Review: JuJu Jelly shoes (making sandals teamed with socks acceptable again)

If you're a child of the 90s, you'll remember jelly shoes. I had a pair. They were clear plastic jelly, with glittery flecks. My sister's were either purple or blue - she's always been a fan of cooler colours. Anyway, I flipping loved them. LOVED them. They looked like ballerina pumps and gave us both massive blisters which meant my sister and I had to wear them with frilly ankle socks (socks and sandals rules don't apply when you're seven), of course, but they were proper princess shoes. Because all princess have plastic shoes. Look at Barbie for crying out loud. No faux-leather heels there.

So when I spotted them making a comeback, I was intrigued. At 27 I'm way past the princess stage - in fairness I grew out of that when I was about thirteen - so why suddenly were pop princesses like Rita Ora, models and trendy fashionistas rocking the jellies?

I managed to get my hands on a pair, made by Northampton's JuJu - the original British jelly shoe maker - and give them a go. Perhaps I was missing something everyone else could see. After all, I couldn't help being amazingly envious when a workmate bought a bargain pair of Vivienne Westwood's Anglomania Lady Dragon heels from eBay. Maybe jelly is the way forward.

I chose a yellow pair, more of a slip-on shoe than the iconic chunky sandal I've seen. Hey, if I'm going ot embrace a trend, I'm embracing it slowly. They felt very soft, and were proper neon. I have a coat to match from Topshop so was pleased I could at least wear them outdoors without feeling too childish. One bit of advice if you're thinking of becoming well jel (sorry), I'm usually a size 4/37, but order a size up as the fit is quite tight. A 5 or even a 6 would have fit better in that style.

So what to wear with them? I'd be tempted to rock a pink pair with denim dungarees, a purple tee and a bright green cardi (because the weather is never guaranteed), with matching pink ankle socks. Although just thinking about it does make me wonder if I'd look like my seven-year-old self. I hated dungarees back then, but fashion tells me they're no longer the first choice for carpenters, hillbillies or indeed any other farmer-type tradesman. So that's something.

If you're more girly than burly, they have a really lovely mint green selection, which is far more feminie, even if they shoe looks clumpy. Teamed with frilly ankle socks and a lace pale pink dress, it's a really feminine floaty look for the summer.

A final look, involves a pleather dress, red JuJus and nothing more. I'd love to say I'm brave enough to give it a go, but that's perhaps a look for the more daring and confident.

What about you? Did you have a pair when you were younger? Perhaps you're a proud JuJu owner this very day? Let us know your favourite looks (and deffo leave the link to your blog post below if you've already reviews a pair) on @sixoutoftenmag