I Walked Around in 7 Pairs of Jelly Shoes. Here’s What’s Actually Comfortable.

The shape of these Aldo jellies stood out to me the most. They’re the perfect cherry-red shade, are slightly tapered at the toe, and have a V-shaped opening, so they look a little sleeker than the other rounded flats I tried. When I tested them, though, the padding at the front of the shoe felt unnatural and made them a little awkward to walk in. (The padding could have been placed farther back for morearch support.) And even though I liked the look of a slimmer shoe, my toes felt a bit cramped in these. I could do only a couple of walks with my dog before putting them aside, unfortunately.

The brand Ancient Greek is known for its well-designed barely there shoes, so these were at the top of my list to try. Compared with the Aldos, these have more lattice webbing, so my foot felt less exposed — a nice feature I noticed while walking my dog and occasionally stepping into grassy areas. They don’t have any extra cushioning on the sole, which looks more streamlined than that of the other shoes, but this makes walking in them feel kind of flimsy. I can see myself wearing these to the pool but not walking more than a mile or two since there isn’t much support. The shade was also slightly off for me — a little more on the pink side rather than a true red.

I think Coconuts by Matisse jellies most resembleThe Row’s Mara ballerina flats(though I’ve never seen the $800 shoes in person). They’re shaped more like asockthan a traditional flat and have a similar cork sole. They felt snug when I first put them on, but the lattice has so much open space that my feet felt more exposed than they did in other pairs. I could feel the support of the cork bottom while walking, but I wouldn’t necessarily wear them around the city since grass was fully popping through the holes. I went with the clear version but noticed they have a slightly blue tint in the sun; for a clear jelly, I prefer a white undertone for more versatility.

Melissa isthebrand for jellies. I went with these mary janes since they’re closest to the other flats I tested. Surprisingly, I ended up really liking this style more than I initially thought I would. The strap made my feet feel more secure, and the shoes looked a tad more dressed up than some of the others. I’ve worn them out to dinner and didn’t feel at all like I was wearing apool shoe. I could also walk in them for hours without any issues thanks to the cushiony, memory-foam-like sole. The only downside is I wouldn’t necessarily wear these out to the beach or pool since they do feel most like a true ballet flat. They don’t seem as if they would hold up after getting wet, and any sand would be tough to clean out. While itsMpattern was interesting, the shoe wasn’t my overall favorite.

Gap’s version of the jelly flat was initially really impressive. The lattice pattern is between those of the Ancient Greek and the Coconuts by Matisse, so the shoes have a cute pattern but my feet didn’t feel too exposed. Like the Melissa, these have extra padding in the sole for some comfort, so I could wear them on dog walks and for a couple of hours without any aches in my arches. The deal-breaker, however, was how sweaty my feet got in this particular shoe. I chalk this up to the sole’s plastic material, which made them less breathable. If I’m going to be wearing flats out in the Houston humidity, the last thing I want is sweat-drenched feet.

I’ve been wearing these the longest out of all the jellies I tried. I received them back in March, and they quickly became one of my go-to slip-ons for walking my dog, running errands, and beach days. I didn’t think they would be as comfortable as they were — especially since they’re the only pair of mules on this list — but I haven’t had any foot pain when I’ve worn them from day to night. Thesandalshave a solid leather structure, so they don’t flap around like a flimsyflip-flop, and they have just enough cushioning to feel good on my arches. The backless design makes them work well at the pool or beach since sand doesn’t get stuck in them and they dry off extremely fast. The leather insole and jelly structure look more elevated than the standard all-plastic sandals I tested. I’ve also received the most compliments on these. I think they’re the perfect combination of a casual sandal you can throw on with aswimsuitand something slightly more stylish you can wear with a sundress or matching set.

I was most surprised by these Target jellies. They arrived on the same day as the Ancient Greek flats, and I could barely tell the two pairs apart while unboxing. The biggest difference between them is the Targets jellies’ added padded sole: Walking in these is much more comfortable, and they feel a lot less flimsy than the Ancient Greek flats. The cushioning is comparable to the soles of the Melissa mary janes, but the removable cushioning made these stand out even more. I’ve been able to throw these on after dips in the pool without worrying about a soaked sole. They’re also the perfect clear shade without any blue or brown undertones.