Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane Review: Sustainable Style for Fall

I am a fan of Poppy Barley, a Canadian woman-owned sustainable footwear brand that offers wide calf boots, on-trend shoe styles in quality leather, and a nice selection of apparel and bags too. Mary Jane flats are a hot trend this fall and winter, and I know the trend will continue into 2025; I invited Stephanie, a member of the Wardrobe Oxygen Community, to provide an honest Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane review.

As with the Poppy Barley sandal review and Poppy Barley boot review, the company provided the reader with a free pair of shoes, and I provided the reader with a fair rate in exchange for a helpful review on Wardrobe Oxygen. The reader keeps the shoes, and the words are their own, only modified by me for structure or grammar.

Stephanie applied for the most recent reader review and was able to choose from a variety of fall shoes from Poppy Barley. She reviewed the Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane in black, which I think is a versatile, stylish, yet timeless shoe for wearing with dresses, pants, and jeans. Take it away, Stephanie!

Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane Review

As a (new-ish) transplant to New York, I’ve had to downsize in most areas of my life, including my wardrobe. I have also had a pretty large pivot in my career, which has caused me to completely overhaul my wardrobe. I went from working exclusively in a laboratory (think jeans and casual basics) to a customer-facing role that includes significant travel, meetings, and speaking engagements. My closet real estate is also approximately half of what it used to be! 

I’d been limping along with two pairs of mediocre black flats—neither really perfect—and I’d lost count of how many times I’d attempted to replace them with one pair of shoes that I really loved. So, when Alison reached out with the opportunity to test and review Poppy Barley, I jumped at the chance.

Choosing and Ordering the Modern-Day Mary Jane from Poppy Barley

I browsed the Poppy Barley website, and my eye was immediately drawn to the Modern-Day Mary Jane. My wish list for the perfect Mary Jane wasn’t very long: It must be offered up to a size 12, have no toe cleavage (I wanted a more covered-up look for the office), have a substantial strap to contain my foot, and finally, have a slight heel. 

The Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane seemed to tick all the boxes.  Ultimately, I chose the core Black colorway in 12 wide.  I was very tempted to pick one of the limited-edition colors, but I must be more intentional about my wardrobe as I no longer have the luxury of having more than one closet (hello, small New York apartments, even in the suburbs). 

I received my shoes approximately 12 days after ordering them which is great considering this is a smaller brand shipping from Canada to the US.  Upon opening the shoebox, the first thing I noticed was the smell of leather…. like leather leather.  I was briefly transported back to when I took riding classes as a kid and had to go to the tack shop for my gear. 

The shoes were packaged nicely in a 100% cotton dust bag.  The shoebox is made with 67% recycled paper, which shows their commitment to sustainability.  My shoes were packaged just in the dustbag and shoebox; there was no outer shipping box, so consequently, the mailing process had not been kind to the shoe box, and I had to dispose of it.

If you like to store your shoes in the box they come in, please note that this may not be possible with Poppy Barley. It's not a big deal; that’s why you get the dustbag—it’s not just for travel but also for storage. 

Fit Notes for the Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane

I wear a size 12M in most shoes but sometimes take a wide.  For this style I decided to go with the wide, I figured it was easier to add an insole if needed vs having them be a bit snug on the first few wearings. Turns out they fit like a glove right out of the box, as is.  That must be the EverEase construction. 

Memory foam cushioning makes these shoes feel less “flat” when combined with the 0.75” (2cm) heel. The strap is generous, helps to contain the foot really well, and offers a sense of security while wearing it (this flat won’t go flying if running through the airport). It’s elasticated, and even for my foot (higher instep), I found I did not need to adjust for a good fit out of the box. 

The buckle is substantial, and the anti-blister lining feels very smooth. Overall, the construction of these shoes appeared to be top-notch, and I appreciated the rubber tipping on the toe and heel caps. I couldn’t wait to style these babies.  

Styling the Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane

On day 1, I had a typical business casual day.  This is how I’m dressed in the office about 60% of the time and how I travel if I have to go straight from the plane to a meeting.  The pants are a wide-leg, wrinkle-free ponte, and I have a matching blazer I can throw on if needed. 

Paired the pants with an animal print blouse and minimal jewelry.  The shoes completed my look (no-show socks are worn, though with the anti-microbial lining, they are probably not necessary).

On day 1, I found the Mary Janes to be pretty comfy. Although I was in meetings most of the day, our campus is fairly large, so between normal activities and my after-work errands, the day ended up being decently active. 

I did have some normal (for me) end-of-day discomfort from friction at the ball of my foot and the pinky toes.  This is fairly normal for me after 10+ hours of wear.  The leather is buttery and soft, so soft that by midday, I had noticed the creasing of the smooth leather.  

On day 2, my original outfit didn’t pan out (or I should say the rain had better ideas). I ended up with a simple pair of black pants and a grey sweater.  I tried to jazz it up with a scarf.  This outfit reads nicely on camera, and the shoes were a nice touch, which made me feel a bit more pulled together. 

My day was not as long, and my shoes were comfortable with very little irritation from friction.  The creasing, however, continued to get worse.  By the end of the day, I felt like my shoes no longer looked new.  I haven’t mentioned the price points as these were gifted to me– however, retail on these shoes is $228 as of the time of writing this post.  I have to say, at that price point, I was a bit disappointed at how the shoes looked after two days of wear.  

Would I shop with Poppy Barley Again?

I would try the brand again. I stand behind its mission, and I love to shop for small, women-owned businesses. The style and overall fit of the Modern-Day Mary Jane were pretty spot on, but the fabrication gives me pause. 

The amount of creasing on the shoes after limited wear is not something I’m a fan of, and I think it ruins the look of what I want in a Mary Jane that I’m going to wear to the office.  If I were to try another shoe, it would be another leather finish, either pebbled or nubuck. 

Thank you to Alison for this opportunity and to the Wardrobe Oxygen audience for being a pretty awesome space to talk about all the things, not just fashion.

Poppy Barley Promo Code: Save 10%

Poppy Barley was kind enough to provide the Wardrobe Oxygen Community 10%! Use code Wardrobe-Oxygen-Fall-10 for 10% off sitewide on orders of $100+ (applicable, regular-priced items only, limit one per person). Code is valid through December 31, 2024

Thank you so much, Stephanie for this great Poppy Barley Modern-Day Mary Jane review! I love offering these opportunities to Wardrobe Oxygen readers and appreciate the fresh perspective and honest feedback. If you would like to be considered for a future Wardrobe Oxygen reader review, join the Wardrobe Oxygen community on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter, as that is where I post these opportunities!