This was a limited collaboration that was available from October 2024 to April 1 2025. But they were so popular that we are considering bringing it back later this year!
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.
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.
Fit for All
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!
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
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.
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
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!
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!
31 thoughts on “The Newest Chic Barefoot Shoes – Softstar Vintage Tie Flats!”
These are really cute but I truly wish there was a darker brown available for those of with darker skin tones. I have been wearing Soft Star shoes for years and I love the ability to choose the leather color for a custom pair. I wish that was available for these because I absolutely love this style. Such a bummer to not be included with these lovely shoes :-/
Personally I think all these colors look great on most skin shades, because they are not intended to be nude. But we love hearing the feedback and I will pass on the request for a darker brown. 🙂
can you slip them on and off with elastic laces? or are you tying/untying to take the shoe one and off
The lace is not stretchy, so I am tying it each time.
Hello Anya,
Your blog is excellent and I tell everyone about it. A historical landmark in the history of the shoe, some techno-anthropologist should study it! 🙂
I got a new pair of winter boots recently from the brand Aylla. I had not heard of it before and I couldn’t find it in your blog, are they anywhere in it?
Kind regards,
Carmen
Thank you Carmen!! I do have Aylla shoes, but we’ve held off on sharing about them thus far because they didn’t ship outside the EU. Now there is a Canadian Aylla retailer, so they are more accessible in North America, but we have not yet got to reviewing them. Do you like your Aylla boots?
Thanks for your response!
I got the Uma Chelsea and I am loving them. Beautiful shape, comfy, warm, and they look like they are good quality, but I have not had them for more than one month. Also I have not had any other barefoot boots. I tried one of the Vivo Chelseas and they were not for me size-wise, I think I might have been between sizes or they weren’t right for my foot shape.
We saw other designs in person and my husband loves their style too, he will probably get a pair from them soon.
I am currently based in Denmark and I got them here in a physical shop that has various brands.
Hi- I am so in love with this style. I printed a softstar size guide and according to the print out (properly scaled) I’d be a 5U. However, according to the numerical size chart with measurements, I’d take a 6U or 7U as a 38/ 24 cm foot. Can you speak to the sizing of the ballerina style?
I wear a size 5u or women’s 6 in them, which is on the smaller end of the size range I wear in flats. But Samantha errs on the larger side, because she has high volume extra wide feet. So I feel like they mostly true to size but depending on the fit you like you can go up or down. I personally have not used their printouts, but instead go by their numerical size charts.
Thank you for finally choosing to be inclusive! Are these shoes made with lasts? Also, how long will they be available?
No these are not made with lasts. And they will be available through February of next year!
Oh this primal wide fit is great news. I have tried Softstar shoes in the past but found even the original primal was too narrow in 7U but when I sized up to 8U, I was tripping because the shoe was too long. My feet are low to medium volume but so wide while I have narrowish heels. Shopping for shoes is so hard for my darn feet but thank you! Samantha is basically my personal fit model 😅
Love these! Thank you for working with our favorite brands to come up with great new styles! Just got a pair!
How cushioned are these compared to the ballet flats? Trying to figure the comfort and durability differences
The Vintage Tie Ballerine has the same amount of cushion as their regular Ballerine. It’s about 10-12mm thick with insoles and outsole combined.
I couldn’t find the materials listed, do these happen to have leather outsoles/aka are they grounding shoes?
They do not have leather outsoles, it is rubber on the bottom. They do offer their Ballerine with a leather sole option, but not this custom version. At least right now.
Could you post a photo of the bottom of the new Vintage shoes?
Hi Sara, you can see the bottom of them in the product listings on Softstar’s website. It’s the same outsole that is on their classic Ballerine and Primal MJ.
These look great! Curious on if you have ever tried the Proalp boots? I am looking for a combat type boot but with slightly more stack height but it doesn’t seem to be widely available in the US.
I do have some Proalp boots! They don’t have a very thick sole though, and weren’t my favorite in terms of quality. The new Kombat from Tikki/Lang S has a bigger stack height though. We recently got a pair and I’m going to be featuring them in my newsletter this week. They are cool!