Soft Star Rogue Review; Soft Star Metro Review
*Admin note: we’re in the homestretch! One final product review here, and a farewell
post before 2012 expires. Thanks to
everyone who has been sending well-wishes over the past couple of weeks – they
mean more to me than you can possibly imagine.
**
It’s no coincidence that my final product review for Running
and Rambling features Soft Star Shoes.
Among all the companies I’ve partnered with over the span of this
website, there are none I appreciate more, and none - for better or worse –
with whom I’ve been more closely identified.
Just because it seems so long ago ... Team Soft Star at Tahoe
That last point is one I’ve taken fairly seriously, especially
as the company started increasing their sponsorship support and I started doing
crazier ultra adventures over the past couple of years. I’ve always had this low-grade but generally
constant anxiety about making the company look bad at one event or another,
either by some sort of gear malfunction, or losing traction on some gnarly hill
and injuring myself, or simply not being able to finish a race. Thankfully, none of that ever happened, which
is as much a testament to Soft Star’s willingness to work with me and come up with
solutions to every obstacle I encountered as it is to my own accomplishment.
But I’m digressing somewhat, because today’s reviews don’t
have anything to do with athletic performance.
Rather, they are focused on two new casual styles the company introduced
this fall – one a brand new model, the other a more formal styling of a classic
model they released last year.
Soft Star Rogue, in Aged Walnut
The new model is the Rogue men’s shoe, which I think of as a
hybrid between the company’s flagship Rambler outdoor moccasin and the
innovative Moc3 running model that’s probably the most comfortable athletic
shoe I’ve ever owned. It comes in two
colors, both curiously starting with “Aged”: the Aged Walnut color I tested,
and an Aged Oak that is a lighter shade.
Both colors feature full-grain leather on the outer surface
of the upper; the leather is highly flexible and pretty much conforms to the
shape of your foot almost like a sock would.
The uppers are secured to the outsole by external stitching, and if your
feet are wider than average, you’ll probably notice the upper stretches over
the top of this external seam, further contributing to the general slipper
appearance.
This overall slipper vibe is great from a comfort
standpoint, but the functional effect is that the Rogue looks much more like a
house shoe than a dress or work shoe.
When I saw photos of the Rogue, I thought it would be a great work
option, but now that I’ve worn them I’d say they’re definitely more of an after
work or Casual Friday shoe.
Moc3 on left, Rogue on right
Another contributor to the cozy upper fit is an internal
layer of Breathe-O-Prene, the same odor-resistant, breatheable neoprene material
that lines the interior of the Moc3 and wraps around your foot. This material is visible around the ankle
area on both models, and lines the entire interior surface of the Rogue as it
does on the Moc3. The Breathe-O-Prene lining
is one reason that the Rogues are highly comfortable without socks …
… and the second reason is a super-soft genuine sheepskin
footbed. This sheepskin is different
than the type Soft Star uses on other models like their Roo slippers; it seems
to have finer fibers and feels softer against bare skin than the regular
sheepskin. I typically wear my Rogues
with socks, but that’s my own aesthetic preference; there’s certainly no reason
why the Rogues can’t be worn sockless.
The outsole of the Rogue features a Vibram Geo outsole that
is among the thickest in the Soft Star catalog at 8mm (compared, for example,
to my 5mm RunAmocs). However, the rubber
material in this outsole is quite lightweight and very pliable …
… which, like all Soft Star shoes, allows complete barefoot-style
flexibility and movement. The outsole is
also somewhat soft, so ground feel isn’t compromised nearly as much as a firm
material would be.
RunAmoc on top, Rogue on bottom
From a traction and durability standpoint, the outsole is
outstanding. How do I know this? It just so happens that I’ve been testing the
exact same outsole on a pair of RunAmocs, so I’ve used it on steep hills and
loose gravel and slippery mud. By
appearances, this outsole pattern doesn’t seem very aggressive, but I’ve been
pleasantly surprised in my testing to find that it’s virtually the equivalent
of the original RunAmoc trail outsole.
While it’s not the formal shoe I was anticipating, the Soft
Star Rogue is an attractive casual option that is equally home with a pair of
jeans or long pajamas. It retails for
$125 from the Soft Star website.
