Walk a Mile in My Jelly Shoes 

Jul 7

Not every woman is so lucky to wear her jelly shoes as far—and as fashionably—as I have.

The jelly shoes have entered the room. Some people are going to love them. Others will hate them.

Personally, I’m obsessed. I recently got a pair of jelly flats, but I was surprised by the feedback from my fellow trendsetters. Some people… just weren’t into them.

Actually, it was a “what are those” moment. And if I hadn’t been obsessing over these shoes for a whole three months before making the decision to buy, I might have rationalized the trend a little more. Alas, I didn’t care. I love my jelly flats. And I’m looking for other outlets to deepen this love affair.

Lots of trends are questionable lately. Has this one been drilled so deeply into my mind that I’ve now hopped on the jelly bandwagon? Or is it about reintroducing timeless designs with a new material that’s walked this style right into my heart?

I was adding the Revolve jelly flats to my cart and closing the tab for about two months before I finally pulled my card out. I wanted to make sure this was a genuine desire and not just another fad. But to my surprise, I bought them… and loved them even more in person.

I bought them as an aesthetic shoe option for our upcoming trip to Japan. You see, I’m not much of a running shoes kind of person. I will take my chances with injuries, blisters, and sore feet if it means my shoes go well with my outfit.

Last time in Japan, I got a cut (and the scar to prove it) of a lifetime—rocking my Dior Dway Slides. I was shopping in Osaka when the front of the slides caught a knick in the stair… blood all over the retail floors. Luckily, a fun fact about me is that I always carry a first aid kit in my purse. I may have cut myself and suffered a bit of nerve damage from the trip, but neither Dior nor the Japanese retail store ever heard a peep from me. It went with the outfit…

For the following week before the cut healed, I wore bandages inside my brown Adidas Spezials. And that’s just about the only kind of runners you’ll see me wearing.

In my humble fashion opinion, running shoes (let alone New Balances and chunky Reeboks) are only meant to be worn for working out. Flats, on the other hand—and sandals of all kinds—are a feminine match for outerwear shoes. And if they’re jelly shoes? All the better.

If you think about it, we’ve been warming up to jelly shoes since Kim Kardashian’s infamous intro to the clear strap. You know, the heels with the invisible bands? This has just been a few years of priming us for a full-blown jelly empire.

From jelly flats to jelly sandals, jelly slingbacks… and oh! Have you seen the latest Chloé Jelly Thong Sandals? They had a viral debut and, honestly, I couldn’t agree more. This design is the definition of a jelly shoe—from the material to the color options, and that silhouette on the toes, this sandal really nailed the look.

But let’s be honest—falling in love with jelly shoes is one thing… breaking them in is another. Once the initial obsession wears off and you’re actually out there walking city blocks, climbing stairs, and chasing trains in them (hello Tokyo itinerary), the real test begins.

So let’s talk about it. Where I wore them. How they held up. And what I’ve learned about breaking in jelly shoes without blistering your ego.

As a matter of fact, I’m wearing them right now. I’ve got black linen pants on, a white tank, and a pastel blue dress shirt. The clear jelly shoes, as always, feel like a part of the look—not just an accessory. I wear them as often as I can to mold the jelly to my silhouette.

I remember the first day I got them—my plan was to break them in before our trip to Japan. (It’s one thing to dress for Japan, and a whole other game walking 30,000 steps in Japan.) So I wore them to put away our new glasses, mugs, and hand towels after the renovation.

It might sound like light work to you, but I spent at least 20 hours unpacking boxes, unboxing new light fixtures, and strolling through our local home goods aisles for towels, soap dispensers, and hemp baskets. It’s safe to say I broke those babies in good. And even though I had criss-cross marks all over my feet by the end of those days, I chose blisters and boxes over more blood in Japanese boutiques.

These shoes have served me well, and I fully intend to get another jelly shoe to take me even further. Maybe I’ll try out a mesh style, too. Because even though they haven’t touched the land of the rising sun just yet, they’ve already walked me through the end and the beginning of a new chapter. They’ve celebrated some very important milestones, tied off some runway-level looks, and—above all—left me with only two blisters.

These jelly shoes may be see-through, but they’ve witnessed it all.

And while they might not be for everyone, they were most definitely for me.

Because at the end of the day… not every woman walks a mile in jelly shoes. But I did—and I made it look good.

What are you walking into this season—and what shoes are taking you there?

Whether it’s a city, a season, or a brand new chapter, tell me what style is walking beside you (and if it’s jelly, you already know we’re sole-mates). Personally? I’m stepping into editorial design, a new condo, and a little more softness—with jelly shoes leading the way.

xx
Sarah Elle