I waltzed into an American Apparel ten years ago and purchased a pair of transparent, glittery PVC heeled fisherman jelly shoes. My immature brain did not realize that the combination of the actual plastic and the heat in the San Fernando Valley would cause some very horrible scorching. They weren’t only uncomfortable; I had no idea how to dress them either. After their first wear, it’s safe to say that my jelly sandals were rarely taken out of the closet, and I’ve been adamantly opposed to buying more of them ever since.
Recently, though, a pair of sneakers from The Row have made me reevaluate my opposition to jelly. A pair of woven flats were shown off by the Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen-fronted business at their pre-fall 2024 show in Paris last September. These are already a mainstay on editors’ wish lists; maybe they’ll be 2024’s version of the mesh flat trend.
The more understated version of the bulky PVC sandals from my childhood are these stylish flats. Another issue I encountered with the shoes’ intrinsic loudness was that The Row’s cage flats appeal to even the most subdued dressers with their clear and light pink hues. However, there’s always the summery slushie colors—electric blue and cherry red—for the bold and proud. Without a question, these shoes will be everywhere this summer, but the jelly sandal has been making a slow comeback into fashion for a while now, thanks in part to Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, and Jennifer Lawrence.
I’ve learned from celebrities that there are many ways to dress the jelly shoe, so it’s not as hard as I thought. Swift channeled the ’80s appeal of the shoe earlier this year for her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) release, when she wore a pair of pink jelly fisherman shoes with an otherwise classic white shirt and denim. Lawrence chose to wear pink jellies with jeans and a T-shirt in 2022, while Lively wore her brown pair with a charming summer sundress in 2021. (I’m sure Lawrence, a devoted lover of Alaïa mesh flats, will be slaying The Row’s jellies in no time.
Nevertheless, The Row is the one that has caused me to reconsider my concerns despite all of the celebrity endorsements. They’ve certainly allayed my fashion fears (their deftly placed pieces contrast beautifully with the candy-colored shoes), but it’s too soon to tell if they’ll leave my feet bandaged. To be honest, though, the blisters could be worth it.
