Why I almost returned my Allbirds Tree Breezers (Allbirds Flats) Honest review of Allbirds Tree Breezers vs Rothy's Flats

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Hi friends! I’ve recently returned from a short Vegas trip, and I brought only two pairs of shoes with me: a pair of Rothy’s flats and a pair of Allbirds Tree Breezers. Both pairs of shoes are flats, and both have their pros and cons.

Sizing and Allbirds Breezers Fit

With both the Allbirds Tree Breezers and Rothy’s Flats, you most likely will have to size up. I usually wear woman’s size 8, and I purchased both pairs in size 8.5 US for women. The Rothy’s Flats fit well, and leave some comfort room for the foot and toes. The Allbirds Tree Breezers feel snug. My toes have no room to wiggle in the Allbirds Tree Breezers. It took many days of wear for the Allbirds Tree Breezers to finally feel comfortable, after adjusting to the size of my feet. The Rothy’s Flats fit right, right out of the box.

Comfort

At first, I wanted to return my Allbirds Tree Breezers because they did not feel comfortable. As I mentioned earlier, it took many days fo wearing for the Breezers to finally feel less tight around my toes and Achille’s tendons. I actually developed a pre-blister on my right foot above my heel after a few days of wearing the Breezers. It never turned into a full blister, but the back heel cups come up a bit too high, and dig a little into skin.

My Rothy’s Flats have always been comfortable straight out of the box. The insole of the Allbirds Breezers is thicker, like a little puff of cloud, so over time, it feels nicer to walk with the Allbirds Breezers. The Rothy’s Flats are well, very flat.

At first, I worried that the bottoms of the Allbirds Breezers are too narrow by the arches. They didn’t feel unstable though, and weren't problematic. I never felt like I would lose my balance, wearing my Allbirds Breezers, as I had initially thought.

Recently I’ve developed a heel spur in my left foot. I think for my heel spur, the Allbirds Tree Breezers have been more comfy to wear, compared to the Rothy’s Flats. The reason for this is because there’s more cushioning.

Pricing

Allbirds Tree Breezers cost $95 and Rothy’s Flats cost $125. Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic bottles and Allbirds Tree Breezers are made from sustainable eucalyptus tree fiber and the insoles are made with their proprietary merino wool fabric. So if you’d like to save $30, choose the Allbirds Breezers. Neither Allbirds nor Rothy’s purports to be fully vegan shoes.

Stink and funk

If your feet tend to sweat, your Rothy’s Flats will become stinky soon. I’ve noticed that my Allbirds tend to stink less, especially before the first wash. This is the case with my Allbirds Tree Breezers. Over many days of wear, my Allbirds Tree Breezers (pre-wash) have not stunk. My Rothy’s Flats are very stinky, and I’ve washed them in the washing machine a few times now. The Allbirds Tree Breezers have better moisture-wicking properties, in my honest opinion, when compared to the Rothy’s Flats.

Allbirds Tree Breezer on the Left, and Rothy’s Flats on the Right. Which looks better?

Return Policy

Allbirds allow you to return or exchange worn shoes, no questions asked, within 30 days of purchase. As for Rothy’s, “unworn, unwashed shoes in their original packaging may be returned or exchanged within 30 days of receipt.” Allbirds donates their worn, returned shoes.

Aesthetics

Above are my feet in Rothy’s Flats in a dark navy color. And below are my feet in a similar color, but these are Allbirds Breezers. Which pair do you like more? I personally feel my feet look better in Rothy’s Flats.

See how much narrower the toe area is for the Allbirds Breezers?

Bunions?

If you have bunions (like my mom), the Rothy’s Flats (or even loafers) may be the better choice. The toe boxes of the Allbirds Breezers are very narrow.

Out of the box, the Allbirds Breezers curve a bit.

Clean and Care

Both Allbirds Tree Breezers and Rothy’s Flats are machine-washable. They should be air-dried, and not tossed into the dryer. I feel both pairs of flats are very easy to wipe down, and once again, the Rothy’s Flats tend to get stinkier faster.

Return Yay or Nay?

I did not return either shoe, and as you already know, I’ve loved my Rothy’s Flats for a while now. Now as my Allbirds Tree Breezers are getting more worn in, I’m starting to love them too. Both flats have their pros and cons. I think Rothy’s have a more pleasing selection of colors, and the flats have a cuter silhouette with that v-shaped dip. For thirty dollars less, however, you can’t really go wrong with the Allbirds Tree Breezers, especially since Allbirds has a more lenient return policy.

Update: After further wearing of my Allbirds Breezers, I have noticed some damage to the Tree upper (the plant fiber mesh). It looks like lint, or like a thread coming apart on the top. Like one loop of the mesh has come loose. It doesn’t look too bad, but it does make me feel the Breezers are flimsier than the Rothy’s flats. After multiple washes and months of wearing, there is no damage to the upper material of my Rothy’s flats.

My friends, what do you think about these flats? Do you know of an all-vegan alternative? Which pair do you own or would like to try? Thanks for stopping by, and happy walking!