80s Shoes We Hated to Wear: Jelly Shoes
Stinky Plastic 80s Fashion
Why would anyone want to stick their bare feet into plastic shoes? Okay, so some people may have worn them with socks, which was, like, fashionably questionable (at best), but what did we think was so stylish about stinky feet? And believe me, no 80s fashion smelled worse (except maybe Aqua Net hairspray). I remember sitting around the house, wondering what’s that foul odor? — only to discover it was coming from my own jelly shoes! It was totally disgusting!
But 80s Shoes Had to Be Cute
But they were soooo cute! And when it comes to fashion, it’s all about aesthetics. They make your feet smell? So what? They look awesome! Women have been wearing uncomfortable shoes for decades… centuries even, and 80s shoes were no different.
All of my jelly shoes were made mostly out of soft plastic, but the back piece was hard and it used to give me blisters — blisters that hurt! The plastic along the sides of the shoes was always breaking. Did I mention they were cheap? You could get a pair for under five dollars, which was a good thing since I always had to replace mine.
But on the playground, jelly shoes totally ruled. I remember all too well how much all the girls thought jelly shoes were the greatest 80s fashion ever. We flaunted them, and for about a season, we gave them top honor among all our other 80s shoes. But alas, the love we had for our jelly shoes did not last (thank goodness).
Rest in Peace, Jelly Shoes
I’m sure all my old jelly shoes are in a landfill somewhere, stubbornly NOT decomposing. This is one 80s fashion that I’m glad has been laid to rest and one pair of 80s shoes that I hope never comes back into style.
Good riddance jelly shoes!
Latest 80s Posts
80s Hair: The Side Ponytail
80s fashion involved more than just clothes and shoes and accessories. You totally had to have the hair that topped off the outfit. Big hair. Bold hair. WILD hair! 80s hair had to be grandiose. Heck, what wasn’t big in the 80s? We doused our locks with Aqua-Net until our hair was thick and sticky. But at least our hairstyle was securely fixed.... [Read more]
80s Accessories: Leg Warmers (80s Fashion Staple)
We wore them with jeans. We wore them with mini-skirts. We totally wore them with leotards and anything else we dug out of our closets. Leg warmers were the ultimate in 80s fashion. As a kid growing up in the 80s, I wore my leg warmers out. Leg warmers could be found just about anywhere. They were wearing them on TV, in the movies, and even in schoolyards.... [Read more]
In the 80s
In the 80s, life was simple. There were only ten or twenty TV stations. MTV played music videos and disc jockeys actually spun records of their own choosing. We didn’t worry about ingesting chemicals or eating processed foods. We just gobbled down whatever was tasty. If we wanted the news, we either tuned in to the local television network or... [Read more]
80s Timeline: 1988
The 80s timeline features a year-by-year account of pop culture happenings and world events that had a major impact on society in the 80s. Who was born in 1988? Who died? What events impacted society and shaped the world as we know it today? Did we make any important advances? This installment of the 80s timeline focuses on 1988. [Read more] Read More →
80s TV Shows: The Dukes of Hazard
It was a good ole’ southern show complete with drawls and hospitality. The Dukes of Hazzard revved its engine in 1979 and raced through 80s TV until its quiet demise in 1985. The Dukes of Hazzard was just one of many 80s tv shows that were based on movies. It was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, also created by Gy Waldron, who took many... [Read more]
Music Television Shook Up 80s TV
On August 1, 1981, an obscure television station launched and changed the face of 80s TV forever. In fact, MTV permanently changed the face of television and also helped revolutionize the music industry, giving artists a visual platform and allowing audiences to connect with their favorite musicians 24/7. The station had a huge impact on culture, introducing... [Read more]
80s Toys: Cabbage Patch Kids
You heard about them before you ever saw one. It was the new fad, the latest trend, and pretty soon, you had to get yourself one or risk social exile. Before we all knew it, parents were scratching each others’ eyeballs out trying to grab the last one, because the stores kept running out. Nobody could keep them in stock. And at Christmastime,... [Read more]
80s Slang: Awesome!
80s slang was downright viral. Most of the popular verbiage of the decade faded before the 90s really got rolling, but a few favorite words have stuck around and followed us right into the new millennium. “Awesome” is one of those words. And why shouldn’t it be? Unlike the weirdly popular “bad,” which actually meant “good,”... [Read more]
80s Singers: George Michael
During the first half of the 80s, he was busy bumping hips with Wham! mate Andrew Ridgeley. But he spent the second half of the decade basking in the solo spotlight and earning a seat among the best and most admired (lusted after) 80s singers. George Michael had swagger, he had style. He had a crooning voice full of passion. And he had a totally tight... [Read more]
Go Back to the 80sTotally Awesome 80s Videos
Rad 80s Stuff
Let’s Hook Up!
