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 […]

"For 99 percent of the time we've been on Earth, we were hunters and gatherers, our lives dependent on knowing the fine, small details of our world. Deep inside, we still have a longing to be reconnected with the nature that shaped our imagination, our language, our song and dance, our sense of the divine." - […]

On a chilly Oregon morning last week, moments after we opened up the shop, we received an urgent phone call. A long-awaited delivery truck had just arrived at the new workshop location and several hands were needed immediately to unload its contents. All non-essential elves rose to the challenge, left their sewing machines and hopped in carpools to […]

A New Study From Harvard and PolyU Reveals Minimalist Shoes Make Your Legs and Feet Stronger, Decrease Chance of Injury The public debate over minimalist shoes has been on a roller coaster for several years now, but perhaps not for much longer. Although minimalist shoes for kids have been popular for several decades (we've made a business of it […]

Have you noticed that your feet and ankles tend to swell more often as the years go by? If so, then you're not alone. While anybody can develop a swollen foot or two, regardless of age, it tends to happen more frequently with older adults. Causes So what's going on when feet swell? Technically speaking, swelling happens when […]

We're happy to announce that construction on the new Soft Star workshop is right on schedule! Last weekend, owners Tricia and Larkin hosted the first annual Soft Star staff picnic at Mary's River Park, located only a couple blocks from the new shop in Philomath, Oregon (about 6 miles west of our current Corvallis, workshop). […]

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 […]