There are all sorts of ways for companies to fund their growth these days and Canadian footwear brand Hettas has embarked on a unique method to accelerate its expansion.
The Canadian women’s running shoe company, which describes its mission as “redefining performance footwear for female runners,” recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on FrontFundr, Canada’s leading online investment platform. The campaign invites investors, customers, fans, and running enthusiasts to become shareholders and join Hettas as it enters the next stage of growth.
Launched in 2023, Hettas designs and tests every product exclusively from the female perspective — rooted in their anatomy, biomechanics and physiology, rather than downsizing male-centric designs. Its debut road running shoe, the Alma, is a performance running shoe built with a TPU mesh upper, Pebax plate and super-critical foam midsole. The shoe design and technology are informed by independent research conducted with partner Simon Fraser University Run Lab, where they have conducted five research studies, with more underway.
“Female anatomy, biomechanics, and hormones differ greatly from men’s — and so do our needs in footwear,” explains Lindsay Housman, founder of Hettas. “On anatomy alone, women typically have narrower heels, higher arches and different pressure patterns — yet most shoes are still built on men’s lasts. Hettas was born to change that.
But Hettas is more than footwear: the brand is driving systemic change in sport through three core commitments — advancing women’s biomechanics research, building inclusive athlete communities and funding initiatives to keep girls in sport. With programs supporting organizations such as Girls on the Run and TrackGirlz, and advocacy for equal recognition in events such as the Women’s Decathlon, Hettas is building a future where women lead in athletic performance with equal access, representation, and opportunity.
“We’re a community-led brand, and this FrontFundr campaign reflects that ethos — inviting our community not just to wear Hettas, but to own a piece of it,” Housman adds. “We’re excited to bring our investors along as we expand our product line, reintroduce Hettas to the U.S. market and, in partnership with Pilot Fish Studios, launch our European and UK e-commerce in 2026.”
Here are the campaign details:
Platform: FrontFundr
Funds raised through the campaign will directly fuel Hettas’ next stage of growth and impact. Capital will be allocated to fund marketing to drive North American direct-to-consumer and wholesale growth, launch a European partnership, expand grassroots community events and develop two new performance shoes within the next year.
It will also support the completion of three new independent research studies and partnerships with three impact organizations committed to advancing women in sport. Looking ahead to 2026–2029, funds will drive the development of specialized footwear for trail, track and court.
Investors can review offering documents and participate directly through the FrontFundr campaign page. Due to regulations, Frontfundr cannot accept investments from residents of the United States or Australia.
The women’s running shoe market, valued at $45 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $66.5 billion by 2031. In the U.S. alone, 11.8 million women participate in races each year. Yet, despite heavy investment in advanced foams and racing tech, most established brands still heavily rely on male shoe lasts.
Meanwhile, female-focused startups address fit but center on athleisure and everyday training, rarely using true performance materials, and none offer a plated performance shoe.
Hettas says it bridges this gap. It’s the first brand to deliver a complete performance running line engineered around female biomechanics, grounded in research and built with elite technologies like supercritical foam and a Pebax plate.
