Softstar Shoes Reviews 3

Do not waste your money or time, their support is terrible. Shoes are costly and won't last. They break after 120 miles of hiking, reached out to support and they don't repair their own products.

Date of experience: October 31, 2023

There are things about this company that I really like: quality materials, customizable products, made in America, and reusable packaging.

There's a lot going for this company. But in my opinion, their final products and customer support could use improvement. I've bought 4 pairs of shoes from Softstar Shoes for my two kids, and only one of those pairs has lived up to my expectations.

A pair of Baby Classics and a pair of Merry Janes both had the stitching wear out at the toes after 4-5 months of moderate daily use. When I contacted Softstar, I was informed that this was normal wear and tear. The problem, in my opinion, is that this is a design flaw because the stitching is exposed on the underside of the sole (the leather uppers, midsole, and rubber sole are all held together with a single stitch exposed on the bottom of the sole. The company denied my warranty request and I repaired the shoes myself. The Vibram sole on the Merry Janes also wore through after about 7 months, and Softstar does not do this sort of repair. That was disappointingly fast wear through and not a cheap cobbler bill.

Another pair, a Rugged Rambler, solves the exposed stitching design flaw with a thicker sole attached with glue. I bought two pairs of these, one for each kid. One of them had the stitching come loose in the instep after about 6 months of light use. Again, Softstar politely told me this was outside their warranty. This is clearly a minor construction defect that I wished they would have taken responsibility for and offered a complimentary repair. Again, I had to stitch the shoe myself. The one pair of shoes that held up was a Rugged Rambler.

These Rugged Ramblers, however, have a different design flaw. The two pieces of the leather upper are not fully stitched together. This makes them easy to slip on and off with the elastic ankle, but it also leaves a large opening in the upper making it very easy for dirt, mud, pebbles, and leaf litter to get inside the shoe.

In conclusion, Softstar Shoes has huge potential. A few design edits and a bump in customer support would make them a 5-star company. As it stands, though, I am very hesitant to spend the premium price for another pair of their shoes given my collective experience thus far.

Date of experience: May 31, 2023

My family has ordered several pairs of shoes from slippers for Ma and Pa to shoes for kids ranging from under 2 years old to almost 8 years old - all very active. Every pair is obviously handmade. The leather is buttery soft. My kids all but refuse to wear anything else. I'm giving five stars because these shoe makers, the Elves, are all heart and soul, or perhaps I should say sole....hehehe. My only complaint is that some of the color comes off on our feet when worn barefoot, but I don't stress it because they only use non-toxic dyes. Still, I would highly recommend trying their shoes - it's unlikely you have felt anything like it!

Date of experience: July 21, 2022