I've had my Soft Star shoes/moccasins
for almost two years now, since I moved to Portland, Oregon. I
honestly do not wear my kind, my brand/style, at all.
My main complaint with the model I have
is their look: they just look 'blobby.' Really wide, with the thin
leather poofing out. Which, is what they're supposed to do, what
they're designed for: to have minimal contact/pressure against the
foot, and provide a big wide area for the foot. They stay on via an
elastic drawstring lace around the ankle.
What I do like about them is the very
thin rubberish sole. They are comfortable to wear and walk around in.
They just look dopey for a 45 year old man. And I'm not even normally
that self-conscious.
From what I understand from the Soft
Star website, some of their shoes/moccasins are for children, for
parents that want their children to grow up with strong feet, but who
want them to have some kind of minimal protection. For this, Soft
Stars would be perfect.
My reason for buying Soft Star Shoes
was some kind of dressier minimalist shoe I could wear around town,
and the video on their website featuring a dude in jeans dancing
seemed to offer that. But the video is deceiving. Comfy? Yes. But
that's about it.
What I never have never done is run in
them. I just have other options. Either I, in warmer weather, I want
my feet in fresh air and therefore use some form of huarache sandal,
or in wetter weather I would use my VFFs. Or, in colder weather I
would use either VFFs, or opt for my Merrill minimalist shoes. But,
if someone was just coming new to minimalist footwear, Soft Stars
might be a decent option for colder trail running. But that's about
it. I have seen people running in them, in warm weather strangely. I
think maybe because they somehow still want to run in a 'shoe' versus
huarache-sandals. But if you think running in huaraches is weird, and
therefore might lean towards some minimalist shoes like this, I urge
you to try huaraches. You'll never go back! [see my other reviews on
this blog]
That all said, Soft Star now features a
new brand that I'd be very interested in trying out: The Portlander.
It's the same super thin sole, but sleeker top design, with laces.
Looks like a dressy, hipster-ish, sneaker. This would be good for
around-town, day and night, and at work, as long as you weren't
dressing too fancy. If I get enough disposable income, I may try
this, though I'll drive over to Corvallis to try them on in person
first.
What I hope Soft Star does,
because no one else has, as far as I know (let me know below in the
comments section if you have recommendations) is create/design a
minimalist dress shoe for me. Something close to The Portlander
maybe, but black or brown, no laces, and a still sleek design.
