It’s been an age since I posted about a piece of travel wear. In this entry, it’s all about the Rothy pointed toe flat.

These are the flats you see popping up on Pinterest and other Instagram daily right now. I was intrigued by the sustainability ethos of the company and hooked by the style and color range, including the PERFECT red called Chili. Made from 100% post-consumer plastic water bottles, these shoes are a knit fabric available in a ballet flat, pointed toe, and loafer.

Pros:

• A great color/pattern range. Stand outs include the aformentioned Chili Red, Petal Pink, and Ash Grey Camo. Of course, they have these in black but a pop of color or pattern adds SO much to an outfit.
• Near perfect style. Not only is the pointed toe the right amount of point, there is toe clevage! This immediately elevates the style of a flat shoe and the Rothy nailed it. I know, there are people who despise toe clevage, but they are wrong. 😁
• An odd, but really good, material. These are made from plastic which is magically turned into……a knit that gives your foot a hug. I can’t get any more specific that that. When I slipped into these, it felt like I was sliding into bespoke massaging shoes.
• Light as air. I was amazed as how light these are. Not only in my hand but on my feet.
• They are washable. I did not test this but the Rothy’s are touted as machine washable and I’ve read a few reviews that claim the shoes wash up without issue. I like this idea, especially since we’ve all stepped in something suspect during a trip and that’s never fun to bring back home (or put back in your suitcase).

Cons:

• The price. If you are cost-conscious, the Rothy may not be for you. The pointed flat retails for $145 USD and is the midpoint for the range – the ballet is $125 and the loafer is $165.
• The lack of cushioning. There is a removable insole but it’s not that cushiony. I tried to add my favorite insoles but then the shoes were too tight.  This is the biggest issue for me because a travel flat, if I plan to wear it for travel, should have a rigid sole that doesn’t let me feel every pebble I walk over.
• Stray threads. Both of my shoes had several stray ‘threads’ poking out of the topline of the shoe. These were sharp and poked the side of my foot in several places. Nothing that nail clippers couldn’t remedy, but an annoyance for a shoe over the $100 mark.

Final verdict? Not for me. The Rothy’s are good looking and comfortable to wear for a quick errand or as a day shoe, but for serious travel they don’t get my marks as the perfect travel flat. I’ll happily wear mine to walk the dog around the block in style and for occasional domestic travel but, despite the excellent color and style of the Rothy’s pointed flat, my quest for a travel flat continues.

Note: I purchased the shoes at full price without consideration from Rothy’s and my review reflects my personal experience.

What about you? Do you have a ‘go-to’ pair of stylish travel flats? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

MM