The mary jane is the one dress shoe that never had to reinvent itself, and the Bianca leaves it alone.
A strap crosses the instep and adjusts, so the fit can be pulled snug instead of approximated — the difference between a shoe that stays with the foot and one that slides forward all afternoon. The heel is a block, which spreads weight instead of concentrating it on a single point, and arch support is built into the footbed underneath.
It is a statement shoe in the sense that a strap across the foot always draws the eye, and a practical one in the sense that you can stay in it for the whole event. Put it under a skirt with a visible ankle, under cropped trousers, or with tights in colder months. It works for an office day that ends at a dinner, and it holds up to the walk in between.
