Whatever your first brush with jelly sandals was, it’s probably tinged with nostalgia. Maybe it was asking your parents for a pair after seeing them in the Delia’s catalog; maybe it was noticing them on the Dude in The Big Lebowski; perhaps it was discovering that all Melissa shoes smell like bubble gum. Fashion trends are in a wistful mood right now, from capri leggings to polka dots—but the see-through shoes might just be the most popular (and fun-loving) revival of the summer.
Glamour’s jelly sandals wish list
The second coming of the jelly started, as many things do these days, with The Row. At the label’s pre-fall 2024 show, models walked the runway in fishnet jelly sandals (MSRP: $890), which sold out nearly the minute they hit stores. For their spring 2025 collections, high-end houses (like Chloé and Tory Burch) and high-street brands (like Sam Edelman and Steve Madden) got in on the fun, too, cementing PVC as one of summer’s biggest sandal trends.
Our current favorite pairs include a few riffs on those flats from The Row—but thanks to the recent creative renaissance around jellies, there are so many more options to discover. It’s kind of a free-for-all. Mesh mules? Clear fisherman sandals? Candy-colored flip-flops like the ones Kendall Jenner just wore? There’s no wrong answer when you’re buying into 2025’s most delightful shoe trend.
The best jelly sandals of 2025
Are jelly sandals comfortable to wear?
Similar to mesh ballet flats, another trending warm-weather shoe that plays with sheer materials, jelly sandals offer all-important airflow. We like that PVC footwear is genuinely practical for everyday wear, given that most pairs are waterproof, flexible, and (mostly) built to last. And believe it or not, plenty are genuinely comfortable, holding their own against traditional footwear.
Both Glamour commerce director Brie Schwartz and style commerce editor Jake Henry Smith own and love Melissa’s iconic Possession sandals, which kicked off the original jelly sandals craze back in the ’80s. “I’ve worn them for hours with nary a blister,” Schwartz says of her glittery sandals. Smith, meanwhile, loves his chocolate-brown pair, and says, “They pair well with tailored pants and offer a shocking amount of support for daylong New York City treks.”
