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Is a pair of knit flats made from recycled plastic bottles worth the price of a leather pair?
Rothy's has spent a decade arguing yes. The pitch is simple: shoes knit from recycled plastic bottles, machine washable, no break-in period, no polish, no cobbler. The question worth asking is not whether the material story is true. It is whether this particular shoe fits the way you actually use shoes, because the price band is the same one where leather and quality canvas live.
What Rothy's sells is described plainly on the brand's own pages: stylish, machine-washable shoes and bags made from recycled plastic bottles and other sustainable materials. The construction matters more than the slogan. Knitted uppers are formed in one piece, so there is almost no cutting waste compared with a panelled leather shoe, and the resulting fabric has give in every direction. That is why the flats feel soft on day one. It is also why they will never hold the structured shape of a stitched leather loafer.
The three numbers that decide whether the price is worth it
- Cost per wear. A shoe you wear three days a week for two years is a different purchase from a shoe you wear twice a season. Divide the price by the number of wears you honestly expect, and compare that against the pair you would have bought instead.
- Care cost. This is where machine-washable knit footwear wins on paper. No polish, no dry cleaning, no waterproofing spray, and no trips to a repair shop for scuffed toes. Over a few years those small costs add up to real money in a leather rotation.
- Resale and end of life. Knit flats hold value differently from leather shoes. Well-known leather silhouettes resell reliably because a cobbler can restore them. Knit shoes depend far more on the current colourway being in demand.
Who should skip them
If you want a shoe that creases, patinas and gets repaired rather than replaced, knit construction will frustrate you. The same goes for anyone who needs a wide or half-size fit, since knit footwear tolerates length differences better than width differences. And if you are buying for a single event, the material story does not change the maths: the cheapest shoe for one wedding is not the one built to be washed for years.
How it compares with other vegan shoe brands
The vegan footwear market splits into three camps, and Rothy's sits in the knit one. Veja builds leather-free and canvas silhouettes around wild Amazonian rubber soles and a strong visual identity. Allbirds works in merino wool and tree fibre, with a plainer look and a carbon-neutral claim attached to the range. Cariuma leans on canvas and suede alternatives with a lower entry price. Saola builds sneakers from recycled plastic, cork and algae bloom for a softer, more casual shape. Rothy's differentiator is not the material alone, it is the washability plus the knitted fit, which is why it competes more with leather flats than with running shoes.
How to spend less on vegan shoes
- Check the brand's own sale section first. Seasonal colourways are retired rather than discounted on the home page.
- Use first-order signup offers. Most DTC footwear brands give new subscribers a percentage off, and it stacks better with an already-reduced colourway than with a full-price hero style.
- Buy the washable rotation, not the collection. Two pairs worn hard beat five pairs worn occasionally, both on cost per wear and on how long each pair stays presentable.
- Validate the code before you rely on it. The table below is checked against the retailer data we track, and codes that fail get removed.
Verified coupon codes, October 2026
The codes below are verified against our retailer data and cover the brands named in this article wherever a working code exists, including Rothy's own subscription offer. Terms vary by brand, so confirm on the brand page before checkout.
| Code | Discount | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| ROTHYSUB | 10% OFF | Rothy |
| SAOLA15 | 15% OFF | Saola |
| SAOLAFREE | Free Shipping | Saola |
| CARISALE | 50% OFF | Cariuma |
| allb_email | 10% OFF | Allbirds |
Frequently asked questions
Are Rothy's shoes really machine washable?
Yes, that is the core of the brand's design and the reason the knit construction exists. Wash them cold on a gentle cycle, ideally in a laundry bag, and let them air dry. Heat is what damages the knit, so skip the dryer.
Do knit shoes stretch out over time?
Knit uppers have some give from the first wear rather than breaking in later, which is the opposite of leather. They do relax slightly with use, but they are far less likely to develop pressure points than a stiff stitched shoe.
Is recycled plastic footwear as durable as leather?
It is durable in a different way. Leather resists abrasion and can be repaired; knit fabric resists cracking and needs no conditioning. For daily commuting and wet pavements, the deciding factor is usually the sole and the insole rather than the upper material.
Which vegan shoe brand is cheapest to start with?
Canvas-led brands such as Cariuma and Saola generally sit below knit and leather alternatives on entry price, while Veja and Allbirds cluster in the middle. If price is the deciding factor, start with canvas and upgrade when you know your size in the brand's last.
Do these codes apply to every brand in the table?
Each code belongs to the brand listed next to it. A code from one brand will not work in another brand's checkout, which is exactly why we label them instead of lumping them into one catch-all discount claim.