Rothy's

Rothy’s was founded in San Francisco in 2012 by Stephen Hawthornthwaite and Roth Martin, who developed the brand around a 3D knitting technology that produces a shoe upper from a continuous thread of recycled plastic in a process that generates almost no material waste. The recycled plastic comes from PET bottles, which are converted into thread that the knitting machines form into shoe uppers without the cutting and sewing steps that conventional shoe production requires and that generate significant offcuts. The Georgetown store at 3068 M Street NW is on the lower M Street commercial block, carrying the full Rothy’s range.

The washable property of the product is the most practically useful feature for the Georgetown commuter. A pair of Rothy’s flats can be put in the washing machine and come out clean and returned to shape, which is a feature that no leather flat can offer and that the urban shoe buyer who walks through rain, pavement, and the occasional muddy canal towpath has genuine occasion to use. The 3D knit structure returns to its original shape through the washing cycle rather than losing form the way woven fabrics do when wet, which is the technical property that makes the machine-wash claim workable in practice.

The flat is the signature Rothy’s product, and the Point flat in the rounded toe is the silhouette that most people who know the brand associate with it. The range has expanded to include loafers, sneakers, ankle boots, and Mary Janes, with the knitted construction applied to each silhouette. Bags in the same recycled thread material extend the product range beyond footwear with the same washable, recycled construction.

Washington’s commuting culture, which involves significant walking between Metro stops and office destinations and the weather variability of the DC climate, produces consistent demand for the flat shoe that is comfortable enough for a long day on foot and durable enough to survive the conditions a commute involves. For the Georgetown professional woman who walks to work and wants a flat that handles the commute and the office simultaneously, the Rothy’s product addresses that specific requirement.

Hours run from 10am Monday through Saturday and 11am Sunday, with Friday and Saturday closing at 8pm. Online ordering at rothys.com provides the full color and style range; the Georgetown store carries a selection that covers the most popular styles and colorways. The bag range at Rothy’s, which uses the same recycled material and the same washability as the shoes, provides a carrying solution that completes the sustainable accessories argument the brand makes. A tote in the same knitted recycled plastic that can be tossed in the washing machine after a rainy commute is the practical extension of the footwear logic. The Georgetown M Street store at 3068 carries the shoe and bag collections. For customers who want the full Rothy’s range including styles and colorways not stocked at the Georgetown store, online ordering at rothys.com ships with free returns. Hours run from 10am Monday through Saturday and 11am Sunday.