**
Our second review is the women’s Metro, which is a formalized
update to the very popular Merry Jane mocs that the female Running and Rambling
crew loved testing last year. It comes
in a stock burgundy color, but can be made in custom colors such as the
chocolate brown pair my wife has been wearing this fall.
Soft Star Metro
The updated Metro features an interior seam between the front
and rear portion of the shoe, giving it a cleaner – or as the website describes
it, a more “elegant” – appearance. The
natural leather uppers certainly have a dressier look than the Merry Janes, and
(unlike the Rogues) could definitely pass for formal wear.
Another classy upgrade is a true strap and buckle fastener
on the side of the shoe. On the Merry
Janes, the buckle is a Velcro attachment, which is perfect for kids racing out
the door to school, but maybe not so much for an elegant night on the town.
The Metro’s insole is made of the same soft leather that
lines RunAmocs, but is also available in a sheepskin option if that’s your preference. And this is going to sound like déjà vu, but
speaking of RunAmocs …
… the outsole of the Metro is made of a 4mm Vibram Cherry
sole that I’ve also tested on a different pair of prototype RunAmocs. It’s more than adequate for trail running,
and is a significant improvement in traction and durability compared to the
outsole on the regular Merry Jane model.
And do I even need to say this part anymore? As
natural as natural movement can be.
The elegant-ization of the Merry Jane doesn’t come cheap, as
the Metro is priced 40 dollars higher than the more casual option – but if you’re
looking for something that is truly formal, the looks of the updated version is
probably worth it. The Metro retails for
$125 from the Soft Star website.
**
Finally, although I try to be objective with these reviews,
there’s no question that I’m completely biased when it comes to the Soft Star company. Whether it’s the charming Mom and Pop
backstory (they literally lived and worked in a school bus), the barefoot ethos, their
100% Made in America commitment, or their willingness to partner with a complete
idiot in developing the ideal moccasin for running crazy mountain trails, I
pretty much love everything about this company.
Soft Star absolutely deserves your business – if not for the models
described here, then perhaps a rugged RunAmoc or super-comfy Roo slipper – and even
though my website is closing its doors, I’m still going to do everything in my
power to make sure people know about them.
These are the kinds of things you can say when it’s time for goodbye.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
post before 2012 expires. Thanks to
everyone who has been sending well-wishes over the past couple of weeks – they
mean more to me than you can possibly imagine.
**
It’s no coincidence that my final product review for Running
and Rambling features Soft Star Shoes.
Among all the companies I’ve partnered with over the span of this
website, there are none I appreciate more, and none - for better or worse –
with whom I’ve been more closely identified.
Just because it seems so long ago ... Team Soft Star at Tahoe
That last point is one I’ve taken fairly seriously, especially
as the company started increasing their sponsorship support and I started doing
crazier ultra adventures over the past couple of years. I’ve always had this low-grade but generally
constant anxiety about making the company look bad at one event or another,
either by some sort of gear malfunction, or losing traction on some gnarly hill
and injuring myself, or simply not being able to finish a race. Thankfully, none of that ever happened, which
is as much a testament to Soft Star’s willingness to work with me and come up with
solutions to every obstacle I encountered as it is to my own accomplishment.
But I’m digressing somewhat, because today’s reviews don’t
have anything to do with athletic performance.
Rather, they are focused on two new casual styles the company introduced
this fall – one a brand new model, the other a more formal styling of a classic
model they released last year.
Soft Star Rogue, in Aged Walnut
The new model is the Rogue men’s shoe, which I think of as a
hybrid between the company’s flagship Rambler outdoor moccasin and the
innovative Moc3 running model that’s probably the most comfortable athletic
shoe I’ve ever owned. It comes in two
colors, both curiously starting with “Aged”: the Aged Walnut color I tested,
and an Aged Oak that is a lighter shade.
Both colors feature full-grain leather on the outer surface
of the upper; the leather is highly flexible and pretty much conforms to the
shape of your foot almost like a sock would.
The uppers are secured to the outsole by external stitching, and if your
feet are wider than average, you’ll probably notice the upper stretches over
the top of this external seam, further contributing to the general slipper
appearance.
This overall slipper vibe is great from a comfort
standpoint, but the functional effect is that the Rogue looks much more like a
house shoe than a dress or work shoe.
