18 Of Our Favorite Jelly Shoes For Peak Summer Vibes

Forbes

3 days ago

It's official—the jelly sandal is the shoe of the season. While there's a decent chance you had a pair in elementary school, the updated versions are sophisticated while maintaining a nostalgic, lighthearted feel. A good pair of jelly shoes is comfortable, versatile and an easy way to incorporate a quintessential summer trend into your wardrobe without necessarily having to make a major spending decision.
The best jelly sandals complement a wide variety of summer outfits, and they have a playful, ... More nostalgic feel. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
The fashion revival isn't showing any signs of slowing down, either. 'Jellies are the ultimate neutral,' says personal stylist Michelle McCool of McCool Style, who adds that they're a stylish complement to everything from denim shorts to linen dresses to printed maxis. We rounded up all the best jelly shoes for women, including rubber net styles, pastel Mary Janes and waterproof fisherman platforms, that offer a carefree vibe and will earn you serious style points. (For more summer shoe styles, check out our stories on the best slides for women and the most comfortable wedges.)
Brazilian shoe brand Melissa was founded in 1979 and is notorious for its wide range of jelly designs (this pair comes in more than 25 colors). New York City stylist Gina Donnelly, who also buys Melissa jellies for her daughter, highly recommends this pair. 'Not only are they eco-friendly, they're comfortable, stylish and affordable,' she says. 'I bought my first pair at a high-end luxury pool resort in Las Vegas, but proceeded to wear them throughout the streets of NYC, St. Tropez and even my hometown of Kansas City—all while getting stopped with compliments on how great the shoes are.'
Anthropologie Jeffrey Campbell Jellz Caged Slip On Shoes
The caged lattice design of this pull-on pair offers just enough peek-a-boo for your pedicure. They come in an impressive range of nine colors, so you can have a pair for every day of the week, and then some. Reviewers say they're comfy, true to size and don't cause rubbing.
Shopbop Ancient Greek Sandals Iro Jelly Flats
Ancient Greek's take on the jelly shoe features a small lattice pattern. This pair is a favorite of Nicole Kwass, personal stylist with Ready To Where. The nude and clear go-with-everything shades act to elongate the leg, while the bright options of this style—including pink and blue—look great as a pop of color with white outfits.
TKees initially gained popularity for its dressy take on flip flops, and now the brand has dozens of summer sandals that can be dressed up or down, like this barely there pair with jelly straps. We also love the Jelly Joey and Jelly Valerie styles for their unique strap patterns and vibrant colorways.
Macy's Dolce Vita Julio Sandal
This translucent pair has wide dual-buckle closures on the vamp that are adjustable for comfort. Reviewers say they have a supportive feel and plush cushioning, and they don't cause feet to sweat.
Fisherman styles are particularly comfortable to wear because the wide, adjustable strap at the ankle allows for a secure fit. The crayon blue and vivid begonia colors of this sandal may be our favorite, but they sell out fast.
Wild Fable, an in-house Target brand, is a great option to try the jelly trend without a big financial commitment. These come in clear, light pink, turquoise and red, but certain sizes tend to sell out fast. To note: Some say they run large.
Bloomingdales Sam Edelman Michaela Jelly Mary Jane
This charming pair brings casual summer vibes but it's also office-appropriate. It has an adjustable buckle, comfortable rounded toe and a cork footbed to absorb shock while walking. The Michaela Mary Jane comes in six colors, including versatile clear and a pretty soft blue.
Vince excels at sleek sophistication. Kwass recommends this slide, which is a dressed-up take on the jelly shoe's casual construction. It has a padded leather footbed for additional comfort, and it also comes in dark amber and clear if you're looking for a transparent PVC shade.
Jimmy Choo Jimmy Choo The Jelly Ballerina Flat
Jimmy Choo's romantic take on the jelly ballet flat features an intricate, unexpected cutout pattern and crystal embellishments across the strap. This pair is a favorite of McCool's, who says, 'these are not your childhood sweaty-feet-in-plastic jellies—they're breathable with an open weave design.' They come in clear as well as Easter egg colors, and they have a comfy, padded footbed.
Shopbop Tory Burch Mellow Mary Jane Jelly Flats
For an elevated feel, Tory Burch's jelly Mary Jane reads dressy, with a push stud closure, and the lattice, open back design keeps feet cool. These come in brown, black and white.
This open toe style offers more breathability, and the faux leather accent gives it visual interest. The upper strap is also adjustable for a comfortable fit at your arch. Style them with denim or crisp cotton poplin on hot summer days.
