This Back-To-School Shoe Trend Is All Over Instagram

Heading back to school in 2020 looks nothing like it has in years past. And yet, the collegiate fashion trends that coincide with the arrival of the new school year appear to be holding steady. Pleated mini skirts are (yet again) experiencing an uptick in popularity, cardigans are thriving on TikTok, and sheer knee socks à la Cher Horowitz (but perfected by Miuccia Prada) are making their descent on our hosiery drawers. Like the sound of the, well, morning bell, back-to-school fashion is making a comeback — and its most iconic footwear style, the Mary-Jane, is once again at the helm. 

Mary-Janes appear to be making an even greater than usual return in the fashion world, with Riccardo Tisci’s T-bar style for Burberry looking to once again dominate the fall footwear scene and Cecilie Bahnsen’s quilted pair (designed in collaboration with Charles & Keith as part of a collection aptly titled Back To School) being spotted all over Instagram. Also in the mix are Prada’s iteration, which appears to be a hybrid between a Mary-Jane and an espadrille; Nodaleto’s early aughts-era chunky-heeled platforms, and Proenza Schouler’s platform take. Carel, the French footwear brand that The Politician star Lucy Boynton (who plays fashion icon Astrid Sloan on the Netflix series) favors both on and off the silver screen, is also a recent favorite on Instagram. (Whether or not that’s a product of the show’s second season being a quarantine must-watch is a question for another day.) And, of course, you can’t talk Mary-Janes without mentioning Dr. Marten’s Polleys, which, like cardigans, are a smash hit among Gen-Zers on TikTok.  

Whether you yourself are heading back to school or are a long-ago graduate opting to stay at home this fall, check out the season’s biggest shoe trend with our picks ahead.