Handmade shoes for infants, kids and adults since 1984. And because each pair is handmade, you can customize your shoes with choices of colors. “We make minimal shoes for happy, healthy feet! Every one of our shoes is handcrafted at our Oregon, USA workshop… We are careful to source non-toxic materials for our shoes, including leather colored with food-grade dye and non-toxic adhesives… we use only leathers which meet high safety standards both for our customers, and for the environment. As our little ones like to occasionally chew on their shoes, it is important to us they are as chemical-free as possible. Many shoes today (99.9%) are imported from countries using formaldehyde tanning methods. Not only is this chemical a potential irritant to your skin and absorbable transdermally, but it poisons ground water downstream from tanneries, and causes well-documented health issues with tannery employees. Almost all or our leather is sourced from USA tanneries to ensure that strict regulations are adhered to. When the leather is not available from USA tanneries, it is sometimes sourced from approved tanneries in Italy, Brazil, South Korea or Germany which meet labor and environmental standards set by our supplier. We are proud to also offer Ecopell vegetable tanned leather from Germany, which we import due to their extremely high standards for quality and sustainable practices, arguably the best in the world.” Soles are made out of natural rubber, durable suede, or a tough leather. Their shop is run from 100% solar or wind energy.
I’m a long time wearer of Vibram Five Fingers because I am a strong believer in minimalism when it comes to shoes. Recently I have become more aware and concerned about the chemicals and materials in my life and my that of my shoes is my latest project.
I browsed through Debra’s List to find good sources of shoes and when came to Soft Star Shoes I saw that they made a minimalist shoe with a wide toe box. It is called Primal RunAmoc and it seemed to really fit the bill for a minimalistic, barefoot-like, and non-toxic shoe. It seemed too good to be true, so I read on.
The skeptic in me is concerned about the chemicals and materials of the shoe. The company claims that they, “use only leathers which meet high safety standards both for our customers, and for the environment” and that the shoes are, “as chemical-free as possible,” and the leather is “sourced from ecologically responsible tanneries restricted to countries with strict environmental regulations.” Again, they claim hey are, “careful to source non-toxic materials for our shoes, including leather colored with food-grade dye and non-toxic adhesives.”
I would like to believe that the end product (the leather in the shoe) is truly non-toxic to the wearer, but part of me is warey and wants to be very sure before I spend hard earned money and many hours of many days wearing these. I want to know that I am not exposing my self to and absorbing toxic chemicals and materials. To make the matter more complicated, they use recycled bike inner tubes to cover the front edge and protect it from damage. I am concerned that this could also be a source of toxins, though I’m not sure it touches the foot while wearing the shoe (or if that matters). Lastly there is a Breathe-o-prene liner on the tongue. I am concerned about this too, especially since it contacts the skin. If you have any insight on these, please let me know. I plan to move on from my VFFs soon and would like some assurance on where to turn. I suppose the Dash RunAmoc would solve the concerns about the biker inner tube toe cap and the Breath-o-prene liner.
Contact Soft Star Shoes and ask them these questions. This company has been around for a very long time with many happy customers.
Even if not perfect, they are MUCH better than what you are currently wearing.
My daughter (a dancer and hiker) has nearly worn out her Soft Star tie shoes—she wears them in many different settings! I tried some, but the toe box wasn’t high enough for me. The company’s practices seem excellent and they allow a lot of creativity in color choices.
Hi Debra, I adore Soft Star Shoes for my child and for myself. But my understanding is that the soles are not natural rubber; I think they are synthetic. I could be mistaken. But we’ve gone through quite a few pair for my child and a couple for myself, and it seems to me they are synthetic rubber. I typically avoid synthetic rubber, but it doesn’t bother me in shoes like this, given that the smell dissipates, we only wear them outdoors, and the Soft Star minimalist design is so great for foot development and function. (Other minimalist shoes that allow adequate room in the toe box tend to be made entirely of synthetics – though there are some exceptions; so I feel a rubber sole is preferable to the entire shoe made of plastics.) But I just wanted to mention this in case any of your readers are particularly sensitive to rubber (whether an allergy, or sensitive to the smell), in which case they might like to call Soft Star to inquire about the specifics. Soft Star has very helpful customer service and will reply by email or by phone. I wore my first pair for 2 years and am now on my second pair. They are the ONLY pair of shoes I wear (though I still do wear the 1st pair for dirty outdoor activities). I had the worst trouble finding shoes to fit my feet and be comfortable for my feet/back/body for YEARS; once I found Soft Star, there was no turning back. So I truly recommend them, but just wanted to mention that anyone sensitive to rubber might want to look into that before purchasing. That being said, even when I was very sensitive to smells, I was able to use the shoes when they were new after allowing them to air out a little bit and just kept them by the front door; after a very short while, all was well. Also, the shoes can be returned if they don’t work out, which is of course helpful when ordering online.