Want to help fight the scourge of throwaway plastic water bottles? Start with your feet. Headquartered in San Francisco, Rothy’s offers shoes made using 3-D knitting technology and thread spun from water bottles and other plastics. The footwear comes in a surprising variety of fresh looks, ranging from pointy Mary Janes for a chic ensemble to lace-up sneakers (with water-bottle-thread laces) for running errands. The eye-catching shoes retail for between $65 and $245, are machine washable, and are designed to provide comfort all day long. The company also makes handbags that use its signature plastic-sourced thread to further its sustainability goals. Since its launch in 2016, Rothy’s has transformed over 75 million plastic water bottles into shoes and bags. rothys.com•
Nasim Ghasemiyeh is an associate editor at Alta Journal. She graduated with a degree in rhetoric from UC Berkeley.
