Soft Star Runamocs lite review

Soft Star RunAmocs Lite

  The elves at Soft Star hand make each and every shoe in their workshop in Corvallis Oregon.  Its clear that they pay attention to detail and that they will be long lived shoes.   I was given the opportunity to try out the Runamoc Lites back in December.  Yes I know its taken me forever to write this review.
 I feel that my review writing skills and self confidence has grown since then and I am ready to be completely honest about the lovely Runamocs since there are many aspects of them that I adore and others that I do not like and wish that they would change ( which  they have actually done in later versions!)

  As you can see they are incredibly flexible.  They have a zero drop sole that  is nice and flat.  Its a Vibrams sole of which I have had great experiences with in other shoes.  There is a 5mm trail sole option or the 2mm street sole option of which I chose.  The trail version has little knobbies for better traction.

  They have a fantastic sizing chart and communicate with you as much as needed to get the sizing right for you.  Remember they are making your pair of shoes just for you in their workshop!  As of today, the pricing is at $87 for the Original Runamoc Lites.  To me this seems quite fair if not a little underpriced for a handmade pair of shoes that have formaldehyde free leather and all materials being made her in the USA.

I did see this below quote on the site though to take note of as far as sizing of the Original RunAmocs~

ATTENTION:  The RunAmoc Original style tends to fit large/loose.    Take your usual shoe size and go down 1/2 to 1 size when ordering - or see our size chart for conversion. The RunAmoc Dash and Moc3 fits the same as your normal shoe size.
I started wearing these when It was quite cold out this past winter.  I wasn't sure about choosing the version with the ventilation or the Original Runamocs with the suede to help keep the tootsies warmer.  I went with the ventilated style and I found that with wool socks I was warm and dry so I think this is a great option for my feet in the winter.

  I am not a big fan of the red. It is fun but just not really my style.  I would have prefered  a black or brown but really what matters to me is how functional the shoe is and not so much the style.  The idea that these were made by hand with much care and love makes up for the color for sure!
The red dye from the shoes did color my baby blue wool socks I was wearing with them.  It was clearly stated in the FAQ section of their website but I had forgotten about it in my excitement to give them a shot.  It did eventually wash mostly out. As a side note, just wear dark socks with them and no worries!

The Runamocs are very comfortable and have a lovely wide toebox!   Just right for a nice full splay of the midfoot.

  There is a lace that goes around the ankle and ties in the front.  They stay on great and are very comfortable with socks.  I am not sure I would would want to wear them without socks but a pair of Injinjis seem just right.  I had a bit of discomfort at the ankle bone on the inside of my right ankle that I had to stop and mess with a few times before I got the tension right on that foot but it was not a flaw of the shoe just needed to work through the tension of the lacing.

So these shoes are overall great.  They have a wide toe box, zero drop, nice ventilation, they stay on well, and are relatively lite in weight.  What else is there you might ask......the company.
They have over 25 years designing shoes for the whole family.  The childrens shoes are adorable and promote the natural growth and strengthening of little feet.

"We also believe our environment and community are important. That's why Soft Star has earned the 'We Conserve' stamp of approval. We also fully supported Cassidy's efforts in helping the people of Sudan through Kids for Kids. It's a wonderful cause and we feel honored to have been part of her project. Soft Star also gives to Waldorf and Montessori schools through our back-to-school discounts and promotions. We also donate thousands of dollars worth of Soft Star products to Le Leche League chapters around the country every year."

This is taken from their website and being a homeshool family I very much like that they support Waldorf and Montessori schools and I also have been a long time Le Leche League member and have placed great value and pride in nourishing my boys from my own body so thank you Soft Star for your efforts!  Well done!

Not only do SoftStar make great shoes but they are a great company overall. I love when I can get behind the whole company and not just like their shoes.   Definitely go check them out.  The new Dash version looks pretty sweet!

Here is the link to Running and Rambling blog recap of Tahoe Rim Trail.  Donald ran 100 miles in his RunAmocs!