Jelly shoes and comfortable, lightweight, and durable shoes with excellent fit. However, you should be careful to wear them for long in the summer as the PVC straps can cause discomfort and the overall body of the shoe can cause blisters to your feet.
Advantages of buying Jelly shoes
- Jelly shoes are lightweight shoes
- They are very durable
- They are flexible shoes
- They are designed as a one-piece
- They are waterproof shoes
- They come in different varieties
- They can be easily maintained
Lightweight
This is one of the first things that I appreciate about Jelly shoes. They only weigh a few ounces. That is not even up to a kilogram.
The lightweight quality comes from the plastic used. They don’t weigh a lot because they are made entirely of plastic. There are no stitches, seams, suede or leather material, no extra designs of any sort.
They are just plain, light, and beautiful. This makes them desirable and ideal for many environments. If you are going for casual work and you don’t want anything too stressful, Jelly shoes will be alright.
Durability
As we all know plastic is durable, and that is the main material that Jelly shoes are made of. The plastic is non-porous, meaning that they do not absorb anything and are impenetrable, making it good for any weather condition.
It can see you through all the seasons (except maybe winter) but they are a great choice. They will also last you for many years as long as you get the right size.
Flexible
I have heard people complain about their shoes and how restricting it makes them feel. They are usually well cushioned and ensure that the feet are protected but there is hardly any space to move your feet.
This won’t be a problem if you have Jelly shoes. They are flexible and allow you to move your feet as you please whether you want to wiggle your toes or just move them around in the shoes.
One-piece
Jelly shoes are designed as a single piece. This means that there are no extra materials, stitching, or seams. If there are any designs on it, say a bow, for example, it is still designed together with the main shoe.
And what good does this do? For starters, it makes it easy to wear and allows comfort. The fewer seams the better. That’s how you are assured that snug fit.
Waterproof
Take for example you want to go to the beach. Your flip flops are a disgrace, you don’t like the idea of sandals, leather shoes are not an option and yet you don’t want to walk barefooted. What can you wear? Jelly shoes! They are waterproof.
Plastic is not exactly manufactured to be absorbent so they are great for dealing with water and not getting wet. Hurray!
They come in different varieties
Another great thing about Jelly shoes is the variety. They come in different styles, designs, and sizes.
They are also recyclable which is a relief because PVC plastic is not biodegradable and is a leading waste material that is polluting our planet. You can make new shoes out of the old Jelly shoes. Cool right?
They are easily cleaned and maintained
This point will make your heart leap if you are not in for scrubbing shoes. The plastic material does get stained and all stains wash off very easily. All you need is a little water. And for maintenance, they do notà a need it. Just wear and enjoy. No sweat.
Cons of buying Jelly shoes
And now to the not-so-good part. I do not have much of it. This area because I have no real grudge against Jelly shoes… except they are not breathable. Jelly shoes are not breathable.
Remember when I said that the plastic used to make them is non-porous? That is what I mean. It is great that the non-porous nature makes it waterproof but it won’t allow air leading to sweaty feet (sometimes smelly), blisters, and chafing.
Agreed that some now come with an airy design like the one below but it only allows air in the open areas. What of the other part?
Jelly shoes can also cause blisters if worn for too long in hot weather.
Best ways to make your Jelly shoes more comfortable
I will be giving you 4 ways to make your Jelly shoes more comfortable. They are all easy to do, DIY projects and you won’t even spend so much.
Expand your Jelly with the hairdryer method
This is pretty easy. You only need your Jelly shoes and a hairdryer. Here is how you do it. Put on your Jelly shoes. Then set the dry on full settings and then with the hairdryer only a few inches away from your shoes, blow.
The heat will expand the shoes. If you do this without wearing it you will have them probably oversize when you put them on. Now you don’t just blow the shoes like that.
Let there be a 30 seconds interval. Keep up with this until you are sure they have expanded to your satisfaction.
Buy insoles for your Jelly shoes
This is really easy. Insoles are like footbeds. For normal shoes, the part where the bottom of your feet rests is the insoles and some of them are removable.
You can get new insoles (like this one on Amazon) and wear them with your Jelly shoes. It will give you some level of comfort and cushioning.
When you want to buy something or another, please make sure you buy the one that is the size of your shoes so you don’t poke out or be too small.
The only downside of this method is the color. Remember Jelly shoes are transparent so you can’t just go with whatever color you want. Grey is the best color because it is neutral and won’t stand out like black or get dirty like white.
Expand using the frozen water bag method
This works not just for Jelly shoes but other types of shoes. It is also very easy. Get a nylon bag, I will recommend a ziplock bag, and fill it with water. When you fill it with water let it be more than the shoe can contain so that it will stretch.
Set it in your jellies and let them freeze completely. As the water freezes the shoes will expand and be wider. Take it out when it is still frozen or allow it to melt.
You can also use the newspaper method to expand your Jelly shoes
For most people, it is usually the toe box of any shoe that is tight. It will seem like the shoes are crushing your toes and most times when you go along wearing them, your toes will be swollen after. I know, I have been there.
This method will only be effective if you feel discomfort at the toe box. If that is the case for you, here is how you do it. Get lots of newspapers. Soak them in water and scrunch them up together really tight.
Make sure that the newspapers are completely wet and are totally scrunched up together. Stuff them into the tie box till you have filled it out and it is bulging. Sun-dry it after everything.
When the newspaper is all dried it will be hard and stiff. The science behind it is that as the newspaper dries and hardens it expands causing your Jelly shoes to expand as well. Take them out gently and try not to make a mess.
I will recommend the night before you are going to wear them. It is not some type of 5 minutes fix.
Who can wear Jelly shoes?
Young, and old, men, women, everyone can wear the Jelly shoes.
There are complaints everywhere against Jelly shoes and the harm they can do to heels. This much is true. But is that why we talked about how to make your Jelly shoes more comfortable?
The major problem is that people find that perfect tight fit of Jelly shoes, because they look great, and they end up hurting them and ruining their feet.
If you should get your perfect size try to expand them just a lot. They will still have grip and the toe box will be okay.
Now for toddlers who can’t do it themselves, it is important to get the soft Jelly shoes made just for them. They are made of super-soft rubber called Polyvinyl Chloride.
They also come with buckles that you don’t have to strap so tight and all. In all, they are still comfortable and durable. As for the rest of you old folks, Jelly shoes are okay. Anyone can wear them.
Conclusion
Jelly shoes have made their comeback, don’t be left out. Get your pairs, make them comfortable and rock them.
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