Letting Your Feet Take You Back to the '80s

The term jelly shoes may conjure up cringe-worthy flashbacks of 1980s neon clothes and She's So Unusual — era Cyndi Lauper videos, but the flexible plastic footwear has come back into fashion in a big way. Designer Michael Kors has jelly shoes in his summer collection, Burberry is offering classy updated jelly thong sandals with the company's trademark plaid encased in the transparent soles, and trendy teens around the U.S. are digging out vintage versions of the original squishy sandals. One of the most popular retro styles is the Melissa Love System jellied tennis shoe (left). Introduced at a trade show a year ago, the see-through bendy sneakers were attracting lines and waiting lists in stores nationwide even before they hit the shelves. Angelo Daros, vice president of marketing at Grendha Shoes Corp., makers of the Melissa line, says, "Jelly is not a trend that is going to go away this time. It's become just another material."