy the look and end up where you started: a pretty shoe you can wear for two hours, then back to the sneakers.
Before you buy any Mary Jane, check for these five things:
- A soft upper that gives when you press it with your thumb
- A truly round toe, as wide as the widest part of your foot
- A cushioned footbed, not a bare leather insole
- A flexible grip sole that bends easily in your hands
- A soft, secure strap that stays put without digging in
How to Wear Them
Three Ways Stylish Women Are Wearing Them
The beauty of a Mary Jane is that it doesn't ask you to dress younger. It works with what's already in your closet.
The One Pair That Got Both Right
After trying pair after pair, the one we kept coming back to was the OrthoFit Mary Jane Comfort Flat. It looks like the Mary Janes in the magazines. It just isn't built like them.
Instead of stiff patent, the upper is a soft stretch knit that gives around a bunion and moves with feet that swell through the day. The toe is genuinely round. Inside there's a cushioned footbed, and underneath a flexible grip sole instead of slick leather.
The strap is soft knit too, finished with a polished silver buckle, so it holds your heel in without rubbing. And the whole shoe weighs next to nothing.
It isn't an orthopedic shoe and doesn't look like one. It's a fashionable shoe that happens to be comfortable, which is exactly what the trend promised and most pairs don't deliver.
- Soft stretch knit, not stiff patent
- Genuinely round toe, room to spread
- Cushioned footbed, not bare leather
- Flexible grip sole, steady when it's wet
- Soft strap and silver buckle, holds your heel without digging in
How to Get Yours (50% Off Plus Free Shipping)
-50%
-
1
Pick your color and sizeIn stock in Classic Black, Soft Beige, Midnight Navy, Royal Purple, Rich Burgundy, and Scarlet Red, in sizes US 5.5 to 10.5, including half sizes. They fit true to size, so order your usual size.
-
2
Wear them the day they arriveSoft knit means there's nothing to break in. Try them with the outfits above.
-
3
Take thirty days to decideWear them on real days. If they aren't the most comfortable shoes you own, send them back for a full refund.
- Free tracked shipping
- 30-day risk-free trial
- Free size exchanges
Questions Women Ask Before Ordering
Aren't Mary Janes a bit young for me?
Not this version. The schoolgirl look comes from shiny patent and a chunky round buckle. In soft black knit with a slim silver buckle, it reads as classic and grown-up, the kind of shoe that goes with a good coat and tailored pants.
Should I wear them with socks, tights or bare feet?
All three work. A fine white or cream sock with cropped pants is the most current look. Sheer black tights are the dressiest choice with a skirt. The knit is soft and breathable enough to wear bare-footed in warm weather.
My feet have got wider. What size should I order?
Order the size you normally wear. They fit true to size and come in US 5.5 to 10.5, including half sizes. The stretch knit and round toe already make room for a foot that has widened, so most women don't need to size up. If you're between sizes, go one size up.
The size chart there lists the foot length for every size.
Will they look dated once the trend passes?
The Mary Jane has been around for more than a hundred years. It comes back into fashion every decade or so, but it never really goes out. A simple black pair is about as close to timeless as a shoe gets.
Will they slip on wet or smooth floors?
No. Unlike the hard leather sole on most fashion Mary Janes, these have a flexible grip sole that feels steady on a rainy sidewalk, tiles, wood and grocery store floors. And the strap keeps your heel in on stairs and curbs.
What if they don't fit or I don't love them?
You have 30 days to try them on real days, and shipping is free. If the size is wrong, the exchange is free. If you don't love them, contact the OrthoFit team and send them back for a full refund.
![OrthoFit™ Premium Bamboo Comfort Socks [3 Pack]](http://theorthofitstore.com/cdn/shop/files/ChatGPT_Image_Aug_4_2026_02_27_56_PM_1496d0aa-0077-4171-9b39-64d15951ee9b.png?v=1785820628&width=240)