Rothys

Rothy's is a sustainable footwear brand founded in 2012 by Stephen Hawthornthwaite and Roth Martin in San Francisco, launching in 2016 after four years of research and development. The co-founders – one from finance, one from art and design – were inspired by Patagonia to create stylish shoes from single-use plastic. Using thread made from recycled bottles and 3D knitting technology to reduce waste, Rothy's opened its own 300,000 sq ft factory in Guangzhou, China in 2017. By 2024, over 179 million bottles have been repurposed into their products. Achieving carbon neutrality and LEED certification, Rothy's was named one of Time's Most Influential Companies of 2021 and valued at $1 billion when Alpargatas acquired a 49.9% stake.