Just when I thought my spring shoe rack reached its Mary Janes quota, Jennifer Garner put another sub-trend on my radar. After Jennifer Lawrence and Katie Holmes approved sneaker and ballet flat takes on the It shoe, Garner sampled the backless, Mary Jane heels trend on May 11.
No, Carrie Bradshaw. The single-strapped stiletto isn't an "urban shoe myth." Garner proved it's very much real in pointy, patent leather pumps with a Mary Jane's strapped vamps. Contrary to the Manolo Blahniks Carrie gawks over in Season 4 of Sex and the City, Garner's stilettos transformed into mules where a wraparound ankle silhouette would be.
The three-inch heels might be the most elegant Frankenshoes on the Spring 2026 market, right up there with backless loafers. Should she have just gone the mules route, the razor-sharp toe boxes might've flown off her feet at the NBC Upfront in New York City. Millimeter-wide bands added just enough security without disrupting each streamlined silhouette.
Garner's Carrie-approved Mary Janes shined under Radio City Music Hall's lights, too. She and her The Five Star Weekend co-stars, Darcy Carden, Gemma Chan, and Chloë Sevigny, took center stage in black eveningwear.
The 13 Going On 13 star matched everyone's energy in a sleeveless LBD from Versace, featuring cascading buttons, a belted back, and occasional flap pockets. Its V-shaped neckline made her yellow gold, collar necklace unmissable, even from the venue's nosebleed seats. Garner finished accessorizing with itty-bitty hoop earrings.
Garner typically prefers fuss-free pumps with ankle straps, slingbacks, or supportively-stiff backs seen constantly on red carpets. However, she's slowly but surely widening her heel-hugging horizons. Two Septembers ago, Garner attended the Dior Spring 2025 fashion show and brought Mary Jane heels with her. Like her latest pair, the toes were pointed, the straight-across straps slim, and the heels high. Subtle, stark white trim leaned into the silhouette's nostalgic roots.
Garner is one of few VIPs to flaunt backless Mary Janes so proudly this season. Last March, fans almost missed Selena Gomez's heel-free flats alongside her all-black, off-duty outfit. Garner's heels are a more accurate recreation of the Fall 2026 runway trend, one Ferragamo, Simone Rocha, and Marco Rambaldi helped pioneer. The actress is right: This freaky It-shoe deserves the spotlight.
