The Newest Chic Barefoot Shoes – Softstar Vintage Tie Flats!

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A top down view of a collection of Softstar Vintage Tie Ballerine Flats and Primal Merry Janes in black, nutmeg, and macadamia leather. Two woman are at the top of the photo wearing a pair. The other wide toe box flats are scattered around on the ground.

I live for shoes that add a touch of elegance while still being comfortable enough to live my life in. And I’ve been craving a classic tie flat that doesn’t pinch my toes – so I partnered with Softstar Shoes to bring to life this buttery soft Vintage Tie flat!

Introducing the new Vintage Tie Flats!

The Vintage Tie collection is a variation on the Softstar Ballerine and Primal Merry Jane, but with a tie closure and a raw edge. This makes them secure on the foot and supremely soft from the first moment.

Besides being one of the most comfortable ballet flats I’ve ever worn, they also come in different widths and shapes – because no matter your foot type you deserve to have something you feel great in.

A woman in a green linen tank top and jeans sitting on the ground holding a pair of Softstar Vintage Tie Ballerine flats in Black and Nutmeg leather. She is wearing a Macadamia colored pair with a wide toe box.

The new Softstar Vintage Tie flats are foot-friendly and comfortable, and they’re also made with high quality durable materials. The insole has a soft suede lining and a bit of extra cushion for long days on your feet, the outsole can be replaced by a cobbler if it wears away, and the leather upper is durable and not easily scuffed.

I wore mine on a farm for a day, walking through cornfields and dust and they simply wiped clean at the end of the day! I expect these will be your companion for years to come.

A woman standing next to a cornfield wearing a straw hat and blue linen pants smiling at the camera. On her feet are Nutmeg colored brown leather barefoot ballet flats - the Softstar Vintage Tie Ballerine collab with Anya
The receipts.

Fit for All

Top down view of two women in jeans wearing Nutmeg colored flats from Softstar Shoes. The left pair is the Vintage Tie Primal Merry Jane in wide width and the right is Vintage Tie Ballerine flat in regular

Softstar handmakes all their products to order at their workshop in Oregon. One of the things I love about made-to-order fashion is that you can tailor it to individual needs without excess waste. It was important to me to create something elevated that anyone could wear!

Top down view from th eknee down of two women wearing skirts and pretty flats. Their shoes are handmade in the USA from Softstar Shoes. The wide toe box flexible flats have matching leather ties for a vintage flair.

Between the different Vintage Tie options you should be able to find a good fit whether you have a slim, average, wide, or very wide foot or toe splay.

Both the Ballerine and Primal Merry Jane models come in two widths. That means there are two shapes and 4 total widths depending on your individual foot shape.

Samantha, assistant here at Anya’s Reviews, has a very different foot type from me. She fits into the Wide Vintage Tie Ballerine, but does best in the Primal Merry Jane. I fit best into the Ballerine in regular width. Let’s dig a little deeper into the two models.

Vintage Tie Ballerine

A knee down view of a woman seated on the grass wearing macadamia colored Softstar Vintage Tie Ballerine flats. She is holding the other 2 collection colors - Nutmeg and Black.

The Vintage Tie Ballerine is different from their standard Ballerine because it has a tie closure and no piping around the edge. The tie makes them fit securely on the foot with no slipping, and the raw edge makes for no pinch points or rubbing.

They were so comfortable from the first wear!

The Ballerine comes in regular and wide width. I need toe room and have a wide splay, but otherwise have a slim foot. The Ballerine in regular width works for me, because it has more toe space (especially for the big toe) than most ballet flats and is soft and forgiving.

Top down view of Softstar Vintage Tie Ballerine flats in Macadamia leather. On the left shows Wide width and on the right is Regular.
Vintage Tie Ballerine in Wide (left) and in Regular (right)

Samantha, who has an extra wide, high volume foot, needs the wide version. The wide Ballerine is wider throughout the entire shoe, but especially in the toe box area. However for Samantha to have room for a full toe splay and the most comfortable fit, she wears the Primal Merry Jane.

Vintage Tie Primal Merry Jane

Top down view of all 3 colors of Softstar Vintage Tie Primal Merry Jane. Black, Macadamia, and Nutmeg are lined up with a person standing in the middle pair showing the Wide width.

The Vintage Tie Primal Merry Jane is a variation on Softstar’s classic Primal Merry Jane (or PMJ for short) with a tie closure instead of a buckle. They come in the exact same soft, durable leather colors and soft cushiony insole as the Ballerine, and a slightly different tie closure design.

But the main difference between the Vintage Tie Ballerine and PMJ is in the toe box shape. They are much more square with tons of toe room. And they also come in two widths!

A graphic showing the difference in width between the Softstar Vintage Tie Primal Merry Jane Regular and Wide

So if you are someone who wants/needs all the toe room, the Vintage Tie PMJ will be the shoe for you. They are a great choice for people who want something dressy or elevated but find that even most barefoot shoes are not wide enough.

We do recommend stuffing the toe box once you’ve decided on keeping your shoes, because they fit low of the tops of the toes and you might want extra space above the toes. You can stuff tissue right in the end and let it sit overnight!

I hope you love this new chic barefoot collection as much as I do!

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27 thoughts on “The Newest Chic Barefoot Shoes – Softstar Vintage Tie Flats!”

  1. These are so cute! I’m so tempted but the height at the toe looks too low, as I see the big toe poking out in these photos and know my toenail would quickly slice through… not to mention the discomfort of the toenail hitting the top of the shoe nonstop. Just wish they were taller/higher volume at the front/toe region. But they’re so cute! Hope to see more in the future.

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Picture of Hi. I'm Anya.

Hi. I'm Anya.

I first discovered barefoot shoes after a long history of foot issues. By changing my footwear and strengthening my body I was able to completely transform my life. Anya’s Reviews is my way of sharing with the world that healthy feet are happy feet!

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