Scott Radley: Former Olympian and McMaster coach Paula Schnurr discovers there’s no business like shoe business
No, she acknowledges, it's not exactly terrific advertising when the person selling you running shoes to comfort and protect your feet from the pounding absorbed during exercise is wearing a walking boot because of a broken bone in her foot. From running.
There's a good explanation and all. And it wasn't the fault of the shoes. But still.
It's never a good look," chuckles Paula Schnurr.
But that's about the only thing that's gone wrong since the two-time Olympian - and now McMaster track coach - and her husband, Pete Self (himself a former McMaster track coach), daringly decided to open a small business in the middle of the pandemic. The same pandemic the Canadian Federation of Independent Business predicts will shutter between 55,000 and 218,000 such enterprises across the land.
It was back in the spring when things were first locked down that Schnurr and Self noticed people in their Dundas neighbourhood out running or walking or hiking in numbers they hadn't seen before. Heck, she didn't even recognize some of the people from the area despite living nearby.
And their shoes ...
You've probably had to been running all your life with an intimate knowledge of the wear and tear feet can take from all the constant thumping to even notice their footwear. But she has. And she did. Same with Self. Many of these people clearly needed help.
Pretty soon the conversation had turned to a store.
The idea of finding the perfect pair of shoes for someone is kind of rewarding," she says.
So they did it. They rented part of Mason Athletics' building on McMurray Street in Dundas and got at it. By August, they'd opened under the unusual name, Ten Toe'n Shoe Shop.
The story is, when Pete and his twin brother would go for runs as kids, they'd ask each other if they want to go 10 toeing.' No, Schnurr had never heard of it either. But it's kind of cool. And memorable. So it stuck.
Despite doing no advertising, they've already sold hundreds of pairs of shoes and have shipped from PEI to Vancouver. All while Schnurr continues to coach the Marauders.
No, there's no competition going on in the collegiate running world right now. The first-ever female coach of the year in men's Canadian university cross country has been coaching her athletes through the Harbour Track Club either in small clusters or virtually. At times, she'll create made-up events just to juice up the motivation and intensity. They've had virtual time trials, relays, individual hill competitions and other things.
They need it," the Hamilton Sports Hall of Famer says. It's been since February or March most of these kids competed. They wanted to have some goals."
Things are supposed to get more official for the Marauders in January so she'll get even busier. But as someone - along with Self - who's passionate about getting people active, the store has now become a huge deal. If only to find ways to get less-elite runners moving. Even if that means just walking or hiking. So, she'll still be doing that, too.
The biggest advantage she has? Not her background in running. Many who walk into the shop have no idea she won a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games or competed under the Olympics rings in 1992 at Barcelona or 1996 in Atlanta.
No, it's her own feet. They're a bit of a mess. So she understands peoples' problems. There's the broken bone she suffered a couple weeks ago while running trails and rolled her ankle on a hidden root. First break of her life, she says. There are the bunions which she believes she inherited from her father. And there's her second toe that's being pushed out of its place by her bent big toe.
Some time ago, a surgeon told her they could simply remove that hammer toe if she wanted. No big deal.
We could completely take it off," she says he told her.
No thanks, she quickly decided. She likes having all of them.
Besides, if she did that it could affect business. Because how can you run a store called Ten Toe'n when you've only got nine?
Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sradley@thespec.com