Return Of The Jellies, Part Deux

We heard inklings of this last year. Those candy-like shoes with the candy-like name are back (again) and this time designers are really getting it. Unlike the lattice designs we saw last year, these sandals make the kid-friendly coloring work by pairing it with sophisticated shapes, like Old Navy’s thong with chain detail (left, was $12.50, now $10), Kate Spade’s simple slide with a big bauble at the top (center, $60), and this simple green pair with a chic espadrille wedge (right, $29.25).

I keep thinking about all the possibilities for these comfortable slides: beach and poolside, of course. But perhaps they could also make my too-often-black daytime wardrobe a bit more whimsical. Or stand in for flip-flops on the walk to work. The more I look at them, the more I’m smitten.

Then there’s Kenneth Cole’s version ($25), which is something like a gladiator sandal rendered in clear plastic. We could laud it as an affordable path to uber-trendy feet (Gladiator sandals! And jellies! In one!), but really they just look like the jellies you wore when you were five.

Which pair would you wear? Or do you think jellies are best left in the sandbox? Post a comment and weigh in.