Flat-Shoe Alert! These Alternative Clogs Are Coming for Your Birkenstocks

We all know that a change in seasons means an automatic shift into different styles of footwear, but there’s one trending shoe on the rise that many fashion insiders wouldn’t have predicted: Rothy’s Casual Clog.

What’s Rothy’s, you ask? And what’s a casual clog? Well, I’m here to explain all about the slip-on-and-go flats that are taking over TikTok right now and look primed to pick up where your Birkenstocks left off.

Before explaining why these clogs have fashion people in a frenzy, let’s rewind. Slowly but surely, clogs in the more traditional sense—with wooden soles—made their grand return when Chloé’s creative director Chemena Kamali sparked a bohemian revival with her first collection for the brand last spring. Since then, we’ve seen a slew of stylish celebs adopt the broader clog trend as their own, with Iris Law choosing a pair of flat brown leather clogs last month.

The low-key, slip-on variety really rose to popularity in 2020 thanks to the huge impact of the Birkenstock Boston clog, which continues to be a hit and is now a go-to for fashion people, editors and influencers alike, with more colourways and fabrics released each year.

Now, back to Rothy’s—what’s so special? Well, no one likes a flat shoe that isn’t genuinely comfortable, and this American brand puts comfort first thanks to its patented EverDreamy Footbed, which is billed as giving “luxe, dream-like comfort”. Not the mention, they tap into the ongoing “ugly shoe” love affair—the notion that somehow every outfit is a little bit cooler with the addition of a flat, unexpected shoe—but in a pared-back way minimalists will love.