Some products show up everywhere — subway ads, Instagram, celeb endorsements. With this series, we're testing such products to conclude one thing: Does it live up to the hype?
Rothy's shoes — cute, washable shoes for women made from recycled materials.
Rothy's launched in 2016 with The Flat and The Loafer, and just a little over 3 years later, the brand now has six different styles for women — ranging from flats to boots to sneakers — as well as two styles for kids. What's helped the company gain so much press, buzz, and notoriety in such a short period of time? According to a recent Vox article, it's the hyper-enthusiastic community surrounding the brand that has propelled it to cult status.
It's a common problem for professional women to struggle with finding comfortable shoes that are also work-appropriate, and Rothy's has come in to fill that niche. Plus, the shoes are machine-washable, so they're a plus for working women and working mothers, too.
- Bountiful Instagram ads
- Facebook groups with thousands of members
- Meghan Markle
- The Hearst office
In 2018, Rothy's brought in $140 million in revenue. For reference, Allbirds launched in 2016 and brought in $100 million in its first 2 years. In 2019, Rothy's sold more than 1 million pairs of shoes (though they hit that 1 million mark in June, so it's likely they eventually sold many more than a million). To say that Rothy's shoes are pretty popular is a gross understatement — the brand has become a whole lifestyle.
I've been wanting to try out Rothy's ever since I saw my friend wearing a cute yellow pair of the pointed-toe flats. She had tons of pairs and claimed they were the most comfortable flats she'd ever worn (which folks over at Cosmo claim, too). I wasn't sure that I believed her, mostly because of how the shoes were made.
Rothy's are made with plastic water bottles, and the brand claims that they've repurposed over 37 million water bottles and turned them into thread. Add some merino wool and you've got Rothy's signature material. When I first felt the material, it was smoother than I expected (didn't feel like wool or plastic at all). I could also tell immediately that it was super durable, which is necessary for a pair of shoes you want to wear on the reg.
I wore Rothy's loafers for the first time on my way to work and was immediately impressed by the feel on my feet. I'm typically hesitant to wear a pair of flats for the first time on my commute for fear of dreaded blisters. Luckily, this was not my experience at all.
The shoes hug your feet comfortably and provide enough support for handling subway stairs or running a few errands post-workday. I think I would still opt for sneakers if I were doing some serious walking, but it's nice to have another option that doesn't leave my feet in pain. If you don’t believe me, take it from my coworkers who love them, too.
Perhaps the best part of Rothy's is the color selection. Since launch, the company has released a mind-boggling 400 different color options. It's this extensive selection that's also created the serious fanbase. The hashtag #rothysinthewild has over 25,000 posts on Instagram of people sharing how their shoes match their various surroundings, like funky tile, cool rugs, and pretty scenery. And it's precisely what got me interested in the brand in the first place (seriously, the yellow really caught my eye).
As a working woman, it's hard to not want to support a company whose mission is to help women professionals find comfortable footwear. Their tagline reads, "We’re inspired by the remarkable women of today, and we’re proud to craft sustainable styles that help them effortlessly move through their day." I'm on board, and already browsing which style I want to try next.
If you're looking for a comfortable pair of flats that you can wear immediately out of the box, Rothy's are it. You won't be disappointed.
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