Latest news with #RiseElite
Fox Sports
24-04-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Women's cleat-maker partners with top-tier USL Super League
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The players union for the USL Super League has partnered with women's soccer footwear company IDA Sports to provide its cleats to all of the league's athletes. Texas-based IDA Sports is the only company devoted solely to soccer footwear specifically engineered for women, based on biomechanical needs. The partnership with the USLPA was announced on Thursday. All interested players in the USL Super League will receive IDA Sports Rise Elite cleats for game day. The players will also provide feedback that will help the company with future designs. The eight-team USL Super League is currently in its first season. The pro league sits at the top of the women's soccer pyramid in the United States. 'Like the USL Players Association, IDA's number one priority has always been to support and provide the best resources to women athletes," IDA Sports co-founder Laura Youngson said in a statement. "We are thrilled to expand our network to include the talented players of the USL Super League, who are changing the landscape of the women's game in the United States, something we at IDA focus on every day.' IDA Sports partnered with the National Women's Soccer League Players Association for the release of its Rise Icon cleat that celebrated Women's History Month. A portion of the sales went to the NWSLPA. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Women's cleat-maker partners with top-tier USL Super League
NEW YORK (AP) — The players union for the USL Super League has partnered with women's soccer footwear company IDA Sports to provide its cleats to all of the league's athletes. Texas-based IDA Sports is the only company devoted solely to soccer footwear specifically engineered for women, based on biomechanical needs. Advertisement The partnership with the USLPA was announced on Thursday. All interested players in the USL Super League will receive IDA Sports Rise Elite cleats for game day. The players will also provide feedback that will help the company with future designs. The eight-team USL Super League is currently in its first season. The pro league sits at the top of the women's soccer pyramid in the United States. 'Like the USL Players Association, IDA's number one priority has always been to support and provide the best resources to women athletes," IDA Sports co-founder Laura Youngson said in a statement. "We are thrilled to expand our network to include the talented players of the USL Super League, who are changing the landscape of the women's game in the United States, something we at IDA focus on every day.' IDA Sports partnered with the National Women's Soccer League Players Association for the release of its Rise Icon cleat that celebrated Women's History Month. A portion of the sales went to the NWSLPA. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
24-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Women's cleat-maker partners with top-tier USL Super League
NEW YORK (AP) — The players union for the USL Super League has partnered with women's soccer footwear company IDA Sports to provide its cleats to all of the league's athletes. Texas-based IDA Sports is the only company devoted solely to soccer footwear specifically engineered for women, based on biomechanical needs. The partnership with the USLPA was announced on Thursday. All interested players in the USL Super League will receive IDA Sports Rise Elite cleats for game day. The players will also provide feedback that will help the company with future designs. The eight-team USL Super League is currently in its first season. The pro league sits at the top of the women's soccer pyramid in the United States. 'Like the USL Players Association, IDA's number one priority has always been to support and provide the best resources to women athletes,' IDA Sports co-founder Laura Youngson said in a statement. 'We are thrilled to expand our network to include the talented players of the USL Super League, who are changing the landscape of the women's game in the United States, something we at IDA focus on every day.' IDA Sports partnered with the National Women's Soccer League Players Association for the release of its Rise Icon cleat that celebrated Women's History Month. A portion of the sales went to the NWSLPA. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USL Players Association partners with footwear company engineering women's cleats
Thanks to a new partnership between IDA Sports and the USL Players Association, every player in the USL Super League will soon have access to cleats specifically designed for women's feet. The footwear company, which exclusively designs cleats for women and girls, was named on Thursday as the USLPA's official footwear partner for its Division I women's league. All USL Super League players will receive complimentary pairs of IDA's Rise Elite cleats. Player feedback will also help with the future development of IDA footwear. Advertisement 'We want pro players and grassroots players alike to really know that we're there for them and we have a solution for them, to know that there's a brand that's female-founded and fully focused on their experience and fully focused on their comfort,' Tabitha Tice, IDA's head of marketing, told on Wednesday. 