Hello Anne-Emmanuelle, it's a pleasure to meet you! First of all, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Anne-Emmanuelle Nettersheim: Of course! I'm 44 years old and studied art direction. I quickly knew I wanted to create something for myself, so I set up a communications agency and worked in healthcare.
In 2013, I joined a trail brand, WAA, which was really exciting. I discovered the world of trail running from the inside and met many athletes, but I often felt frustrated by stereotypical women's products.
In 2020, I left Oia and, with two friends, decided to create TwoSixOne to meet the real needs of women runners. Our brand pays tribute to Catherine Switzer, the first woman to officially run a marathon in 1967.
"We adapt our products to women's bodies".
In concrete terms, how does your brand meet women's specific needs?
A-E.N: The morphology of our backpack is adapted to women's breasts and their shorter, slimmer backs. The water flask, for example, doesn't fit in the same way as it does on conventional bags. And the bag is completely open, to let the back breathe, because a woman often runs with a bra and a T-shirt underneath and her bag, and this is quickly difficult to manage in the heat. We work in the same way with shorts and leggings, for which we're looking to solve the problem of chafing thighs. Shorts are often too short for women and don't provide enough protection against chafing. Ours are longer, and we insert extra protection underneath. For leggings, you can choose your leg length, and for socks, we've imagined them more girly!
How did TwoSixOne come into being?
A-E.N: TwoSixOne was born out of frustration. Working in the trail industry, I often felt that women's needs were underestimated or misunderstood. For example, it was common to simply add colors like pink or salmon to men's products and call them "feminine". In 2020, after leaving my job at a major trail brand, I wanted to create something new, something that really met the needs of women runners. With a friend, we started work on an innovative backpack designed specifically for women. This innovation, which allows part of the bag to be detached, was the starting point for our brand.
"Women are less visible on the big iconic races and this is reflected in the development of products adapted to them"
Where exactly did your frustrations come from?
A-E.N: The sports world has historically been dominated by men, and although things are changing, women are less visible on the big iconic races, and this is reflected among manufacturers and decision-makers. In the two trail brands my partner and I worked for, product development decisions were predominantly made by men. This contributes to a lack of suitable products for women, even though they run just as much as men! What's more, many brands develop their products in collaboration with top athletes, who are often very fit and not very busty. But everyday runners, who are not professional athletes, have different needs, adapted to their real bodies. Fortunately, companies are starting to take these specific needs into account, such as Salomon, which is developing smaller-volume backpacks especially for women.
"One woman told me she ran in her garden because she was ashamed to run in public.
**How did you get started?**A-E.N: In 2022, we launched an Instagram account to test our idea. We wanted to create a community and see if our product could work via a crowdfunding campaign. At first, we only had prototypes and no idea of how big it would get. One day, I posted a question on Instagram, asking women to share their running problems. The next day, I received dozens of voicemails from women sharing their stories. I realized that we could really create a strong community, where everyone shares their experiences and challenges. For example, one woman told me she ran in her garden because she was ashamed to run in public. It was powerful and motivated me to give these women a voice.
And how did you know which products to develop first for your users?
A-E.N: We launched an online questionnaire to gather testimonials and problems encountered by female runners. The response was incredible. In the space of a few hours, we received hundreds of testimonials. This feedback helped us to understand the specific needs of women when it comes to running equipment. We identified three key products: backpacks, leggings and bras. Today, our backpack is on pre-order and we've also launched a pair of socks. We're continuing to work on leggings and shorts (and not just in black, damn it!) to meet the needs of our users.
"More and more women are taking their practice to heart and making it a claim."
Where does your passion for trail running come from?
A-E.N: I started running in 2010, and it's given me an enormous amount of self-confidence. It's a school of life: you learn to deal with ups and downs, to get back up after falls. Trail running has also taught me to let go and persevere, essential qualities in my professional and personal life.
"There's something mystical about outdoor sport".
How do you see the place of women in outdoor sports evolving?
A-E.N: Things are moving in a positive direction. More and more women are taking their practice to heart and making it a claim. There's still work to be done, particularly in terms of media visibility and race safety. But statistics show an increase in the number of women at the start of races. We have inspiring role models like Connilee Walter, a 54-year-old American who's just a rocket scientist, who show us that anything is possible.
What do you think is the difference between indoor and outdoor sports?
A-E.N: There's something mystical about outdoor sport. Running in the middle of nature, smelling the fresh air, listening to the sounds of the forest, it's a form of meditation. It allows you to reconnect with your primal instincts and feel in harmony with your environment, and frankly, that's incredibly powerful.
