Help Us Create Your Dream Hiking Boot
Update October 2021: Thanks to everyone for your feedback. At long last, our new hiking boot is now available!
One of our most common fan requests is for Softstar to design a minimalist hiking boot. We heard you and we're making it happen! Our talented shoe designers are hard at work with a few innovative ideas, but they want to know what YOU want in a hiking boot, so we need your input.
What is most important to you when choosing a hiking boot for your adventures? What features would your ideal Softstar hiking boot include? We want to hear whatever feedback you can give us, whether it's about aesthetics, functionality, materials, etc.
Let us know your thoughts by using the form below to leave a comment on this post. We hope to delight your feet with a new design by November of this year, and we can't wait to hear your ideas!
Elf Ali is an Oregon Native with over 5 years of Softstar experience as a Promotions Pioneer. She attended Whitworth University and enjoys choir singing.
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Functionality:
Waterproof or water-proofable.
I would be using these for daily work on the farm (lots of stinging nettle), so a higher ankle covering like the Hawthorne would be good.
Primal toebox
Basically a waterproof Hawthorne with primal toebox is my dream shoe. Dreamier than your shoes already are, which is saying something.
Something between the rundash and the primals would be great as i find the primals unnecessarily wide even with 4e + sized feet.
Also a heel tab that can fit a finger to be able to hook/pull them on.
Thank you, Elves!
I hope this helps you guys, if you had a hiking boot back then I would have probably chosen that one, since I prefer the width and craftsmanship of your shoes.
In my opinion, the best option would be top quality full grain leather uppers to which the customer would apply something like Obenauf's LP: Robust as it gets in terms of waterproofness and abrasion resistance.
My suggestions:
- Full grain leather uppers
- Primal width
- Megagrip
- RESOLEABLE!
- primal toe box
-deep toe box
-grounding sole
-waterproof
(1) A major fault with all softstar shoes is the lack of toe box depth. This needs to be remedied in all of your shoes. The rubber toe cap on the Primal Runamoks is especially painful - it presses down on the top of the toes because there is no depth in the toe box. Please don't repeat this fault in the boots. (2) Why not include a copper rivet/plug for grounding in all rubber soled shoes and boots. It could be a customizable option. This would definitely put your company ahead of the competition.
So actually, like this boot from LLBean, but flat, thinner, and flexible sole and cloth laces. [link removed by spam filter]
- Thicker leather than the Primals you have now.
- 5 inches high to cover ankle
- Toe protection
- Leather lined
- 9 -10 mm flexible lugged Vibram sole OR the option of a softer midsole glued to tge Vibram sole.
- I live in the southwest so waterproofness is not important.
- Padded collar to keep out rocks and sand..
- Gator atrachment points
- Dark brown color
- Taller formed toe box
- Custom tracing of your foot option.
- Zero drop
Also, I think a little more durable where the sole and body of the shoe meet, in case of rough hiking.
Besides this one boot to try to please all, also adding the option of making some of your current shoes with higher tops,
I have the primal RunAmocs. I think I'd be happy enough with tall RunAmocs to keep out debris and water from spilling in from the top.
Then, I have a set of Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX hiking boots (from 2016) for the 15% of the time when I pass-over the SoftStar RunAmoc Primals. I choose the Salomon boots over the SoftStar RunAmoc Primals for three specific instances, as best I can figure:
-- Situation 1: when I really don’t want my feet wet, like on muddy trails or in the slightest amount of accumulated snow. This is because the SoftStar RunAmoc Primals get thoroughly wet fast and stay wet, especially along the seam at the edge of the sole. And, I have seen a set of my partner’s RunAmoc Dashes burst at the seam along the sole after her Dashes got wet once. So, I steer away from water. Though, I do apply Nikwax on my RunAmoc Primals from late fall to mid spring to increase their repellency to water, which sets them up well for when I do errands around town in western Washington’s wintery drizzle.
-- Situation 2: when debris could get into a SoftStar RunAmoc Primal, like when I dig into a pile of wood chips in the garden or when I traverse over sand on long coastal beaches during coastal hikes. Sand loves to get inside the RunAmoc Primals.
— Situation 3: when I encounter very sharp terrain that would chew-up the sides or the heels of my SoftStar RunAmoc Primals. What comes to my mind are walks along the pebbly beaches of Puget Sound, which are covered in razor-sharp barnacles. Or, going off-trail in dark wet forests that have lots of thick undergrowth and downed trees to amble over.
I feel like the Salomon boots handle these three situations well. I feel grateful for the Salomon hiking boots in these situations because:
-- The boots keep my feet reliably dry. I don’t think I’ve ever had water get into them. They’ve been great for trekking through accumulated snow, sloshing through muddy trails and puddles.
-- I like how the boots come above the ankle by several inches. I feel like the high cut helps keep moisture and rubble and sand out. The high cut also allows me the choice to further seal the top of the boots when weather gets blustery - I can cinch my rain pants around the top of the boot.
-- I can also layer-up my feet with socks if weather’s chilly. I’ve worn them for hours in the cold.
-- The boots’ thick sidewalls protect the feet from sharp terrain, and protect the ankle when I wedge my foot in a sketchy crevice or in a log or in a pile of ferny brush in the forest.
