When it comes to jelly sandals—or their slightly more grown-up sibling, fisherman sandals—you might be visualizing those plastic sandals that were so common in the ’90s and were anything but comfortable. But with the passage of time, the flats have gone from being a children’s footwear classic to a fashionable closet staple.
With designs from chic brands like The Row and worn by the likes of Alexa Chung and every stylish girl in Portugal, it’s clear the fisherman sandal trend is just getting started, with no intention of something as minor as cold weather getting in the way. In fact, they have replaced last season’s loafers as the perfect summer-to-fall transition shoe.
Mind you, the new models from brands like Mango and Hereu were not made to be submerged in water or even worn on the beach, which makes them better suited to colder weather activities (and the outfits that go with them) anyway. In fact, the most elegant fisherman sandals for fall 2024 are made of leather instead of rubber or plastic, and their characteristic wide straps are braided in a special way that allows them to be comfortably paired with socks or tights as the temperatures drop.
Add to this the fact that they are flat and flexible, and you have a perfect summer and fall basic.
But before you buy, some styling suggestions: While there is no single right way to wear these sandals, they are especially perfect with wide leg pants and midiskirts (both of which also make for great late summer/early fall dressing). And before summer is over, we’ll be pairing our fisherman sandals with the dress shorts that have been trending all season long.
You can wear the shoes with or without socks—that’s 100 percent up to you—but what we do know for sure is that they’re the ideal shoe to live out the rest of summer in.
This post was originally published in Glamour Spain.