Athletics Ontario Running Podcast · John Shep

EP 214: Lindsay Housman, Founder and CEO of Hettas - Engineering the Female Stride

·44 min·1 clip

94% of sports research is done on individuals that don't have a uterus.

Lindsay Hausman, CEO of HEDAS (named after her twin daughters), discusses how personal foot injuries during COVID sparked research into female-specific running shoe design. She reveals that 94% of sports science research uses male subjects, and that most women's running shoes are simply shrunk-down versions of men's designs. HEDAS was founded to build shoes from the ground up for female anatomy, addressing anatomical differences (pie-shaped feet, lower ankle bones, higher arches, splayed toes) and hormonal influences on ligament elasticity. The brand launched three shoe models with different foam densities and flex points, uses a proprietary P-box plate for impact management, and partners with academic institutions for ongoing biomechanics research—a commitment to advancing women's sports science.

As heard by us

A focused look at how women-specific shoe design meets the realities of running bodies.

The conversation opens a few days before International Women's Day and asks a focused question: what changes when a running shoe is built for the female foot?

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Why you'd press play

If you want the why behind a women-specific running shoe, start here.

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