Mary Janes

Mary Jane (also known as bar shoes or "doll shoes") is an American term (formerly a registered trademark) for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.

Classic Mary Janes for children are typically made of black leather or patent leather, have one thin strap fastened with a buckle or button, a broad and rounded toebox, low heels, and thin outsoles. Among girls, Mary Janes are traditionally worn with pantyhose or socks, and a dress or a skirt and blouse.

Origin of the term: Mary Jane was a character created by Richard Felton Outcault "Father of the Sunday Comic Strip" for his comic strip Buster Brown, which was first published in 1902. She was the "sweetheart" of the title character Buster Brown and was drawn from real life, as she was also Outcault's daughter of the same name. In Outcault's own words—and his daughter's—she was the only character drawn from life in the Buster Brown strip, although "Mrs. Brown" did resemble Outcault's wife.

In 1904, Outcault traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and sold licenses to up to 200 companies to use the Buster Brown characters to advertise their products. Among them was the Brown Shoe Company, which later hired actors to tour the country, performing as the Buster Brown characters in theaters and stores. This strategy helped the Brown Shoe Company become the most prominently associated brand with the Buster Brown characters. The style of shoe both Buster Brown and Mary Jane wore came to be known by her name, Mary Jane.

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========================= Mary Janes are worn by a number of characters thruought "The Other Story " The Term first appears in Chapter 01

Scene:

>>> Lady Victoria put the horse mask back on as a black Range Rover approached. From the drivers side a woman in a short city coat, long legs in black over the knee girls stockings and polished Mary Janes. She wore a  cute looking black cat mask and had her fur lined hood up. <<<