If you’re in the hunt for an ULTRA wide barefoot shoe for virtually anything from running to gym workouts to everyday casual wear, the Primals by SoftStar will be an instant hit because the shoes strongest attributes are its width and versatility!
Like all SoftStar barefoot shoes, the Primal’s are literally the widest minimalist shoe on the market. In fact, they are so wide that you can wear toe spacers in them. This is why SoftStars are my new favourite barefoot shoe because the wider, the better as it will improve your foot shape, especially if you have a bunion. Not to mention, the more your forefoot and toes can expand, helps impact pressure spread out across a larger area of the foot while keeping you more balanced.
What The Primals Are Good For
Thanks to the incredibly durable, yet unobstructive construction, the Primals are perfect for all road running distances, including the marathon, especially in cold weather because the upper is made of real leather, which has always done a better job at insulating my feet, even in wet, cold conditions than synthetic uppers.
I was also impressed at how well the Primals gripped on wet, greasy, slick pavement as well as on wet slimy leaves! I didn’t have to slow my pace at all in those conditions!
Aside from handling exceptionally well on paved streets and other hard surfaces, the Primals are also a great off-road option for if you like to veer off the beaten path and explore new trails. The ground-feel will give you confidence and a very stable handling essential to zipping safely over technical grounds.
The Primals can also be used as the perfect versatile daily trainer and for everyday, casual wear. The shoe is essentially ready for anything to be honest!
The Sole
The Primals sit on a 5-mm thin, tough Vibram rubber sole that’s also zero-dropped, meaning there’s no heel-lift and is completely flat. This allows you to avoid heel striking and encourages a forefoot strike landing which is the most natural stride for running!
Additionally, the sole employs full-coverage of tightly spaced chevron-shaped tread that gives the entire sole full flexibility to move agilely while delivering ample traction on wet, dry or lightly snow covered trails and paved surfaces.
Even though the sole provides excellent ground-feel, it provides the right amount of protection where sharp rocks, roots, acorns, etc, doesn’t painfully push into your underfoot.
The Upper
The upper is where the magic happens because for one, it’s made exclusively of soft and supple premium, responsibly sourced leathers which is why the shoe is incredibly insulating while providing all the durability you need to really go hard after your next workout.
The upper is impressively light, considering how durable it is, and when it gets wet, the leathers prevent the upper from getting soggy or bogged down because it doesn’t trap water.
Since the upper is made of real leather, it keeps your feet comfortably warm when wet in temperatures as cold as -16C or 3 F!
For another, the BEST feature of the upper is the width! SoftStar’s signature wide geometry allows complete freedom of movement which also improves the stability of the upper because the front of your foot isn’t constantly squeezing and pushing up against the toe-box.
Another impressive feature of the upper is that since it’s so wide, there is tons of space, however the good thing is, the lacing system pulls in the sides of the shoe, comfortably locking your foot centered in place, resulting in no in-shoe sliding, even when wet!
Lastly, you’ll love that the Primals come in as many colour options as you want because SoftStar gives you the option of creating your own colour combinations to make the shoe more decorative or not!
All in all, the Softstar Primals really have no faults! Every detail of the shoe supports maximum functionality as well as comfort and durability that lasts. This is why the Primals, along with all of the barefoot shoes from SoftStar should really receive all the hype, and they are well worth the price because you don’t have to worry about durability!
If you’re interested in pair, you can check them out here!
Bretta Riches
BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.
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