Queen Letizia of Spain leaned on a proven favorite in Salamanca, Spain, this week, stepping out for World Cancer Research Day in Sézane’s Paula Babies slingbacks.
The shoes — in glossy black patent — featured rounded toes, twin buckle straps across the uppers and a slingback finish at the heel. Their block-shaped design provided modest lift at two inches, covered in matching patent leather for a uniform silhouette. Brass buckles in a light gold tone added detail without tipping the look toward embellishment.
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The style is a familiar one for the Queen of Spain. She first debuted the Paula Babies in June, also pairing them with tailored separates. Priced at $215, the French label’s mary jane has become one of her more accessible wardrobe staples. Made in Sézane’s Portuguese ateliers, the shoe sits at the brand’s intersection of retro-coded design and everyday wear — a positioning that has earned it bestseller status across multiple colorways, from pink to leopard print.
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For Tuesday’s appearance, the queen combined the lifted mary janes with slim black trousers and a cream tweed jacket from Massimo Dutti. The jacket, trimmed with gold buttons and belted at the waist, first entered her rotation in March 2023. She completed the look with her hair down and minimal accessories.
Sézane, founded in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory, has built its following on pared-back silhouettes and small, polished details. The label’s slingbacks and pumps now sit alongside Letizia’s higher-end Spanish staples, giving the brand a steady stream of royal visibility.
Her repeat also lands at a moment when mary janes are back in the spotlight. Hoka debuted a performance-driven Bondi mary jane during Tanner Fletcher’s spring 2026 show at New York Fashion Week, a hybrid sneaker set to launch Oct. 1. Rihanna, meanwhile, recently leaned on Miu Miu’s cap-toe mary janes — a $1,200 block-heeled style finished with a chain-wrapped strap and pearl detail — for a maternity outing in Los Angeles.
Letizia’s outing ties her Sézane pair to this broader fall shift toward structured, closed-toe silhouettes. Block-heeled mary janes have been circulating among designers and celebrities alike, echoing their 1950s and 1990s popularity — and proving their relevance in 2025’s mix of retro and modern codes.