Softstar Merry Jane Primal

I’ve been eyeing these Merry Jane Primal since their release. I have mountain feet, where my second toe is a little longer than my big toe and third toe is about the same length as my big toe, and these shoes have a squared-shaped toe box, which works great for them.

I was ecstatic when Softstar sent me a pair to style for my outfit challenge on Instagram! I became an affiliate and I would appreciate if you can use my link here.

I do have to say that I am very picky with my shoes. I am a teacher and I walk between 5k – 10k a day in my classroom/school. All cement or hard floors. I have had to take my shoes off in the past and stay barefoot because the shoes I was wearing hurt my feet.

In order to make sure they were going to work, I wore them the previous week, every evening while walking my dogs… I know, what a waste of beautiful shoes, but I had to test them before wearing them to work.

I’ve walked between 10 – 15 miles, 1-3 miles a day to test them before writing my review.

Company

Softstar was founded 30 years ago by Tim and Jeanie Oliver when they wanted to create barefoot shoes for their daughter.

Throughout the years, it has evolved to an amazing company. Their main goal is to produce high-quality shoes while minimizing their environmental footprint.

They built a new green workshop:

• they repurposed building materials,
• uncoated wood construction (no drywall, paint or chemicals),
• use green energy (100% sourced from sustainable wind and solar),
• added an electric vehicle charging station and a permeable parking lot.

They prioritize sustainability:

• Zero waste packaging,
• Recycling in the workshop,
• Upcycle leather,
• Reuse hand and shop towels.
• Compost
• Encourage the resale of their shoes in order to reduce waste.

They are an ethical company:

• Using materials that are non-toxic, including their glue, making sure their employees are not exposed to harmful gases.
• Creating a community where there is mutual respect and dignity.

Materials

• Leather is sustainably sourced and eco-friendly. It is non-toxic, tanned without formaldehyde and colored with natural food grade dye.
• They try to buy from local tanneries, but sometimes they buy from Italy, Brazil, South Korea or Germany.
• 2 mm Vibram soling.

Design

• Zero drop, no heel and no toe lift.
• Flexible and light with only 2 mm Vibram sole!
• Less than 5 ounces per shoe
• Widest at the toes to allow free and functional movement.
• Spacious toe box that accommodates feet with squared shape.
• Correct toes friendly
• Turned design: seams on the inside for smoother appearance.
• Buckle has adjustable fit with elasticized give

I would not recommend for Egyptian feet, where your toe is the longest and then you have a steep slope with the rest of your toes because you will have a lot of extra space in front of your toes.

These Primal Merry Janes are designed for Greek, Roman, or combination feet as they provide extra space in front of 2-5 toes.

Sizing and Fit

There are two ways to find your size: one is going by your foot measurements and the other one is using their printable stand-on sizing guide.

1. My feet are 24.8 cm in length and 9.5 cm in width.
2. I already own two of their ballerinas, size 8U (one normal and one wide). I also own a pair of their Roos for the winter, same size.

• According to measurements, I should wear 8U.
• According to the printout, I should wear 7U.

This time, because the style is different, I decided to try their 7U. Even though I should have known better because I already own other Softstar 8U, I still wanted to try the new size.

When I received the 7U narrow, I was able to put them on but my toes were all the way at the end with no wiggle room and the leather was too tight. I exchanged them for 8U narrow, and I find them perfect for my feet.

I do have to say that I was not convinced when I first tried them. You see, my feet are low volume and I have skinny ankles. My first impressions:

1. Too wide in the midpart.
2. The leather felt too loose around my toe joints.
3. The leather felt too tight on top of my toes.
4. The sole felt too minimal (only 2 mm thick).

Modifications:

1. I added one hole to the strap.
2. I stored them with a last to stretch the part over my toes.

• I thought about adding an insole, but after wearing them to walk my dogs, I actually loved the minimal sole and it does not bother my plantar fasciitis or my gait.
• I also feel that because the leather is so malleable, it has moved around and conform to the shape of my foot (picture).

Width

This is the most important characteristic of the Primal Merry Janes. They are extremely wide.

These are the widest shoes I own… and I got the narrow!

Size 8U narrow are 4” inside the shoe and they are widest at their toes… which very few barefoot shoes are.

As you can see on the picture, the width is actually more than 4″ in the outside as the leather provides more space to expand.

If you struggle to find shoes that are wide enough for your feet, these are it!

The toe box is also very squared, so I would not recommend for feet with a steep slope.

Looks

Even though I wanted to try them from the moment they were released, I was skeptical about their looks. I didn’t know if they were going to be too clownish-looking. I, instead, tried the wide version of the ballerinas (which I really like, but that’s another review).

Since transitioning to barefoot shoes, I’ve struggled embracing their wide looks. And with these being extra wide, I wasn’t sure they were for me.

When I received my Primal Merry Janes, I walked to the nearest mirror and tried seeing them on me… I was expecting to not like them, but I did, I did like them. I liked them a lot!

Even my husband, who is very self-conscious about barefoot shoes, gave me a compliment about them looking normal and cute!

How to wear them

I got the aged acorn color and I love how it goes with all of my wardrobe!

They are easy to wear with jeans, pants, dresses. They are formal enough to wear to work and dress up, but I can also wear them to the park with my casual clothing.

I am wearing them for a week for my Instagram outfit challenge and I love how versatile these shoes are!

Shoe Care

Because Softstar uses non-toxic food grade dyes, there will be some initial color transfer to your socks or skin, but will decrease with use. (I have not experienced this). But don’t wear them with your favorite white socks!

You can condition the leather to enhance the water resistance, but they do not recommend using mink oil.

Do not wash your shoes, but you can clean by hand with a damp cloth. Although people have put them in the washer!

Questions or comments? Let me know

You can shop for Softstar Merry Janes here!