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Jelly Shoes Are Making a Major Comeback This Summer—and This Style is Surprisingly Comfy to Travel In
As a kid in the '90s, I lived in jelly shoes. Plastic flats and sandals in eye-popping, glitter-flecked colors ruled my childhood. Now, in the year 2025, my inner eight-year-old is happy to witness this fun flavor of summer footwear making a comeback on TikTok—and they're not just for children.
PVC sandals are shaping up to make a major revival this summer, appearing on the shelves at Target, Old Navy, and Gap, as well as the runways of designers from Chloé to The Row. Their unexpected cameos on catwalks and the feet of fashion influencers show that this polarizing trend can actually be adult-friendly, and surprisingly comfy, as well. $69 $55 at Amazon $69 at Nordstrom $69 at Shopmelissa.com
When you picture a jelly shoe, you likely see Melissa's hero Possession sandals, right?. The Brazilian brand calls it 'the original fisherman-inspired jelly shoe that transformed the '90s generation into jelly lovers,' and this comfortable style is even well-suited for walking, making it an unexpected choice to become your new go-to travel shoes.
Debuting in 1997, the sandals were designed to look and function like the shoes anglers wore on the Côte d'Azur. The fisherman style—featuring an open toe and woven straps that drain water—has been sported on boats and coasts since ancient times. They're traditionally made from leather, rubber, or other materials that easily shed water, but Melissa's fashionable take is made of bubble gum-scented, partially recycled PVC. Rest assured, they're far more comfortable than they sound. $69 $55 at Amazon $69 at Nordstrom $69 at Shopmelissa.com
Shoppers have raved that this take on the traditionally rigid jelly style is actually 'extremely comfy,' with one person adding that they could 'walk miles' in them. Meanwhile, another reviewer marvelled that they're 'just like the OG jellies I used to have with one incredible exception—they're actually … comfortable.' They revealed that they've 'been wearing them nonstop in a heat wave with no chafing, no blisters, [and] no sweaty slippery feet,' even adding that cushioning at the insoles makes them 'genuinely comfortable to wear all day.' Not to mention, the $69 Possession sandals have earned hundreds of ratings on the Melissa site, racking up an average 4.8-star rating.
While the site is still stocked with timeless favorites, Melissa has also released modernized versions of its jelly sandals with new colors, fresh vegan and sustainability certifications, and even all-star collaborations, like with the high-end Parisian shoe brand Nodaleto. In addition to the original Possession style, there's also the Possession Heel, Possession Platform II, and an array of other trendy iterations, all in the same style as the iconic fisherman shoes.
While Melissa seems to be leading the new wave of a more comfortable take on jelly shoe nostalgia, countless other brands are joining in with their own variations, too. Whether you're in the market for cute new beach shoes or are looking for a stylish pair of sandals for your summer travels, read on to find more sleek and sophisticated jelly shoes we expect to see everywhere in the coming weeks, from $15.
At the time of publishing, the price started at $69.
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