Thinking of buying a pair of Rothy’s or Birdies? Keep on reading to see my thoughts on both brands.

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Okay, I must start this off by saying I wear black shoes *okay flats* to work almost everyday. Both Rothy’s and Birdies were constantly popping up on my social media feeds so it’s no surprise I ended up buying from both companies, and I did in fact get them both in…you guessed it, black. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with black shoes since at the time I wasn’t looking for other colored shoes and I desperately needed new shoes for work. This post is about “The Flat” style from Rothy’s and “The Sterling” style from Birdies.

The Rothy’s arrived in a plain box and were ready right out of the shipping packaging. The Birdies arrived in a shoe box and also had a dust bag for storage (because you know, velvet). Have I used the dust bag for these? No I can’t say I have but I have use it for other shoes in my closet- my Birdies were constantly out so they didn’t have time to sit in my closet. I do like the fact that Rothy’s was really focused on recyclable packaging which is very on-brand for them.

Price– I would advise anyone who’s looking to buy their first pair of either of these brands to use a discount code, they are always new codes popping up and floating around. The Rothy’s retailed for $125 and I used a $20 off code to bring the cost down to $105 with free shipping. The Birdies retailed for $95 and I used a 10% off code to bring the cost down to $85.50 with free shipping.

Size– I first tried to order my usual size (8.5) in both shoes. I read the reviews and people said to size up in both styles- but I’ve been burned by listening to reviews before. I really wanted to see if my usual size would fit first and since they both offered free exchanges I didn’t see any harm. The Rothy’s fit perfectly in my usual size, but the Birdies were tight (reviewers say they loosen up over time). My issue was the front was scrunching up and creating lines and I didn’t want that to ruin the shoe. I returned them for a size 9 and they immediately fit better. In the long run, the shoes have stretched out and are now a bit loose so I have to wear a sock liner to make sure they stay on my feet.

Colors & style- I got my pair of Rothy’s first because I needed a new black shoe. I decided on this brand and went for it, there were a lot of other colors but only I think two styles (their flat and their loafer) when I ordered these. Since then, they have come out with a few more styles and are constantly rotating their colors. I do like how they have blue piping that is almost like a logo mark because it’s their signaure design.

When I first got Birdies, there were only a few color options available but they did have about 5 styles to choose from that varied from a flat to to a slipper. If I had planned it better, I would have gotten the Birdies first in black and chosen another color for the Rothy’s but I didn’t plan ahead. I do like how they are both cut sifferently, the Rothy’s show more of my foot where the Birdies are more of a loafer and cover a lot of my foot.

Materials- Rothy’s are made from recycled water bottles, one of the features that drew me to the brand first because I really liked that concept. They have a removable insole and they are machine washable. I’ve never washed a pair of shoes in the washing machine before but knowing these were made to be thrown in was a plus. I did wash them a few times over the past months, and they always come out a little deformed but they re-shape to your foot right away when you wear them.

Birdies are made of velvet and have a multi-layer insole that makes them super soft and cushiony. I will say the velvet needs more care than the material of Rothy’s. If you have a pet, be warned these attract pet hair immediately out of the box. Birdies are definitely more comfortable due to the velvet and the layered insole, where as the Rothy’s are from a recycled material that fits and forms well to your feet but I can feel the enhanced material in the toes that I am assuming is there so your toes don’t imprint the top. It’s a bit uncomfortable and it tips the scales to Birdies for this category.

Wear– Okay, let me say I have had these both for over a year and I wore them pretty evenly at first, switching off between them depending on the pants or dress I was wearing. In the summer, Rothy’s were definitely the better shoes because they were more of a summer style. When the fall hit I was reaching for the velvet Birdies (because wearing velvet outside in the summer was weird until I got into the air-conditioned office). That is until the ribbon on the back of the Birdies started to wear after three months. I was so disappointed that the shoes were wearing in the back, and I think it’s partly because the size was a little too big so they were folding down on the back and causing the ribbon to wear.

I emailed their support and they didn’t even ask for an order number or how old they were, they just responded that it was considered “normal wear and tear” and they gave me a code “if I wanted to replace them”. The code was good for 10% and I would have paid the same price for a new pair. I felt that if the first pair wore down in three months the second pair would definitely do the same unless I tried the break in the smaller size. I colored the back in with a sharpie so it wasn’t as noticeable and continued to wear them. A few months later, the front velvet tips were starting to wear off and I decided they really weren’t appropriate to wear to work with rips.

What would I buy again– Weighing both options based on comfort, design, and wear, I would have to go with re-purchasing Rothy’s if I was looking for another pair. I think they have come out with so many other colors and a few more styles that I would want to try out another. I would be hesitant to buy Birdies again due to the wear and tear I saw, I wouldn’t want to spend that much on a pair of shoes again only to have them wear out so quickly.

thanks for making it this far in my post, if you’re interested in either of these you can follow the links here for Rothy’s and here for Birdies to check them out!