We didn’t learn about Soft Star Shoes until recently, but we’re glad we did. These shoes are definitely different from the bigger more well known players in the barefoot shoe / minimalist shoe running shoe world. Different in a good way. This is not our formal review of these shoes, but our first impressions as we were lucky enough to have Soft Star Shoes send us a pair of RunAmoc Chocolate shoes to try. Keep reading for pictures, videos, and other juicy tidbits.
For those who are not a fan of reading you can check out the video below to get a quick tour of Soft Star Shoes’s RunAmoc shoe…
Quick background for those not familiar with Soft Star Shoes (like we were until recently). Soft Star Shoes have been around for over 20 years making sandals, shoes, boots, and other forms of footwear. What makes them even more interesting is the fact that every pair of shoes and footwear that they make are hand stitched and made in the USA. First off it’s very rare to find any products made in the United States, let alone shoes (most are manufactured in China). And second to get something handmade is even more amazing.
While they make all kinds of footwear as mentioned above, we were interested in the RunAmoc shoes. These are their dedicated barefoot running shoes.
Each RunAmoc shoe features the following:
- Solid suede upper – that’s right actual real leather shoes! Good for colder climates
- Extra roomy toe box – no more constricted feet
- Sole customizations – choose between a street version (2mm sole) or a trail version (5mm sole). Can you guess who makes the sole? None other than Vibram (as in Vibram FiveFingers)
- Lightweight – weighs anywhere between 5.6 oz to 8.7 oz depending on how you customize it
That’s the shoe specs on paper. Here’s what we think of them in the flesh…
RunAmoc First Impressions
I have to be honest when I first saw the shoes in person I was taken aback. These shoes aren’t sexy in the traditional way we’ve been marketed to like shoes. The sides of the shoes aren’t rigid and reinforced like other shoes so they kind of droop. When you set the shoe down everything kind of hangs down and flattens. However what it lacks in looks seems to be made up in craftsmanship and comfort.
Looking closer at the shoe you can feel like this shoe was made with love. It’s just different then all the other mass produced shoes that you get. The suede is of excellent quality. It’s stitched together wonderfully and everything fits together well (no misaligned or stray seams).
We received the RunAmoc Chocolate shoes with the trail running soles. Even with the slightly thicker soles (compared to their street version) the shoes are still light and flexible.
How do they feel? When you put them on they feel just like slippers. The extra wide toe box gives your feet plenty of room to breath and move. I know even with my new favorite Nike Free 3.0 v2 shoes that with extended wear how your feet end up throbbing a little since they are so form fitting. With the RunAmoc’s I don’t feel like that at all (granted I haven’t worn them for any extended period).
Aside from the looks (which quickly has been growing on me) so far I am pleasantly surprised. They are well made, light, and comfortable. When you wear these you just want to dance and flutter around…or maybe not…watch the below video for evidence.
You can learn more about Soft Star Shoes buy visiting their website, or checking out our Soft Star shoe pages (RunAmoc Lite – Red, RunAmoc Lite – Black, RunAmoc Chocoloate).
Stay tuned for a more thorough review.
Thanks for the preview – when do you think you will review them? I have a pair of Vibram Five Fingers (the KSOs) and I like them but they seem to rub the top part of the ball of my foot. And, they don’t seem to truly allow my toes to work independently (because the Vibram sole is hard enough to keep lateral movement of each toe to a minimum).
And to that end, have you tried running outside in the Vibram Moc? With the seven individual parts on the bottom of the foot, it allows for good independent movement of each toe. I know its not designed to be worn outside or even for running but what the heck, what’s it like to run in?