This Sandal Is the Summer 2025 It Buy I Never Saw Coming, But Fashion People Are Hooked

By Swedan MargenJune 7, 2025

It's official: the jelly sandal is back. But now in a very considered way.

As someone who grew up in the late '90s, jelly sandals were a key part of my younger years. For me, they conjure up memories of padding through rock pools in glittery fisherman sandals, a pair that I refused to take off even when I outgrew them. Whilst I often think about the joy that pair of sandals brought me, as a minimalist dresser, I never thought I'd come back to the jelly sandal. That was until Ancient Greek Sandals created the Saionara Jelly, which has officially changed my mind.

Woman wears jelly flip-flips, denim skirt.

This isn't the first time that this controversial shoe has returned to prominence in the fashion circles. Last year, we all took note when Jennifer Lawrence stepped out in a pair of The Row's Mara Flat, a ballet-flat-jelly-shoe hybrid that divided the style set and, as often happens with the Olsen twins' creations, sold out in no time. Even with the popularity and undeniably cool appeal, I couldn't see myself adding this mesh-like slip-on jelly shoe to my considered collection. However, the Saionara's flip-flop design with a pop of colour and hint of playful jelly material balances classic and trending in such harmony, I can see these becoming my most worn summer shoe.

Woman wears white shirt, woven basket bag, blue jeans and red jelly sandals

Whilst summer is still easing in with a sudden heatwave here and a week of drizzle there, the minimalist fashion set has already declared that a fun summer sandal is the easy way to rejuvenate our looks for summer. Even those dedicated to neutral shades find themselves drawn to bolder colours and interesting textures when the weather heats up, and with bright skies predicted next week, I'm ready to make an exception for the Saionara.

Unlike the brand's Jelly Flip-Flop, which is a monochromatic style, the Saionara gains its understated appeal from the black sole, which grounds the colourful jelly straps in a playful yet chic sphere, instead of a throw-back moment. We're not trying to relive our childhood beach days, but a grown-up spin on a nostalgic shoe is one that I can get behind. Already, the Saionara has had sell-out moments this summer, and with a restock underway, now is my time to dip my toe back into the joyful jelly trend, in a very considered way for 2025.

Currently, the Saionara comes in 6 shade options, including a vibrant red and blue alongside more subtle clear, black and nude.