Wearing these boots can be like wearing a fortress. But, they can also can be like wearing a prison for the feet. I despise the Salomon hiking boots just about as much as I feel grateful for them.
-- I dislike the significant angle of drop in the sole on the Salomon boots. I have trouble walking with the forefoot-focused gait I have developed lovingly with my SoftStars.
-- I don’t like how stiff the whole body of the boots are; the boots do not flex near as much as the SoftStars.
-- The thick sole on the Salomon boots feel like I’ve stepped into platform boots.
-- The roof of the Salmon boots regularly buckle when I bend my foot, buckling in a way that cuts into the joints of my toes - ick. I also wonder if this is more extreme than other boots because of how stiff the whole boot is, from the sole to the sidewalls to the roof.
-- The Salomon boots’ integrated arch support and their narrow toe box now kill my feet, especially since I shifted to SoftStar’s minimal shoes just a year after I bought the Salomon boots in 2016
I feel giddy about my SoftStar RunAmoc Primals. And, I feel glad when I can count on the Salomon boots.
Yet, I yearn for a minimal alternative that does what the Salomon boots do well - stay dry, are of top quality, are built to last, and that are up for a slog in rain or snow or mud or sand or among the forest’s thickets or among the beach’s barnacles.
I feel open to synthetic materials in addition to natural materials. And, I like color. I also would want a wide toe box like the RunAmoc Primals.
If you want to test watertightness, I suggest you test it on the Olympic Peninsula at their wettest and muddiest - which is in late September through October, then again in late March through April.
A good trail may be the remote Coastal trail, particularly the 17 mile segment from Oil City to Third Beach. It’s rugged, and has gotten more muddy as the trail has been getting more visitors in recent years. The trail has a wide balance of terrain - long sandy beaches, barnacled boulders exposed by low tide, scrabbly rocky cliffs, rope climbs that pass over slick vertical trails that run up and down blustery oceanside headways, gobs of mud pits on eroded trails that pass through old-growth forest, river crossings, and lots of rain. I nearly rippled-apart my first pair of RunAmoc Primals on this trail in 2018.
I enjoy reading the responses to this blog post, hearing other folks’ unique experiences with SoftStar shoes. And I enjoy hearing other people’s feedback and perspectives, which sometimes raise my eyebrows.
Good luck Elves. Sounds like many folks love your shoes and many folks seem interested in your work on hiking boots. I feel curious about what you eventually put-together.
Primarily I would be seeking a boot tough enough for the Australian bush (my run amocs sadly were torn to shreds last hike!! May they Rest In Peace). ... but that still look funky and not too “I’m a serious hiker” vibes .. what i love about barefoot movement is that it rejects the consumerism and OTT-ness if “outdoor gear “. We are part of nature!!!
Im getting carried away . Nutshell :
- tough fabric that doesn’t rip
- air flow if possible (it’s hot here!)
- water proof or happy to swim if possible
- replaceable sole
- laces that mean that ankle part will be tight if that mekesbsrnse!!
So excited for these boots!!
Also - would love to see some huarache style sandals ... the current styles while beautiful are too hot for where I live..... need more airflow!!
LOVE YOUR WORK!!
I do not want a waterproof membrane like Gore-Tex. Those membranes just end up making my feet hot and sweaty. If it's raining, water gets in through the top of the boot anyway.
Please, just a normal good leather. I've waterproofed my leather hiking boots many times with Obenauf's and the like. I prefer the results much more than the boots I've bought with membranes.
Waterproof/resistant, above the ankle, thick, treaded sole, reinforced toe to protect against scuffing, and ESPECIALLY ability to lace up from the instep upward to keep heels from blistering. NOT primal toebox -- this will increase the risk of tripping for those of us who hike among tree roots! I'd prefer a toe box equivalent to the Rogue or Youth sized Phoenix boot -- room for bunions and toe-gripping, but not so wide as to catch on things.
I find SoftStar shoes to be some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve tried, and would love to have a hiking shoe from you. Thanks for asking for input. Here is what I would want:
-zero drop
-wide toe box like the Primal, but not so bulbous at the big toe. The way that area protrudes makes it too easy to trip, and it makes the shoe look strange. I do appreciate the extra room on the pinky toe side, though.
-rugged enough to last many, many mile of rough use
-grippy sole that can handle wet slippery rocks
-resoleable
-thicker sole or replaceable rock guard and cushion inserts for when conditions call for them
-gusseted tounge design that keeps out rocks and debris
-muted, earthy color and simple, easy to maintain, possibly similar to traditional moccasins with fewer seams
-maybe something with a cuff that can be folded down when you want a lower shoe, and folded up when you want something with more ankle protection and gaiter-like protection from debris (like some moccasins)
-an effective way to attach gaiters
-extra lace eyelets at the ankle that allow you to lace with a runners lock, keeping the heel in place
—breatheable, quick-drying material that allows you to walk through streams without needing to take off shoes. If folks want waterproof, you could make them treatable, but leave it as an option for the user. Waterproof boots get hot and humid, which can lead to blisters, stink, and other problems, and take too long to dry once they do get wet (which they will)
-I really like how my RumAmoc
Primals form to my feet. If you could figure out how to make a hiking boot that can do that, blisters would be a thing of the past!
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
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