Buying forward: Not running won’t stop me from buying new shoes

Four weeks out from a robotic right hemicolectomy, I have more patience than energy — and apparently, more optimism than sense. It’s Ottawa race weekend, and while I know why I won’t be toeing the line this year, it doesn’t stop me from dreaming about what’s next.

Running on (almost) empty

The frustrating part of recovery is that it’s hard to gauge the depth of your energy reserves or their consistency. This past week, I’ve felt better physically — my incisions continue to improve, and I’ve been able to broaden my diet. But despite these signs, I’ve been ending the day with my Garmin body battery in the single digits without layering in any workout effort. Sigh.

I’ve been good. I’m resting.

New shoe day

So what’s a girl to do when you can’t run, and even a brisk walk is aspirational? Buy new gear, of course. Meet my first pair of Hettas Alma Tempos, which arrived this week.

What women want

The running industry is discovering that women are a marketing opportunity, which makes Hettas’ backstory all the more interesting. Founded by Lindsay Housman, the brand designs and engineers its shoes in Vancouver. They have been built in partnership with the Simon Fraser University Run Lab, led by Christopher Napier, assistant professor of biomedical physiology and kinesiology.

I came to women-led running brands through Oiselle, where I still call the Volée my home. And I ran in Hilmas, a favorite piece of Oiselle Birdcamp swag, until they sold off inventory and closed doors. So when Hettas crossed my radar, the Vancouver roots and the SFU research partnership made the decision easy. Along with brands like Saysh and bigger players like Lululemon, Asics, Brooks, HOKA, and On, Hettas have rejected the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach that dominated women’s fitness gear for so long.

While I believe the bigger brands are genuinely invested in serving their customer base, what I like about Hettas is that they are women-led and focused on female runners’ needs over the lifespan of their running — their research with SFU followed women from 20 to 70. The results only seem logical. I could have written this list myself:

• Women prioritise comfort, fit, and injury prevention in their footwear
• Many want a wider toe box, a narrower heel, and adequate cushioning
• Women’s footwear needs shift over time, with pregnancy and age influencing shoe size, width, and stability preferences
• Competitive runners seek performance-enhancing features, such as a carbon plate, but do not want to sacrifice comfort

I can testify that my feet are different post-surgery — both have changed my stride. And the miles, along with gravity, have made my forefoot even wider as I age.

The details make the difference

It’s one thing to like the brand promise and believe in the research, but it’s another to translate that into a shoe that makes your feet happy. Unboxing my new shoes included two fun surprises: Hettas ship with two sets of insoles so you can customise the fit to your foot, and two sets of laces, so you can make your own style statement. Both were unexpected and made me smile.

The fit test

Shoes can be one of the hardest things to buy without trying — if you’re like me, you have a graveyard of ill-fitting online purchases (some of which hopefully get donated to good causes at race expos.) My ‘Fred Flintstone’ feet are exactly what the SFU research described: wide forefoot, narrower heel, and a long history of sizing up just to give my toes enough room — and then living with the iffy heel fit that came with that. My race blisters are evidence.

For the first time in longer than I can remember, I ordered my true size — and they fit.

The wide toe box did what it was supposed to do. The heel stayed snug. I didn’t have to compromise. That’s the whole Hettas value proposition, felt in real time as I slid my own feet in for the first time.

Buying forward

I chose the Alma Tempo specifically because it’s a performance shoe — designed for a hard workout, or a longer distance, not a casual jog. I’m not ready for that workout yet. But now my shoes are.

When you’re coming back from injury or recovery, you’re already asking a lot of your body on trust. You don’t know exactly when the energy will be there, or how far you’ll get. This is the second time in two years that I’m navigating this road. The last thing you need is gear you’re not sure about.

These shoes are ready before I am — and that’s exactly the point. Their first real spin will be the Brave Like Gabe 5k on 25 June.