These Throwback Sandals Are Set To Be The Biggest Shoe Trend Of Summer

6 months ago

Jelly sandals are back

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If you grew up anywhere between 80s and noughties, chances are you wore jelly sandals as a child. Years have gone by without much thought on the once-popular shoe – aside from maybe a grumble or two about how uncomfortable they were – but this season, the tide is changing in their favour. A number of high-end fashion labels are touting the rubbery footwear essential as the shoe of the summer, and, from what we’ve seen of its new iteration, we have to agree.

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Jelly Sandals Are The New Summer Must-Have

When audiences gathered in Paris for The Row’s pre-fall 2024 runway show, the last thing they expected to see were models traipsing around in PVC shoes. The collection was a mish-mash of transitional heroes – think blazers, scarves and trench coats – and beach staples, with towels slung over coat-covered shoulders and jellified cage flats peeping out from tailored trouser cuffs.

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The show marked a new chapter for the jelly sandal, one which gave us a glimpse into how it will migrate from nostalgic summer shoe to the transeasonal footwear find. Worn with shorts on the beach, jeans in town or a sleek tailored look in the office, it’s shaping up to become the unexpected style pick of the season.

The Row’s take on the classic jelly sandal, which it dubs cage flats, recently went on sale for an eye-watering £860 a pair – and they’re already nearly sold out. But, lucky for us, it seems that the Olsen twin-owned label isn’t the only brand to herald a jelly sandal renaissance; designers are quickly picking up on the commotion of this nostalgic trend, meaning there’s now an even bigger market for contemporary styles. And, if all else fails, there’s bound to be a pair or two lurking around in your local vintage shop (or the back of your wardrobe).