Hilma Running Shoes: A New Way to Find the Perfect Fit?

Wondering if Hilma running shoes will work for you?

When it was time for Kristin Kramer to get new shoes for logging a few miles every day, she decided to give this new brand a try.

Here's the thing...

• You can't buy Hilma running shoes in a brick-and-mortar store
• There's no one-size-fits all design
• You must complete a survey to find the right fit
• Based on your responses, Hilma recommends one of 45 versions of its shoes to help you chase your running goals

Tired of cramming your feet into running shoes that don't fit quite right?

This could be the new way to find the perfect fit...

Check out this review about Hilma running shoes...

If you’re a regular WeeViews reader, you understand the value of having just the right gear to help you tackle any distance in any weather.  

You have your favorite...

• Socks
• Water bottle
• Shorts & shirt
• Jacket (depending on the weather)
• And even more choices when it comes to hydration and nutrition

Finding the perfect shoes is no small feat (pun totally intended)—especially when you consider the limitations that shoe companies face.  

Each runner, walker, and casual wearer has different needs—not to mention different biology.  

• You might need more arch support
• Maybe you have extra narrow feet
• Bunions or hammer toe?
• Cushioned or minimalist?
• Roads, trails, or a little of both?
• Gender...

FYI...most shoes are designed for men—so women are often stuck fitting into smaller versions of men’s shoes.  

Unless you’re able to have your shoes custom made, you’ve got to work within the confines of what constitutes “normal” feet.

But that's about to change...

Women’s running shoe company Hilma has come up with a way to work through these issues.  

Before the company launched last year, they spent three years trying to figure out how to offer a better fit for every wearer...

• From ultramarathoners like founder Brooke Torres...
• To weekend warriors...
• To the mom who’s just trying to survive a day on her feet at Disney World

To do so, they made Hilma running shoes available in 45 different fits, looking beyond just foot length to things like shape and width and toe-box shape and more. 

They're only available online. 

• I’m sure I’m not the only one who cringed at the thought of taking a chance on ordering shoes online without trying them on first. 
• I definitely have my share of horror stories about online shoe purchases.  

But Hilma doesn’t make you guess which size will work. 

They help you figure it out through an in-depth survey process.

When you click over to Hilma’s website, you can’t just go to a shopping page, choose your size and color, and check out. 

Instead, you launch a survey to help you find the right fit. 

The survey may take around five minutes to complete, but it’s incredibly comprehensive, examining not just the size of your foot but your needs as well.

Each wearer’s needs are different, so the survey asks how you intend to use your new shoes:  

• Are you a trail runner? 
• A casual walker?  
• Do you need something that will be comfortable even if you’re on your feet all day?  
• How many hours a week will these shoes be strapped to your feet?

Of course, fit matters, too, so the survey asks about your favorite shoes:

• What do you love about your best-fitting shoes? 
• What would you change?  
• Have you ever tried shoes that just didn’t work for you? 

From there, the survey gets into the nitty-gritty of your foot’s shape:  

• Do you often need a wider toe box?  
• How high are your arches?  
• Do you have bunions?  
• How do your toes look?  

😲Yep—it’s that detailed. 

But after you complete other surveys, they’ll sort you into a Hogwarts house or tell you which Ted Lasso character you are. 

Not Hilma.

• The Hilma survey will pair you with your ideal shoe (mine is The One in 8).  
• The final page introduces you to your match and tells you a little bit about your shoe.  
• And all that’s left is to choose from one of five colorways, and your BFFF (Best Footwear Friends Forever) will be heading your way soon.  (Mine shipped out the same day!)

Just days after filling out my survey, my new Hilma running shoes were at my front door, begging to be broken in. 

The timing wasn’t the best...

• The day before I had a run-in with a loose dog
• The encounter left me with a twisted ankle and a bruised tailbone

But I couldn’t resist the call of new shoes, so I sat myself down (very, very carefully) and laced them up.

As soon as I did, I was struck by how they hugged my foot.  

The website mentioned that they’d feel comfortably snug in the heel, and that was definitely the case. 

Everything about them felt like they just…fit.  

And even my sore right ankle felt comfortable in them.  

After hobbling around the house for a while...

I decided to get outside for an easy walk on the neighborhood track, and I was incredibly happy with what I found.  

• Cushioning. These aren’t squishy shoes; I didn’t feel like my feet would get lost in the cushioning—but they did feel cushioned.  
• Weight. These are a solid, all-around shoe without feeling heavy.  
• Traction. The traction makes them feel like they could easily take on trips to Target or your favorite track—or even venture off the beaten path. 
• Uppers. The uppers are also incredibly breathable—to the point that whenever the wind picked up, I could feel it in my well-ventilated toes. 

And did I mention that they just hug your foot?

I just couldn’t believe how these really felt like they were made for me.

I’m often a little wary about new shoes.  

• No matter how much I like them, I give them time.  
• I break them in a little bit before I make a real commitment.  

But some shoes just click right away—and my Hilmas took such good care of that injured ankle that I was sold almost instantly. 

• I was so sold, in fact, that when I showed up for my quarter marathon just over a week later, I’d called up my only slightly broken-in Hilmas for the big day—and they did not disappoint.  
• I felt great through the whole course, cushioned and supported by my new favorite shoes.  
• And they’ve continued to be my go-to shoes for nearly 100 miles since.

I’ll admit that I was slightly skeptical about the idea of ordering my shoes online.

But the Hilma running shoe survey worked, and my shoes turned out to be just right.  

• I’ve been impressed by the fit and the comfort of my Hilmas, no matter how many miles I’ve got planned for the day.
• In fact, I love my shoes so much that I’ve bragged about them to a number of friends who were looking for shoes for a variety of reasons.
• And I was apparently so convincing that one of my best walking buddies went right home and ordered a pair of her own.  Hers are still brand new, but she fell in love with them at first lace-up, just like I did.  

So while you may not have heard of Hilma before, I have a feeling that you’ll be hearing more about these running shoes in the future. 

Share your experience in the comments...