A Bittersweet Farewell to Elf Keoni

We bid farewell to a very creative elf yesterday. Keoni, one of our trusty and talented seamstresses (or as he called himself, a seamster) will soon be finishing school and has left Soft Star to start the next stage of his life.

His last day at our shop was yesterday, and when we opened the doors this morning we found a heartfelt goodbye note from him along with a handmade gift for the shop: an Oregon landscape montage made from our scrap leather.

If you follow us online, then you may be familiar with Keoni's work. In addition to being able to make just about any of our shoe styles at a moment's notice, Keoni was also a wizard with his sewing machine. He used his spare time to come up with very unique shoe designs and patterns, including the Amazing Spiderman Shoes and Royal Baby Moccasins we posted on our blog.

My personal favorite, however, were his C-3PO and R2-D2 Star Wars moccasins.

Best of luck, Keoni! We'll miss you!

Related Posts (and more of Keoni's designs):

• OH MYYY... George Takei Fan Shoes
• 2014 World Cup Shoes: Germany vs. Argentina
• True Blood Fan Shoes - Not for the Fainthearted!

Elf Martin

Martin is a lifelong runner who began wearing minimalist shoes over 10 years ago when he found they alleviated his chronic foot pain, which eventually disappeared completely. He further studied proper running form through a series of workshops taught by Correct Toes inventor, Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM. Martin has collaborated with several health care professionals to collect and share peer-reviewed studies that show the benefits of minimalist footwear. In his personal life, Martin loves living in the Pacific Northwest because it allows him to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding.