The Great Internet Shoe-down | Tieks vs. Rothy’s | Which Will Win?

Recently, I was wearing some ankle boots and my doctor reminded me that I should not really be wearing shoes with heels. It took me a second to even realize he even meant the shoes I was wearing, because I wasn’t wearing high heels or anything. Iwas just wearing some boots that happened to have a chunky heel. They are so comfortable that it didn’t even occur to me that I was wearing shoes that may be bad for my back.

But I realized that I probably SHOULD be wearing flats more often, so I decided to order two pairs of flats I’ve seen all over the internet: one from Tieks by Gavrieli and Rothy’s. Initially, I was planning on keeping both pairs, but I ended up liking one pair so much more than the other that I decided to send one back and get a second pair of the other. Here’s what went down.

Tieks – Matte Black Ballet Flats ($175)

According to Tieks, they offer “the most versatile flats in the world. Made of the finest Italian leathers and designed to fold and fit in a purse. Wearable all day, every day.”

Featuring a unique split-sole and flexible midsole, Tieks are built to mold to the foot and flex with it as you walk. This design also allows the shoes to fold and fit easily into a purse or suitcase, so comfort and style are always within arm’s reach.

Thick non-skid rubber outsole patches, in our signature Tiek Blue color, provide traction and shock absorption to keep you grounded with every step. The brown leather midsole is specially treated to be both flexible and durable, allowing the shoe to be folded and unfolded repeatedly.

Tieks are made to stretch and mold to your foot for the perfect fit, and the back is cushioned rather than elasticized to ensure they’re never too tight on your heel. The insoles feature advanced foam cushioning for all day comfort and long-term wear.

With over 60 Prints, Patents, Classics, and more, there are Tieks for every wardrobe and occasion. Crafted from luxurious Italian leather and textiles, Tieks’ classic silhouette transitions seamlessly from day to night and season to season—so you never have to sacrifice style for comfort or vice versa.

Packaging

I have to give Tiek’s a 10/10 for packaging. They come in a gorgeous teal box with silver embossing and a big, glittery red flower on top. And as a fun bonus, inside the box is a little package of candy that I forgot to take a picture of since I ate it so fast. 😬 (They were Raspberry Bellini-flavored gummies, covered in sprinkles. Delicious. I hope to find that candy outside of a shoebox someday.) The shoes also come with a small compression bag that you can fold the shoes into and pack to take on-the-go. They ALSO come with a reusable teal tote that you can really put anything in. Tho I think the idea of it is that if you are wearing heals, you could pack this bag in your clutch, take off your heels and pop on your Tiek’s and then you don’t have to carry your heels in your hands.

Are all of these things nice? Of course. With a $175 price tag, these are nice things that add to the experience. However, none of these things make the shoes any more comfortable, so at the end of the day, these things don’t matter very much.

Final Grade: D

I think if I had not tried Rothy’s at the same time, these would have been *fine.* As in, they were new and they fit, so I could technically wear them. However, these are $175, and I wanted them to knock my socks off. (Pun intended.) I was hoping to want to reach for these to wear every day and quite frankly, they were uncomfortable.

They are not supposed to be tight on your heels but in my opinion, the heel was still pretty uncomfortable. And I’m now definitely a proponent of having the padding of your shoe INSIDE my shoe instead of outside. (I never knew I had an opinion on this before, but I now stand firm.) The shoes just felt kind of weird.

Additionally, before my Tiek’s arrived, Jill chimed in with her opinion (Obviously. It’s what we do.) She had a terrible experience with Tieks. She thought they were uncomfortable and that the quality was bad and I was better off not wasting my money. But since I hadn’t tried them myself yet, I wanted to keep an open mind, since we occasionally disagree. However, her thoughts were in the back of my mind when I was trying them on and after wearing them around my room for a few minutes, I decided they should go back. I was also just too smitten with my Rothy’s…

Rothy’s The Point in Chili Red ($145)

Stephen and Roth, the co-founders, realized something was missing from the market. Sustainability was growing in importance but was not yet stylish, and style and comfort rarely coexisted. Women needed a stylish, comfortable, sustainable shoe they could wear all day every day, no matter where their busy lives took them.

A wardrobe staple that goes with pretty much everything. Lightweight comfort. A shoe you’d be happy to keep on all day. In Rothy’s style, comfort and versatility coexist in the first sustainable shoe as stylish as it is comfortable; look good in your Rothy’s and feel good about your Rothy’s. That’s something you don’t see every day in fashion.

Packaging

Unlike Tiek’s, Rothy’s doesn’t put much stock in packaging. They came in a minimalistic grey box, which was nice, but unimportant to me because I mostly cared about the shoes themselves. Tho they do lose points for not giving me candy.

Final Grade: A++++

I realize that Rothy’s flats look really basic, but they are honestly anything but. These shoes are life-changing, in a way that’s a bit hard to explain. The fabric itself is extremely unique. It feels so soft, and it also immediately conformed to my foot. The padding seems extremely thin but at the same time feels so soft! I also love the shape of these pointy flats – they have that slight bit of… toe cleavage? Is that what it’s called? It sounds like it would NOT be flattering, but it actually really is. After wearing them for only a few minutes, I knew I was in love, and my opinion of them didn’t change after wearing them all day. And for a few days after that.

Because of that, I bought a pair of black ones. I couldn’t help myself. By that time, I knew I was sending the Tieks back and really needed a black pair of flats, so I thought I might as well just get another pair of the ones I love!

Rothy’s The Point Black Solid ($145) 

When I bought the red ones, I received a pop up, asking if I wanted to get a new pair of insoles for $10. I was all excited, so I got a pair of blue ones, thinking that they were somehow different than the insoles that came in the regular shoes. They are not – they are the same as the ones that come in the shoes, just different colors. However, I think the blue ones look really cool in the black flats. What do you think?

Regular insoles on the left, blue ones on the right. I think the blue really coordinates with the Rothy’s Blue on the heel of the flats.

I never knew I could love shoes this much! Probably because I mostly get my shoes from Target, so this is the first time that I’ve ever splurged on some shoes that are a bit more expensive. If Rothy’s are in your budget, I say that you should totally go for it. If Rothy’s are not yet in your budget, maybe think about saving for them or asking for them as a present for a special occasion or something. I’m definitely giving Rothy’s my stamp of approval – I really don’t think you would be disappointed if you bought yourself a pair! If you wanted to use my referral link, you could get $20 off – and I could get $20 off of a pair, too! Win-win, right? Check out my referral link here.

laurenelectro

A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.