Jelly Comes Back: Jelly Shoes and Bags Surge This Summer
Creatrip Team
25 days ago
This summer in South Korea, ‘jelly’ fashion—transparent, soft PVC items like jelly shoes and jelly bags—has returned as a major trend, driven by Y2K nostalgia, summer weather, and social media. Jelly shoes, popular in the early 2000s, are back with custom decorations called ‘젤꾸’ (decorating jelly shoes with ribbons, beads, charms), while jelly bags—once seen as bath or pool bags—are now holiday and street-style accessories, including playful ‘퍼킨’ (fake Birkin) designs. Sales and searches have soared: platforms report overall jelly merchandise sales up ~400% year-on-year, jelly bag sales up to 680%, jelly shoe searches and transactions doubling or more, and some live-commerce launches earning nearly 200 million won in an hour. The material’s water-friendly, lightweight qualities suit rainy and hot summer conditions, and the DIY decoration trend lets young consumers express personal style on social media.
