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I used to feel a little embarrassed by my home clothes—anything I wore when no one could see me. That included ratty shoes, shirts with holes, and old shorts I should have gotten rid of long ago. When I got a dog, my embarrassment swelled because I was too lazy to change when I left the house for his daily walks. People could see me shuffling around in my holey pajamas! Horrifying.
Thankfully, over the past few years, I've donated the clothes (the ones without holes) and upgraded my at-home wear. But my default shoes for dog walks or quick runs to the deli were still cheap slip-ons I bought on Amazon, and after a year of constant use, these deteriorated. Then I'd buy a new pair. They also always looked crappy.
Enter Rothy's new line of men's shoes, which the brand introduced in February. I've been wearing the Driving Loafers almost daily for 10 months and I don't think I've ever been happier with a pair of casual shoes. They're quick to slip on, comfy, easy to clean, and, best of all, attractive. I was just complimented on them a few weeks ago!
Recycled Rothy’s
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Rothy's Driving Loafer$189 at Rothy's
We've written about Rothy's before, but it's worth repeating that its shoes are made from plastic bottles. It took 21 bottles to make the Driving Loafers. The company also has a recycling program, so you can return your old Rothy's at a store and get a $30 discount code for a new pair. Those old shoes are then disassembled and recycled for new uses. That's a much better end compared to my cheap slip-ons from Amazon, which are probably sitting in a landfill somewhere.
Rothy's shoes are expensive. I mean, I was buying $30 to $40 everyday shoes on Amazon before, and these start at $189. But I highly recommend you wait for sale events. For example, right now, you can snag the Driving Loafers for as low as $99 in select colors. Still expensive! But a lot more palatable than the MSRP.
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I also want to note that while Rothy's claims its shoes are “built to last,” that's a bit of a misnomer. It depends on how well you take care of them, and how often you wear them. Having worn these shoes almost every day for the past 10 months, I'm quite happy with where they are at in terms of wear and tear—some parts of the nubs on the sole have rubbed off, and there's a slight tear on one sole. I imagine I might only have another year or two with the Rothy's at this current pace, but it's faring much better than my old slip-ons. You might not see this kind of deterioration if you rotate what you wear more often.
Rothy's shoes are machine washable, though you need to air-dry them instead of tossing them into a dryer. I've frankly never felt the need to put them in a washer—I just use a damp cloth to gently wipe away dirt, and the shoes still look pretty good!
Easy Street
I have the Driving Loafers in navy and I like that the upper is flexible so my toes don't feel constrained, and the shoes feel wide enough to accommodate them. I had virtually no break-in period with these. I do recommend going up a half-size—I'm usually a 12.5 (US men's), so I went with size 13 and the fit is just right (I don't wear them with socks). The removable insole is firm and supportive, and the rear of the shoe doesn't dig into the back of my foot.
I have a pair of Nikes where the back of the shoe has warped over time and started to dig into the back of my ankle, but the Rothy's have stayed constant over the past year. The only deterioration is on the sole, where the grippy nubs have started to wear off in some areas. (They're still pretty grippy.)
These aren't the only Rothy's shoes I've tested. I also have the RS01 Sneaker and the Monty, both of which are comfy and attractive and easy to slip on, though I like the latter a bit more, even if I do need to fix up the laces on 'em more often than I'd like. They're great casual shoes that still look smart, and you can wear them for long stretches. I wore the Monty at Disney World and my feet weren't as sore as I expected them to be after three days of walking around the parks.
Not every Rothy’s shoe is a winner though. I was also sent the Ravello Loafers, which are pretty, but don’t have the sturdy construction of the others and was just too painful to wear for any amount of time (I tried both size 12 and size 13).
It can be tough to find a reliable pair of shoes that are comfortable but also look smart. This year, I became a Rothy’s convert. I particularly like that I have a way to recycle them at the end of their lifecycle—just make sure to wait for a sale.