When I saw photos of the Rogue, I thought it would be a great work
option, but now that I’ve worn them I’d say they’re definitely more of an after
work or Casual Friday shoe.
Moc3 on left, Rogue on right
Another contributor to the cozy upper fit is an internal
layer of Breathe-O-Prene, the same odor-resistant, breatheable neoprene material
that lines the interior of the Moc3 and wraps around your foot. This material is visible around the ankle
area on both models, and lines the entire interior surface of the Rogue as it
does on the Moc3. The Breathe-O-Prene lining
is one reason that the Rogues are highly comfortable without socks …
… and the second reason is a super-soft genuine sheepskin
footbed. This sheepskin is different
than the type Soft Star uses on other models like their Roo slippers; it seems
to have finer fibers and feels softer against bare skin than the regular
sheepskin. I typically wear my Rogues
with socks, but that’s my own aesthetic preference; there’s certainly no reason
why the Rogues can’t be worn sockless.
The outsole of the Rogue features a Vibram Geo outsole that
is among the thickest in the Soft Star catalog at 8mm (compared, for example,
to my 5mm RunAmocs). However, the rubber
material in this outsole is quite lightweight and very pliable …
… which, like all Soft Star shoes, allows complete barefoot-style
flexibility and movement. The outsole is
also somewhat soft, so ground feel isn’t compromised nearly as much as a firm
material would be.
RunAmoc on top, Rogue on bottom
From a traction and durability standpoint, the outsole is
outstanding. How do I know this? It just so happens that I’ve been testing the
exact same outsole on a pair of RunAmocs, so I’ve used it on steep hills and
loose gravel and slippery mud. By
appearances, this outsole pattern doesn’t seem very aggressive, but I’ve been
pleasantly surprised in my testing to find that it’s virtually the equivalent
of the original RunAmoc trail outsole.
While it’s not the formal shoe I was anticipating, the Soft
Star Rogue is an attractive casual option that is equally home with a pair of
jeans or long pajamas. It retails for
$125 from the Soft Star website.
**
Our second review is the women’s Metro, which is a formalized
update to the very popular Merry Jane mocs that the female Running and Rambling
crew loved testing last year. It comes
in a stock burgundy color, but can be made in custom colors such as the
chocolate brown pair my wife has been wearing this fall.
Soft Star Metro
The updated Metro features an interior seam between the front
and rear portion of the shoe, giving it a cleaner – or as the website describes
it, a more “elegant” – appearance. The
natural leather uppers certainly have a dressier look than the Merry Janes, and
(unlike the Rogues) could definitely pass for formal wear.
Another classy upgrade is a true strap and buckle fastener
on the side of the shoe. On the Merry
Janes, the buckle is a Velcro attachment, which is perfect for kids racing out
the door to school, but maybe not so much for an elegant night on the town.
The Metro’s insole is made of the same soft leather that
lines RunAmocs, but is also available in a sheepskin option if that’s your preference. And this is going to sound like déjà vu, but
speaking of RunAmocs …
… the outsole of the Metro is made of a 4mm Vibram Cherry
sole that I’ve also tested on a different pair of prototype RunAmocs. It’s more than adequate for trail running,
and is a significant improvement in traction and durability compared to the
outsole on the regular Merry Jane model.
And do I even need to say this part anymore? As
natural as natural movement can be.
The elegant-ization of the Merry Jane doesn’t come cheap, as
the Metro is priced 40 dollars higher than the more casual option – but if you’re
looking for something that is truly formal, the looks of the updated version is
probably worth it. The Metro retails for
$125 from the Soft Star website.
**
Finally, although I try to be objective with these reviews,
there’s no question that I’m completely biased when it comes to the Soft Star company. Whether it’s the charming Mom and Pop
backstory (they literally lived and worked in a school bus), the barefoot ethos, their
100% Made in America commitment, or their willingness to partner with a complete
idiot in developing the ideal moccasin for running crazy mountain trails, I
pretty much love everything about this company.
Soft Star absolutely deserves your business – if not for the models
described here, then perhaps a rugged RunAmoc or super-comfy Roo slipper – and even
though my website is closing its doors, I’m still going to do everything in my
power to make sure people know about them.
These are the kinds of things you can say when it’s time for goodbye.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
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