What are Primal shoes all about?

Shoes in our Primal line are made with a unique sole shape that features an extra wide toe box. This allows toes to spread out naturally and our feet to function the way they're intended to.

Got it, wide toe area… but why?

At Softstar, we believe barefoot is best for natural and healthy foot development, so we make shoes that let your feet function as close to barefoot as possible. An increasing number of medical studies suggest that shoes that are heavily cushioned and constrain feet in tight spaces actually lead to many of the foot problems people experience as they grow older, including bunions, hammertoes, neuromas and more.

One of the leading causes of these foot ailments is tight or tapered toe boxes. Shoes with pointy toe shapes may be fashionable to some people, but they wreak havoc on feet! Years of cramming toes into tight spaces may lead to a deformed foot structure and decades of pain.

Softstar’s shoes already featured wider toe boxes than most conventional shoes on the market. While our standard sole shape worked well for many people, we still had a large fan base of customers who needed more. These customers either had a naturally wide toe splay or were using toe spacers like Correct Toes to restore their feet to a natural shape. When we refer to a “natural” foot shape, we mean feet that are widest at the toes, not at the ball of the foot. This shape is considered natural because it is how feet look within cultures of people who do not grow up wearing shoes. In such cultures, foot problems like bunions and hammertoes are virtually nonexistent.

How was the Primal sole shape created?

After hearing demand from our customers, our talented shoe designers went to work creating a sole shape that would allow toes to truly spread without constraint. Several months of research and development followed and we were fortunate to receive feedback from experts in natural foot health, including Correct Toes inventor Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM and biomechanist Katy Bowman. Each received prototypes of our first Primal shoes and gave us valuable feedback that led to the final design.

In 2017 we released the first shoe of this new line, the Primal RunAmoc. It was an instant success among fans who showered us with gratitude for making the first shoe that truly fit their naturally-shaped feet. Users of Correct Toes and similar corrective devices were likewise thrilled that they finally found a shoe that comfortably fit around their spacers. Dr. McClanahan’s staff declared it the “widest toe box on the shoe market”… take that as you will, we consider it a compliment.

Now, seven years later, we are launching our fourth Primal style: the Primal Chelsea. The Primal Chelsea is a barefoot chelsea boot that checks all of the boxes as far as comfort, high quality craftsmanship, and minimalist shoes go.

Which of your styles come with a Primal sole shape?

Sold on the extra roomy toe box? Now it's time to pick out a pair for yourself! Softstar currently offers four different Primal styles: The Primal RunAmoc, Primal Sawyer, Primal Merry Jane, and as of recently, the Primal Chelsea Boot.

You didn't just hear it from us...

We're not the only ones who rave about our Primal sole shape, check out what other Softstar Primal customers have to say!

"These shoes are absolute perfection… The toe box finally allows my pinky toe and big toe to splay naturally and has taken away all previous foot pain… My feet will accept nothing less now."

Kris, Primal Sawyer

"I am loving these shoes! They are just lovely to have on the feet. And I am not easily impressed... There's nothing on the market that I know of that allows full toe splay! To me, it's a beautiful thing to let the toes move with absolute freedom in the shoe. I cannot do that with ANY OTHER of the barefoot shoes."

Richard, Megagrip Primal RunAmoc

"I spent SO MANY years searching for a shoe to fit my feet. At last, you have given me such a shoe! I am convinced that had I met this shoe 30 years ago, I would not have the deformed feet I have now, nor would I have had surgery done on one of them. Abundant thanks for this design that honors my feet."

Turtle, Primal Sawyer

"Blown away. These should be the standard. I work at a physio clinic and see multiple people come in with foot pain (bunions, flat feet, plantar fasciitis) and it's mostly because of the effects of improper footwear over time... These shoes are the perfect solution."

Saul, Primal RunAmoc

"These are the best shoes I've ever owned. FINALLY A TOE BOX SHAPED LIKE A HEALTHY FOOT… I can wear my toe separators in these without any squishing or pressure against the sides of the shoe. Finally, finally, finally... someone prioritized function over form in creating a shoe that feels great to wear."

Ben, Primal RunAmoc

"These are fantastic. Softstar showed themselves as the best minimal shoe company on the market with these. Functionally, they are the best fitting shoes I own, and they are the most stylish."

Ashley, Primal Merry Jane

"Finally something I will wear to work that is truly foot shaped… I usually take my shoes off as soon as I arrive home. I was so comfortable in these that I didn't think about it, and I left them on for hours into the evening."

Finn, Primal Merry Jane

Elf Benjamin

HTM Elf Benjamin has been a graphic and web designer for 15+ years and came to Softstar in 2021. He made the switch to zero-drop shoes in 2016 after years of arch pain from running in conventional footwear, and hasn’t looked back. He has an art degree from Portland State University and enjoys minimalist shoes for hiking and gardening.