Justin Bieber contains multitudes: he is a two-time Grammy winner, 23-time Teen Choice Award winner, and (as of recently) a father-to-be. But one thing we didn’t have on our bingo card for the singer? Burgeoning women’s footwear icon.
Bieber hit New York City over the weekend in support of his wife Hailey’s Rhode pop-up event. But while all eyes were on Hailey for her maternity style showcase—featuring both a lace catsuit by Alessandra Rich and a draped ivory satin dress from Phoebe Philo—Justin was quietly making his own fashion plays.
Styled by Karla Welch, Bieber was seen leaving Bar Pitti in an outfit that many of my Vogue colleagues recognize in their own closets. He wore a pale yellow bubble-hemmed shirt from Ouer—with knee-length, light-wash jorts—which tied at the waist. But perhaps the most eye-catching piece of his outfit was his shoe choice: a pair of unreleased mahogany brown T-strap Mary-Janes from Danish brand Vinny’s, which he wore with calf-high white socks.
The look is already creating waves among the Vogue staff. My colleague Laia Garcia-Furtado, who owns this shirt, told me that she would rush home to recreate this very outfit, while vogue.com editor Chloe Malle declared that she dressed her 2-year-old daughter in a remarkably similar look just last week.
But this wasn’t the first time Bieber rocked the shoes more frequently found in the halls of Catholic schools or in the indie sleaze Tumblr archives. For brunch at Sadelle’s in SoHo, he took the leather shoes for a spin with a pair of pink socks, pairing them with khakis and a navy polo with brown accents—also from Ouer.
Bieber once again demonstrated the Mary-Janes’ versatility on Sunday, making his most unexpected pairing to date. Keeping with his white socks, he styled the shoes with a pair of oversized white Willy Chavarria basketball shorts and a sand-colored knit sweater.
Maybe Justin Bieber’s takes on the traditionally feminine Mary-Janes make you want to dig out your own Doc Martens from the back of your closet. (Or, in my case, regret selling them on Depop for a comically low price.) Perhaps they’re inspiring you to buy them for a man in your life. Either way, we’re looking forward to seeing how else he styles his new favorite shoes.