Fashion
Another summer, another divisive shoe trend.
Since last summer, fashion designers have confounded and delighted fashion fans with unexpected shoe trends. Last year, it was the mesh flat; earlier this spring, the boat shoe trickled down from the Miu Miu runway to high-street retailers. Now, this summer’s frontrunner is the humble jelly shoe, thanks to The Row’s Summer 2024 collection.
Jellies traditionally have ties to childhood, with many a sweaty summer spent running around in the sparkly and clear PVC fisherman-style sandals, but in 2024, brands and consumers alike are finding novel ways to make the squeaky stompers enticing again. With jelly sandals, flats, mules, and flip-flops, the possibilities are endless — and so are the styling options. Wear them with a bikini and coverup to the beach, or take a note from The Row and pair them with blue jeans and a button-up shirt to bring a workwear vibe to the otherwise kitschy shoe. The main takeaway from this new iteration, though? Leave the frilly socks to the kids and let your expensive pedicure get a little more airtime. Scroll through to see our picks for the burgeoning summer trend.
Ancient Greek Sandals is a footwear brand with roots in Athens, and they opened the first jelly-shoe factory in Greece in 1957. Their Iro Sandal is a budget-friendly ballerina flat style with six color options and just the right amount of latticework to provide texture to your summer ‘fit.
This affordable option is less obviously jelly if you’re hesitant to go all in.
Melissa is another originator of the jelly shoe, with their classic Possession sandal coming in a rainbow of colors and at the right price.
This pair from Ancient Greek Sandal’s High Summer capsule is minimal jelly and comes in a variety of subtle and less subtle colors.
If you don’t think of ballerina flats as jelly shoes, we’re here to help change that.
The just-released Melissa collab with Marc Jacobs includes a cheeky update on the sequin flat.
The originator of the trend. It looks a bit like the foam netting around fancy fruit but takes on a Twizzler effect in the red colorway.
Another Melissa collaboration, this time with New York’s own Telfar on these bright pink logo slides.
One more Melissa designer collaboration for good measure: These rococo Y/Project shoes debuted a few years ago, but they still pack an aesthetic punch.
Clare V.’s jelly sandals are completely PVC with a more intricate fisherman weave on the front. NB: This kelly green color is not for the faint of heart.
Electric yellow can be a neutral, right? At least in the summer...