If you gravitate toward platform styles or you're just looking for a jelly sandal to give you more height, Melissa's Possession Platform is a bestseller for its elevated silhouette, lightweight feel and flexible construction. It comes in neutrals like beige and black, but we also love the soft pastel green.
Nordstrom Veronica Beard Tia Jelly Slide Sandal
For times when you're looking for a little lift, Veronica Beard has reimagined jellies with a 2.5-inch kitten heel and a PVC vamp. 'I'm styling this shoe with all the brightly colored wedding dress guest dresses,' says McCool. It comes in five wearable neutrals, including sand and silver.
The best jelly shoes are elevated, fun and never fussy, like this ballet style from The Gap. These come in four colors, although we're partial to this tomato sauce red. Some reviewers say these run large.
This pair has a thong silhouette and unexpected petal-shaped heel. 'Chloe's perfect pink thong heel jelly somehow disappears on the foot and goes with everything,' says McCool. 'Pair them with a slouchy pair of shorts and you are the instant cool girl.' These come in baby pink, bright pink, brown and light blue.
J.Crew excels at trendy styles, while making them wearable. This fisherman style comes in four colors. Wear them with cutoffs, a swimsuit and coverup, or dress up a summer sundress.
Tuckernuck Loeffler Randall Rhys Jelly Sandals
Loeffler Randall's designs toe the lie between classic and unexpected. This twist on a fisherman sandal has sparkly rubber with rhinestone detailing across the bridge and toe for a glamorous spin. And the adjustable ankle strap makes them comfy to wear on days you'll be doing some walking.
The Forbes Vetted fashion team spends a lot of time researching, reporting on and testing footwear. We've written about the best wedges for women, the most comfortable heels and the most comfortable flats.
We rounded up the best jelly shoes by taking a multi-tiered approach: We compiled shoes from top brands that we like the look of, have tried or want. We also spoke with experts and took user experiences into account. We began by surveying options on the market from reputable brands, including emerging ones as well as established brands.
We took recommendations from our fashion team into account, and we spoke with three personal stylists for this story to determine their favorite translucent styles for the season.
We evaluated each pair for style as well as size and color availability, and we included pairs that ranged from extremely casual to more dressy.
We pored through customer reviews, heavily weighing fit and comfort and only including styles that had mostly positive ratings.
'Jelly shoes are playful, nostalgic, and surprisingly versatile,' says Nicole Kwass, personal stylist with Ready To Where. 'There are so many different variations—I am seeing chunky platform jelly sandals, transparent and iridescent finishes, pops of color jellies, and strappy fisherman styles, which are a true throwback and nod to the pairs we all pined for at The Gap in 90's,' she says. And with all the variety, there is lots to consider when planning your purchase: Straps
In many instances, the presence and placement of straps can add to a jelly shoe's comfort by enhancing its fit and preventing rubbing. Ankle straps—like those on fisherman style jellies—offer a secure fit. Slip on jelly styles work well in flexible rubber because they allow feet room to swell when it's hot out. Color
Neutral color jellies may seem more wearable because they go with a lot. But the translucent nature of many jelly shoe styles means they can be easily paired with a variety of summer outfits, even in bright or pastel colors. Don't be afraid to purchase them in pink, green or blue for a fun dose of color. How You'll Style Them
When buying a shoe, it's always smart to preemptively envision what you'll pair them with in your closet. Jelly sandals go with everything from summer dresses to Bermuda shorts. Kwass also has some styling recommendations: 'For a fun and feminine look, wear strappy or heeled jellies with a flowy sundress or midi skirt,' she says. 'Opt for pastel tones to keep the look soft and dreamy.'
'For an edgier street look, go bold with chunky jelly platforms, wide-leg trousers, and a graphic tee or basic tank,' she says.
'To really lean into the Y2K vibe, wear them with a mini skirt, cropped baby tee, and colorful accessories,' she says. 'Top the look off with a claw clip.'
What Are The Best Jelly Shoes?
There are lots of amazing pairs available right now. For a versatile fisherman style, we like Melissa's Possession Sandal. Some of our favorite pull-on pairs are Jeffrey Campbell's Jellz Caged Slip On and Ancient Greek's Iro Jelly Flats. If you're looking for a cute jelly Mary Jane, we recommend Sam Edelman's Michaela Jelly Mary Jane.
Are Jelly Sandals Comfortable For Walking?
They can be, although some cause feet to sweat. Look for pairs with an adjustable strap, flexible rubber or a padded insole like Sam Edelman's Michaela Mary Jane or Dolce Vita's Julio Sandal.
Are Jelly Shoes Waterproof?
Most are, since the majority are constructed with polyvinyl chlrodie (PVC) or silicone. But some jelly sandals have padded leather footbeds, so they shouldn't be worn in water.