Nestled in the heart of downtown Halifax, Aerobics First has been serving the running community there since 1980. It’s become a pillar of the community–a place for runners to find the latest and greatest, pop in for a quick visit, get their skis waxed for winter–and, once a month, join in on the chill-paced Bagel Run that’s become a community staple.
“We’ve been in the same building since 1980, initially in just a small little part of the building, and then over the years, we’ve grown to take up the entire building, and now we own the building,” explains store manager Matthias Mueller. “Running and walking have always been our big thing; we started at the height of the jogging craze in the early 1980s, before any stores were around. Our founder, Margaret Armour, had travelled a fair bit and had seen the enthusiasm of running growing in other places, but it hadn’t quite made it to the Maritimes yet. So she said, ‘We really need to do this. We need to start a running store, and bring it here.’ And she did.”
Now, the store still serves primarily runners and walkers, but also has added a solid alpine skiing component to their offerings. And it has evolved with the times, in terms of what runners need. Now, the staff is there to help runners and walkers of all levels find the perfect shoe to serve their needs and fit their feet. Many of the people who work in the shop are runners themselves. For instance, Mueller is a former track and cross-country runner who graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in kinesiology and a desire to help more people discover a love of running. He started as a part-time employee during university, and, a decade later, he’s still there, now acting as store manager.
“I feel very lucky,” he says. “I have had some really good mentors here. The owners, Luke MacDonald (who retired this spring) and Dean Cheverie, have been amazing mentors, and their goal has always been to try to foster the next generation of ownership. And they got that initially from from Margaret, who started the store. Her goal was always to basically pass it off to the next generation. Luke and Dean were that generation, and then I suppose I am the next.”
Growing the Halifax run community
“The Bagel Run is a monthly community run that we host,” Mueller explains. “The whole purpose was that we wanted to bring the run community back together. In Halifax, there’s quite a number of different clubs and crews and groups. Pretty much every day of the week has something going on. Rather than us having an in-house run club, where we’re competing with our neighborhood club down the street, we thought a monthly community-oriented run that could bring all the groups together made more sense. We invite everyone, and it’s an opportunity for people new to the city and new to the community to meet the different run clubs. It’s beginner-friendly, but there are also plenty of runners who are training for fast marathons or ultras. We do a relaxed 5K together and then we have bagels and coffee, so people can mingle.”
“We wanted to support and grow clubs in our neighborhood, and the Bagel Run really has done that,” he adds.
Beyond that, the store makes a point of being as inclusive and welcoming as possible, and that includes prominently placing the LGBTQ+ friendly logo in their online profile. “We just really want everyone to feel welcome to come in to our store,” Mueller says. “We want to try to have a positive impact on whoever’s walking in the door.”
Finding the perfect fit
“I love getting to help people, all the way from elite performance-oriented runners to someone’s great aunt who is just coming out of the hospital and needs new footwear after hip surgery,” says Mueller. “We have such a diversity of customers, and I really enjoy problem-solving. Each person is unique, and so is the solution to their issue, and what equipment or gear is going to work the best for them.”
“This is part of why our name is Aerobics First,” he adds. “We want people to lead active, healthy lifestyles. We know that if people can be active later into life, then their quality of life improves. And so much of that can start with your feet: if your feet are always sore, all of a sudden, it sucks to walk down the block to get groceries. Your activity and mobility decline. Your quality of life declines very quickly. Our mission really is to help people stay active and moving as long as possible.”
His best tip for buying shoes? It’s simple. “Always try them on. Try them on.”
And your ideal shoe changes over time. “We have people who’ve shopped with us for 30 years, and so it is important, every once in a while, for us to have that repeat customer and say, Let’s sit down and re-measure, get another look at your feet and see what’s changed,” he says. “The foot is a highly dynamic and fluid structure, with many different little bones, lots of ligaments and tendons. So we do see the foot change over the course of someone’s life. It’s important to then adjust your fitting considerations as that evolution occurs.”
Giving back to the community
Finally, it’s not just about fun runs followed by bagels. The store also runs an annual sock campaign during the holiday season (it’s going on right now, in fact). “Our annual Snookie Socks campaign is a program where, with the help of our customers and community, we look to provide wool socks to houseless or near-houseless folks in our city,” he explains. “Shoes protect feet, but good socks save feet. Over the last several years, we have raised $27,000, which equates to more than 4,000 pairs of socks donated to individuals in need.”
The store also has a program called #FitItForward, where they take new or gently-used footwear and distribute it to those most in need in our local community with the help of community outreach partners. “As a longstanding Nova Scotia business, we strive to have a positive impact through varied social initiatives. After all, we want to support and give back to the community that has supported us for so many years.
