Top 3 Rothy's Dupes Under $100
Rothy’s is a high-end eco-friendly shoe brand. Their products are sustainable and strive for zero waste. They’re most famous for their pointed toe washable knit flats — or as their website says, “sharp style meets exceptional comfort.”
Unfortunately, Rothy’s run at a pretty high price point. Here’s what you can expect to pay:
$145 for the iconic pointed toe flat
$125 for the round toe flat
$159 for the Mary Jane flat
$125 for the square toe flat
Fortunately, we’ve found some Rothy’s dupes that check off the same characteristics as the OG washable knit flat at a few different price points. These dupes had to fulfill two non-negotiable criteria:
Have a knit upper
Are machine washable
Price and sustainability were extra perks. Here’s how our writer felt about the shoes.
Full disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you see something you like, click the link, and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. But this post is NOT sponsored. Everything here is our unbiased opinion, with the blisters of rejected shoes (looking at you Mia knit flats) to prove it.
1. Most comfortable Rothy Dupe: Vivaia
Vivaia is an online sustainable shoe brand that uses recycled materials from plastic water bottles. That’s right, each pair of shoes is made of six recycled plastic water bottles so your feet will feel good and so will the earth. Vivaia shoes also feature:
Eco-friendly deodorizing insoles
Carbon-free rubber outsoles
Washable knit upper
The Shoe I Tested: Vivaia Bella in Rich Grey
The Bellas have just the right amount of sparkle weaved into the fabric and the lace-up ribbons are carefree and absolutely stunning.
One thing that stood out to me about these shoes were that I did not have to break them in. I put them on and walked around the mall for hours and they didn’t hurt me feet at all. They were comfortable the first time I wore them, which is incredibly impressive to me.
Unfortunately, the Bellas are currently out of stock. But here are a few other styles that have a similar aesthetic.
Rothy’s and Vivaia side-by-side
Pointed toe: Vivaia’s Aria is a dupe for Rothy’s The Point. Vivaia’s Vienna and Valencia offer additional styles and colors.
Round toe: Vivaia’s Claire are dupes for Rothy’s The Flat.
Square toe: Vivaia’s Margot is a dupe for Rothy’s The Square.
Mary Jane: Vivaia’s Tamia and Margot Mary Jane are dupes for Rothy’s The Mary Jane.
And Vivaia also offers an almond toe flat, which Rothy’s doesn’t offer yet:
Almond toe: Vivaia Tamia
Sizing: True to size for the Bella flat, but follow the website’s size guide.
Price: Starts at $79
2. Most natural Rothy Dupe: Allbirds
Allbirds is a New Zealand-based company that looks to nature instead of synthetic materials. The brand prefers simplicity, comfort and practicality, which means you won’t find a ton of designs or over-the top details.
Here are a few core features of the Allbirds Tree Breezers:
Silky smoother knit made of sustainable eucalyptus tree fiber
Castor bean insole layered with merino wool to minimize odor
Contoured and bouncy Brazilian sugarcane outsole called SweetFoam
Rothy’s and Allbirds side-by-side
While it doesn’t have the iconic pointed toe like Rothy’s The Point, the Allbirds Tree Breezers has a more defined silhouette than Rothy’s round-toe version, The Flat. Let’s just say if The Point and The Flat had a baby, you would get the Allbirds’ Tree Breezers’ rounded almond toe.
Sizing: Tends to run small for the Tree Breezers. Consider sizing up half a size.
Price: $98
3. Budget Pick: Skechers
When you think of Skechers, you may immediately conjure up images of chunky sneakers. But the brand has come a long way. In the past few years, they’ve launched their TOMS look-alike, called BOBS, and they’ve taken up the mantle to tackle washable knit flats.
Here are the highlights of the Skechers Cleo:
Air-cooled memory foam insole
Rubber outsole
Vegan
The Shoe I Tested: Skechers Cleo in Navy
I’m not going to lie, the break-in period on these was rough. These shoes felt a bit too snug when I first put them on. But, I didn’t want to size up, because I knew the knit would break in and I didn’t want my heel to slip out.
After wearing these shoes for a while, they definitely got more comfortable. The memory foam insoles are very cushiony and the upper knit didn’t rub my feet in any way. I wouldn’t have a second thought wearing these again.
One thing to note is that the navy color is a bit brighter than what I would consider a universal “navy,” making it harder to coordinate outfits. So if you go with these shoes, you might want to choose a darker, more sophisticated aesthetic.
Rothy’s and Skechers side-by-side
Pointed toe: Skechers Cleo Point is a dupe for Rothy’s The Point.
Round toe: Skechers Cleo Round is a dupe for Rothy’s The Flat.
Mary Jane: Skechers Cleo Point Knit Bow is a dupe for Rothy’s The Mary Jane.
Almond toe: Skechers Cleo
Sizing: True to size for the Cleo, but will likely need a break-in period.
Price: Starts at $50
How to care for your washable knit flats?
All of the shoes listed here are machine washable. They are not dryer-friendly. Heat can warp and discolor your shoes.
Here’s a quick guide on how to machine wash your new flats:
Remove the insole. (Note: The Skechers washable knit shoes don’t have removable insoles.)
Put your shoes in a mesh laundry bag. (Note: Rothy’s doesn’t require this step and claims you can throw your insoles into the washing machine too.)
Wash with cold water using mild detergent on a gentle cycle.
Shake off excess water and air dry.
Vivaia and Allbirds recommend hand washing and air drying your insoles.