Every time a trend from the 2010s resurfaces, we experience surprise, outrage, and nostalgia simultaneously. We continually ask ourselves, what’s next? When should we get ready for galaxy print leggings and mustache patterns? Well, for the latest wave of nostalgia, it’s jelly shoes. Totally plastic and unmistakably fantastic, the Polly Pocket-like trend has swept across recent runway shows and is now featured in every summer campaign, with high street stores offering affordable versions of the whimsical footwear styles.
The origins of the jelly shoe are surprisingly practical. This style was invented by a French cobbler in the 1940s, made from PVC as a post-war solution to the leather shortage in Europe. Affordable to produce and naturally waterproof, they crossed the Atlantic in the early 1980s and became a full-fledged fashion sensation. By the early 90s, the Brazilian brand Melissa had transformed the simple PVC sandal into something desirable, collaborating with designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld, proving that the jelly shoe’s aspiration for high fashion is not new. The trend faded, re-emerged in the late 2000s in chunky, cut-out form and then quietly disappeared as a “fashion mistake we don’t mention.” Until now.
Tory Burch
No need to worry, the revival is taking a much more sophisticated form, with sleeker shapes, thinner straps, and higher heels that complement 2026’s top footwear trends (think ballet flats, flip-flops, and kitten heels). It first gained traction in 2025 when The Row debuted its now-viral mesh flats on the SS25 runway, surprising many, considering that plastic and quiet luxury don’t usually coexist. Chemena Kamali then continued the trend at Chloé with translucent strappy sandals. Suddenly, the shoe that would have been dismissed as a fashion disaster just a few years ago has made a comeback in the footwear rotations of the industry’s hottest brands.
Fast forward to today, and as the mercury rises, the jelly shoe revival is officially hitting the mainstream. Leading the charge is Chloé once again, this time with a jelly kitten-heel mule that resembles Cinderella’s glass slipper. Carrying on the playful spirit of last year’s revival, the controversial style (which already has many concerned about blister potential) has still managed to secure “shoe of the summer” status, selling out quickly. Elsewhere, LOEWE presented a more conceptual take with its double-layered transparent booties, complete with a colored inner sock. Instead of creating the illusion of a bare foot, the design proved the trend is also for those not quite ready to display their toes.
Melissa x GANNI
From there, the jelly invasion continued with Monse and Sperry’s jelly boat shoes, Tory Burch’s mesh ballerinas and Melissa, the undisputed leader in jellies, continuing to dominate the category. Just after collaborations with Susan Fang and GANNI, Melissa is promoting heeled flip-flops and futuristic shapes set to flood your feed all summer long.
Here’s where it gets complicated. Everyone is discussing the trend, but no one is discussing the impact. Jelly shoes are produced from PVC, one of the most environmentally problematic plastics available. Along with using toxic chemicals, the material is notoriously hard to recycle, and at the end of its life, your pair is most likely headed to a landfill for the next several hundred years.
As fashion’s sustainability dialogue has matured, the jelly shoe revival arrives with a certain cognitive dissonance built in. We’re investing in a trend that, at its core, is a single-use plastic product often bought inexpensively, worn for a season, and discarded.
LOEWE
That said, some brands are approaching this more mindfully than others. Melissa manufactures its shoes in recyclable plastic and operates a take-back program that allows customers to return worn pairs, a step in the right direction, even if the broader industry’s jelly options do not follow suit.The most sustainable path, as always, is to buy less and buy better. A well-crafted pair from a brand with recycling credentials will outlast and outshine an inexpensive high street ‘replica’ that cracks by August.
So, what was once considered outmoded has officially demonstrated its enduring appeal. With fresh renditions spanning peep-toe mules, kitten heels, booties, and minimal sandals, the jelly shoe has shed its childish image for something much more sophisticated. This is no longer just playground nostalgia; it’s fashion’s latest mature fixation, effortlessly entering even the most sophisticated wardrobes. But as we slip into our transparent shoes this summer, it’s worth pausing to consider what we’re really buying into: a material with a complex history and a complicated future. The jelly shoe is back, just ensure the pair you choose is worth the plastic it’s made from.
