You need lots of support from your shoes while backpacking, right? Guess again! Going Minimal When I tried my first pair of minimalist shoes 7 years ago, I had no idea how widespread the changes would affect my life. It started with casually wearing Softstar moccasins at home to make my plantar fasciitis go away. Then I began periodically running...

Summer isn't over yet, but our showroom is starting to fill up with families shopping for shiny new classroom shoes. That means the first day of school will be here before we know it! While you're shopping for new backpacks, notebooks and crayons, be sure to check out our back to school sale on popular classroom shoes. And for an...

Our workshop has seen many changes over the years. It has certainly come a long way from the old school bus that Tim and his family converted into the first Softstar workshop back in 1985. The shop has moved multiple times since then, most recently in January 2017 when we expanded into our newly renovated historic building in Philomath, Oregon...

Balance is quite literally the foundation of your mobility, and for many older people noticing a loss of balance can be scary. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. One in four Americans aged 65+ falls each year. A loss of balance may not...

April happens to be National Foot Health Awareness month, and it also happens to be the time of year when many people dust off their running shoes to enjoy a sunny day outside. Unfortunately, that's also when foot problems often come up. It’s easy to take our feet, the foundational body parts that move us through our day, for granted...

Spring is right around the corner here in Oregon! This is such a special time of year. The sun starts to peek out from behind the clouds, flowers bloom, and everything feels fresh and new again. Something else that always rolls in this time of year is wedding season. Whether you are getting married or you know someone who is...

It's time again for PLAYDAY at the Softstar workshop! Once or twice a year, we set aside a day to stop working on shoes and let our staff jump into any creative project of their choosing. We're allowed to use any of the tools and leather scraps in our shop, or work on something totally unrelated to leathercraft. The purpose...