Rothy's

The company began in 2012 with Stephen Hawthornthwaite, an investment banker, and Roth Martin, a creative. Their goal was to create a stylish and comfortable women’s flat shoe, reducing the excess that occurs with a traditional shoe making process.[4] There was significant delay between the founding of the company and the launch due to the complexity of making the product. He states that he drew inspiration from companies like Patagonia in making shoes using sustainable materials.[5]

In December 2015, Rothy's briefly went to market but quickly stopped taking orders for six months.[6] In Summer 2016, Rothy's resumed marketing, offering its first two styles, The Flat and The Point, from its website. In January 2017, Rothy’s opened its own 65,000 square foot factory in Guangzhou, China[7][8][9] with nine employees,[6] which grew to 100 by August 2017.[10]

As of April 2019, Rothy's had 70 employees in the US and 450 in China.[7][11][12] Investors in the company include Goldman Sachs and Lightspeed Venture Partners,[11] who have invested $35 million and $5 million respectively,[6] and $2 million in convertible notes from Finn Capital Partners, M13 and Grace Beauty Capital.[13]

In 2018, Rothy's experienced a 350% compounded growth rate with over $140 million in sales, selling over 1 million pairs of shoes.[7] Rothy’s opened their first brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco in May 2018. As of March 2020, they also have stores in Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City.[14][15]

Due to competitors copying the design and selling the shoes for cheaper prices, the company has made a significant effort to protect the brand from counterfeits and imitators. As of March 2019, 31 patents had been issued, with some 40 cases pending.[5]

In March 2020 the company announced the launch of their handbag range.[16] At the time the company stated that they had repurposed 50 million plastic bottles in the making of their products.[2]

Rothy's make a number of shoe silhouettes, including The Flat, The Point, The Loafer, The Sneaker, The Chelsea, The Mary Jane, and The Lace Up. As of December 2018 there were some 60 possible combinations of color and style.[17]

Rothy's products are made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles and post-consumer recycled materials.[18] During the manufacturing process, the water bottles are hot washed and sterilized. Chips of plastic are melted down into pellets, stretched into fibers, and given air treatment until they entwine. The soft yarn produced is then loaded onto knitting machines which knit the upper part of the shoe in 14 to 24 minutes, depending on the design. They are then sewn to the sole by hand, paired with recycled foam and recycled rubber soles. According to Business of Fashion Rothy's range caters to women looking for an alternative to sneakers or ballet shoes. The Point is the best-selling of the flats, retailed at $145.[11] Business Insider states that the shoes are very light and flexible with no hard seams or edges, and also notes that they are moisture-wicking, so function throughout the year with sweat or in the rain.[18] The shoes are machine washable and can be air dried in 40 minutes.[12]

The company has also ventured into the children's market,[19] launching a children's version of the brand’s popular loafer silhouette in 2018 and slip-on sneakers for kids in March 2019.[11][20] The sneakers come in both solids and unisex prints.[21]

On March 2, 2020 the company announced the launch of handbags made from recycled plastic. The new handbags are sold in seven different styles and five silhouettes, the Essential Tote, the Handbag, the Dual-Zip Crossbody, the Essential Pouch, and The Catchall and are priced from $65 to $350.[16][22]

The shoes have been well-received by fashion critics, particularly for their comfortability and durability.[23] Robin Hilmantel of Women's Health described the shoes as "comfortable as they are chic".[24] Kavita Varma-White of Today described Rothy's as the "perfect travel shoe".[25] Megan O'Neill of Parade noted a new trend among celebrities, in that many are now favoring flats over heels.[26] Meghan Markle wore Rothy’s in October 2018 while on a visit to Australia with Prince Harry.[27][28] In 2019, Rothy's was recognized as one of the "100 Best Inventions of 2019" by Time.[29] Rothy's was also included in Fast Company's list of "The 10 most innovative style companies of 2020".[30]

• Official site