Welcome!
Welcome to Moccasin Musings! This new blog is per the request of our Soft Star Shoe customers. We will aim for one new article per week on topics related to all things shoes and being barefoot, whether for babies, toddlers or YOU! Feel free to send suggestions for articles to us at: [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!
As this is our initial post - I thought I'd start with a little bit of background about our company.
Soft Star Shoes has been handcrafting quality, soft soled shoes for over 20 years. Tim Oliver and his wife Jeanie started the company as young parents who wanted a soft, quality shoe for their baby girl. As their family grew and moved, so did their business-- from the back of an old bus in rural Texas, to a garage in Laguna Beach, CA before finally settling into a little workshop in Corvallis, Oregon. The Oliver's raised their girls alongside them, making shoes for mail order companies and local fairs. Over the years they have sold shoes to families, celebrities, and even presidents! (President Ford, to be exact 🙂
In 2005, my friend Larkin and I joined forces with Tim with a desire to introduce more people to this beautiful little product. Both of us have young children of our own, and were so impressed with Soft Star products-- we knew it was a special place! Tim's girls are now grown and exploring the world, but my little 3 year old daughter Tivi and Larkin's 8 month old son Kahlil have made their homes here in our workshop, carrying on the tradition of integrating our families and work lives. We have made some changes, including the ability for our customers to order online-- but there are some things we don't ever want to change - like our foot-friendly designs, friendly customer service and ability to customize for each person's unique needs and styles.
Other folks you might encounter at Soft Star are DeAnn or Leah. Combined, they have over 19 years experience making Soft Stars - and know everything and anything about how to make a high quality shoe. They are the heart and "sole" of the company and put a little bit of love into every pair they've made. DeAnn has been busy this past spring designing many of the new products we just introduced, including the "TAZ" water-resistant moccasin named after her son. We also get a helping hand from time to time from Dawn, Sabrina, Cathy and Suzy-- wonderful, talented people!
Our workshop is located in a loft building alongside the Willamette River in Corvallis, Oregon. We custom make shoes for people all over the world who find us mostly via word-of-mouth. While most of our shoe styles are geared for little people ages 0-8, our moccasins have been a mainstay favorite of men and women. We welcome you to give us a call with questions or suggestions -- 1-866-763-2525.
Soft Star Shoes is a family friendly company located in Corvallis, Oregon. Viewpoints in this blog are those of individual workshop elves, and do not necessarily represent those of www.SoftStarShoes.com
Trish has been an entrepreneur, marketer and maker ever since she crushed her first lemonade stand at age five. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, she spent many summers running barefoot with her sisters. These early memories later inspired her to build a brand which embraced the joy and freedom of childhood with the health and science of minimal footwear.
Trish relishes evolving the company to grow stronger and more competitive with each passing year. She is a frequent expert panelist for both e-commerce and entrepreneurship conferences. Trish enjoys spending time with her family, dogs and ducks on their property in Oregon and loves the proximity to both surf and snow. She has a background in Engineering Physics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.