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Many workplaces have redefined their culture by prioritizing comfort, allowing employees to wear more casual footwear like office slippers.

Have we mentioned how much we LOVE LOVE LOVE our new shoemaking workshop? As much as we adored our former space, we’ve really come to appreciate having a ground floor loading door, ample elbow room and an abundance of windows… but those are just the beginning of what makes our new location so wonderful. We […]

In our previous “Natural Learning” post, we explored the rise of outdoor schools, or “forest kindergartens,” across America (and their origins abroad). Even after all that research, we still had some questions about what it’s really like to opt into this alternative learning setting. We asked Soft Star’s good friend and natural living inspiration, Katy Bowman, to […]

If you’re not already familiar with Katy Bowman then I highly recommend looking her up, especially if you crave a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. The renowned biomechanist has published several books on natural movement and human development, and her research has been a big inspiration for our shoe designers at Softstar. We have been sharing […]

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, like many of our shoemaking elves, then western Oregon is a giant playground. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be within easy reach of mountains, oceans, rivers and moss-ridden forests that look like they belong in Middle Earth. Our location offers us a wealth of outdoor activities, including skiing, snowboarding, surfing, rock […]

Softstar continues its award streak, ranking 10th among Oregon Business’s 100 Best Green Workplaces  Wow, what a spring it’s been here at the workshop! Just this past March, Softstar was selected from over 230 entrants to be named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon”. It was an amazing honor to […]

Ready for a little trip back to the days of jean jackets, Rubik’s cubes and Max Headroom? Crank your DeLorean up to 88, because here we go … Softstar founder Tim Oliver recently came to me holding an overflowing folder he found while cleaning his house. “You can have these if you think they’re interesting,” he […]