Hettas is Building the Running Shoe for Her Stride

One of Hettas’ core missions is addressing the glaring research gap in sports science when it comes to female athletes. A review of six major academic journals from 2014 to 2021 revealed that only 6% of studies focused exclusively on women. Perhaps most startling: a 2016 study noted that women were often excluded from research altogether due to their hormonal cycles being considered “confounding variables.” It’s a systemic oversight that Hettas is determined to challenge. 

“Our first initiative was a deep-dive literature review covering 40 years of research on women and running, which confirmed just how underserved female athletes are in this space,” says Hettas co-founder Lindsay Housman. “Since then, we’ve launched a Pilot Run Study, conducted Run Economy Lab Testing, and are currently doing a Running Online Injury Prevention Feasibility Study.” 

What their research revealed was eye-opening but not surprising: anatomically, women’s feet statistically tend to be more pie-shaped, with rounder insteps, lower ankle bones, and relatively narrower heels. Their fifth metatarsal—the bone near the pinky toe—protrudes more, and their big toe often angles slightly upward. Add to that a unique force profile—the way and intensity in which a woman’s foot strikes the ground—and it becomes clear that a shoe designed for men and simply resized for women, just doesn’t cut it. 

Historically, most running shoes were created for male athletes and then scaled down for female consumers. That mismatch often results in painful pressure points, heel slippage, toe crowding, and awkward rubbing around the ankle. Hettas set out to solve these problems with their debut line: the Alma collection. 

The Alma Cruise, Alma Tempo, and Alma Speed—each priced at $238 and offered in three colorways—share the same female-first design, tailored for comfort, performance, and injury prevention. While each model varies in foam density to suit different running styles (Cruise for easy jogs, Tempo for long races, and Speed for fast, short efforts), they’re united by a carefully engineered fit. 

A narrow heel cup and low-cut ankle collar secure the heel without rubbing or putting strain on the Achilles. The rounded instep offers a snug, supportive fit, while the flexible TPU mesh upper and generous toe box accommodate the natural upward curve of the toes. The Velopropulsion midsole combines a custom Pebax plate for responsive propulsion with a layer of Supercritical foam for joint-friendly cushioning on every stride. 

“They feel different, and that is a good thing,” says co-founder Housman. “Many women runners didn’t even know they needed these features until they found Hettas.” 

Now, about the shoes. 

Reductive heel cup: the design of the heel is narrower than most shoes. The goal is to get the heel down into the shoe and hold it securely with the supercritical foam nodes, without putting any pressure on the Achilles.  

• Many women struggle with heel slipping so this should alleviate that. 
• Many women also struggle with Achilles injuries, and the hypothesis is that this design will reduce those injuries.  

Lower ankle collar: this will avoid rubbing on the ankle bone. 

Redesigned Instep: the shape is designed to fit snugly to a woman’s foot. Let’s consider the man’s arch to be a horizontal oval. Women’s arches are higher which tilts the oval on its axis. The shoe’s instep is also smaller in circumference and more rounded.  

TPU Mesh Toe Box: given varying toe splay, upward-angled toenails and bunions to accommodate, the key to the toe box is the material. TPU mesh offers stretch to accommodate toes (no poking through!), but ALSO memory which means the material will hold its shape. Most shoes’ toe boxes are nylon or polyester which offer varying degrees of stretch (if you weave them, it becomes engineered mesh which has a bit more stretch) but none of them have memory. 

The Velopropulsion Midsole  

• The proprietary 3-part midsole system 
• Two layers of supercritical foam surrounding a Pebax plate 

The Pebax plate  

• The Pebax plate is visible from the side and the bottom of the shoe  
• Better suited for women’s biomechanics since it allows metetarsal flex  
• Less upward force on strike which leads to less jarring on ankles, knees and hips – it’s all connected!  
• Since it’s flexible, it has been designed to bend upward around the top foam to achieve stability without building out the width of the foam 

The Alma: 1 Fit. 3 Rides. 

• By varying the hardness (durometer) of the foam surrounding the plate, Hettas has established three rides: Cruise, Tempo, Speed 
• Durometer ratings are marked on the midsole for transparency  
• The firmer the foam, the more rigid and propulsive the plate system becomes 
• The Alma Cruise is an everyday running shoe for those with a slight firm preference who still prefer a cushioned ride. As the least firm in this line, the Alma Cruise is designed to offer the cushioning to support you through longer distances. The Alma Cruise is great for warmups, long training runs, and recovery runs. 
• The Alma Tempo is an everyday running or training shoe for those with a firm preference. For those who want a plated training shoe that is firm enough for your hard efforts, while cushioned enough to support you through your warmup and cooldown. The Alma Tempo is great for workout days — such as tempo runs or quick runs, or long-distance races such as a 10k or half marathon. 
• The Alma Speed was designed with competitive races in mind and is a racing or training shoe for those with a strong firm preference. For those who are looking for a plated shoe with a firm ride. The Alma Speed is great for your fastest workouts, shortest road races and other hard efforts, such as a road mile or a 5k road race. 

• What is the weight of the shoe? Cruise – 265g (rubber outsole) and Tempo / Speed – 235g (LWP outsole) 

• What is the heel drop? 10mm 

• Which model is right for me? The shoes are designed to align with the type of run or workout you’re setting out on, but it really comes down to preference. 

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