Playing wild
The founders of Find Your Feet keep things playful in their Kingsway store. Hanny Allston and Graham Hammond’s goal is to help us all ‘play wilder’ in the outdoors and in life.
This they do in their shops and on the trails, where they often bump into their customers. The pair have run all over the world – literally – but love nothing more than being in the wilds of Tasmania, hosting running tours, and bringing us lighter, fleeter, and more beautiful outdoor gear.
The award winning business began as a hobby. Teaching primary school in Hobart, elite athlete Hanny coached running groups in parks, using the playfulness she’d learned from kids.
Tour groups sprang from this, first to Maria Island and then further afield to Europe and Japan.
‘When we take groups away, people can leave all the noise behind and focus on themselves,’ says Hanny.
Across the world, they saw runners and hikers wearing stylish gear suited to wherever their day took them, out in nature or at the shops. Hanny and Graham realised there was a huge calling for high performance clothing and equipment at the forefront of outdoor gear in Tasmania.
Taking their lead from European outdoor culture, they now fill their store with product which is both cutting edge and beautiful. Customers can be anyone from dog walkers and weekend campers to elite athletes, hitting the craggiest slopes or the coffee shop.
Even on the darkest winter morning, you’ll spot Hanny and Graham in the Gorge enjoying their own products. Head torches are ‘like running under car headlights’. Other must-haves are a breathable ultra-light jacket you can wear for the whole journey, a great pair of shoes ‘so you’re dancing over the trails’ and good, warm gloves.
For longer distances, a vest pack is the super-smart and stretchy alternative to a backpack. Fitting like a piece of clothing but holding everything from phone to water to raincoat, they’ve been worn by Hanny and Graham worldwide, proving what they believe; wear the right gear, and the world will open up to you.
The store stands on its ethics, with brands who manage supply chain and environmental impact carefully, and the couple are thrilled to join the Kingsway community too. Ultimately their place here is more than a retail outlet, it’s a gathering place and a hub - for meeting and playing wilder together.
Find Your Feet 23 Kingsway, Launceston.
– By Fiona Stocker