Done with flip-flops but not yet ready for loafers? Might I introduce you to the in-between shoe trend taking off in fashion circles right now? Taking all the ease of your favourite rubbery flip-flops and combining it with the higher coverage of a timeless loafer, chic dressers are suddenly completing their late-summer looks with the surprising water-shoe trend.

As if designed to frolic through rock pools, these transparent jelly shoes are completing some of the chicest outfits I’ve come across this season. Case in point: Alexa Chung slipped into a pair just this week. Worn with a white, calf-skimming midi dress in a gauzy cotton finish, Alexa’s transparent flats brought a playful energy to her look whilst keeping things typically unfussy.

Alexa Chung wears transparent water shoes with a white cotton midi dress and sunglasses.

(Image credit: @alexachung)

And whilst the trend might strike you as an unlikely one to catch on, some of the season’s key designers have been dipping their toes in, too. Spotted at Ancient Greek Sandals, Jimmy Choo and Tory Burch, transparent jelly flats are quickly becoming one of August’s fastest-growing shoe trends.

With their transparent finish and simple flat silhouette, IMO, there are few outfits this playful shoe trend wouldn’t work with. Though you might not want to wear them for a stint in the office, they’re perfect for off-duty styling—and even better if you have any last-minute trips in the calendar.

Fashion’s fascination with the ugly shoe continues. Read on to shop the water shoes I recommend below.

Water Shoes: