Jelly sandals are the 90’s bubbling shoe trend causing a stir in group chats everywhere this Summer. While jelly shoes are nothing new, this summer is bringing them back in a new silhouette that feels altogether more modern and, let’s face it, downright cool.
As Marie Claire reports, it was really The Row’s spring/summer 2024 runway where the new-age jelly shoes were first spotted. Models donned the brand’s usual codes of minimalist attire, save for several looks that featured glove flats with fishnet-esque mesh. It wasn’t immediately clear what the flats were made from based on the brand’s runway imagery alone. Were they woven? Mesh? Upon further inspection, the Mara flats appear to be made from transparent, jelly-like PVC.
The Row’s Mara flats are no doubt the blueprint for the return of jelly sandals this summer. Though they’ve only just recently become available to buy, they debuted in the spring 2024 collection where they were styled alongside billowy maxi dresses and long, flowy layers.
In fact, Jennifer Lawrence was recently spotted on the streets of NYC wearing the twice sold-out Mara Flat in bright cherry red. The Hunger Games star dressed to let her $850 flats and red $50 Polo Ralph Lauren hat pop, contrasting her colorful accessories with a white button-up shirt and coordinating pants—two staples in her deep, essentials-filled closet. Side-by-side with those classic pieces, Jennifer Lawrence’s jelly sandals didn’t look like millennial nostalgia bait. They looked like an easy, colorful summer shoe.
Now, if $850 is a little, gulp, much for your budget, don’t think you can’t afford to wear this trend. Melissa has some super cute jellies in a variety of colors that are actually on sale! Yes, right now! for less than $50, and Old Navy has jellies for $19.99.
The Row may have ignited the return of the water-resistant shoes, but the rest of the fashion world is also in agreement. Jelly sandals in all their forms are infiltrating our social feeds and favorite retailers across the internet, so regardless of your personal feelings towards them, there’s no denying they’re at the forefront for summer 2024.
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