'This is a great way to connect with them through a trusted organization that they know is also looking out for them.' The footwear company, founded in 2018, considers itself the only company exclusively designing cleats based on the 'specific biochemical needs of women and girls.' The company was co-founded by CEO Laura Youngson, who saw a void in the market. Girls and women were often left with limited options, forcing them to settle for kids' or men's size shoes. Last year, a group of investors led by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang's Kynsica backed IDA Sports with $2million (£1.5m) in seed funding. While footwear brands have long partnered with leagues to provide apparel for players, this partnership offers players a first-hand role in their development. In recent years, there's been an increase in footwear companies investing in women-specific boots, especially with the ongoing epidemic of ACL injuries in women's soccer. In 2023, for example, to coincide with the FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, Puma announced it had invested in a research study to explore ACL injuries in women's soccer, with the results expected to be used for future boot development. Advertisement Some experts have pointed to women's athletes relying on cleats that are largely designed with only men's needs in mind as partly to blame. There are also stunning gaps in research around these issues. 'Our founder always says that we're creating the sport science because so much of it just didn't exist,' Tice said. But that's changing, with more investment in the space than ever before. 'Things are really starting to accelerate,' Tice said. 'It feels like we're converging in a moment for women's sports, broadly speaking, where all these opportunities and investment and media deals are emerging, and IDA, I think, is positioned nicely to support players from the ground up.' IDA already had existing relationships with players in the USL Super League, such as Spokane Zephyr FC midfielder Marley Canales, who suffered an ACL injury while still in college. Advertisement 'We've similarly seen USL players inquiring about IDA and what their cleats could do for them on the field and supporting their performance and comfort,' Tice said. 'That interest sparked our team to reach out to the (USL)PA. We see the Players Association as a really great voice for the players.' Through this partnership, USL Super League players will have the chance to engage directly with IDA for future cleat development, through survey feedback and research. 'It allows us also to go deeper and engage on the ground, as resources allow,' Tice said. 'The long-term hope is to start establishing relationships with players at various clubs and be able to connect with them and go in person.' IDA's head of research and development, Emelia Funnell, as Tice explained, is usually traveling with a 'big foot scanner' to gather as much data as possible from as many players as they can on the road. 'Taking this step into the USL by engaging through the PAs will open doors for being able to do further testing and research on the ground,' Tice said. Advertisement The USL Super League earned Division I sanctioning last summer, joining the 13-year-old NWSL as the top professional women's leagues in the United States. While this is IDA's most extensive partnership with a Players Association, the company teamed up with the NWSL Players Association last month for the release of its limited-edition Rise Icon boot. With each purchase, $15 went towards the NWSLPA. IDA Sports also had an inaugural roster of 10 professional players it partnered with last year, all players in the NWSL, with two on loan to USL teams, including five players from the Spirit. 'IDA's number one priority has always been to support and provide the best resources to women athletes,' Youngson said in a statement, 'We are excited to share the benefits and comfort of IDA's cleats with even more players through this partnership and look forward to collaborating with Super League athletes on future footwear.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Soccer, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
USL Players Association partners with footwear company engineering women's cleats
Every player in the USL Super League will soon have access to cleats specifically designed for women's feet, thanks to a new partnership between IDA Sports and the USL Players Association. The footwear company, which exclusively designs cleats for women and girls, was named on Thursday as the USLPA's official footwear partner for its Division 1 women's league. All USL Super League players will receive complimentary pairs of IDA's Rise Elite cleats. Player feedback will also help with the future development of IDA footwear. Advertisement 'We want pro players and grassroots players alike to really know that we're there for them and we have a solution for them, to know that there's a brand that's female-founded and fully focused on their experience and fully focused on their comfort,' Tabitha Tice, IDA's head of marketing, told The Athletic on Wednesday. 'This is a great way to connect with them through a trusted organization that they know is also looking out for them.' The footwear company, founded in 2018, considers itself the only company exclusively designing cleats based on the 'specific biochemical needs of women and girls.' The company was co-founded by CEO Laura Youngson, who saw a void in the market. Girls and women were often left with limited options, forcing them to settle for kids' or men's size shoes. Last year, a group of investors led by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang's Kynsica backed IDA Sports with $2million (£1.5m) in seed funding. While footwear brands have long partnered with leagues to provide apparel for players, this partnership offers players a first-hand role in their development. In recent years, there's been an increase in footwear companies investing in women-specific boots, especially with the ongoing epidemic of ACL injuries in women's soccer. In 2023, for example, to coincide with the FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, Puma announced it had invested in a research study to explore ACL injuries in women's soccer, with the results expected to be used for future boot development. Some experts have pointed to women's athletes relying on cleats that are largely designed with only men's needs in mind as partly to blame. There are also stunning gaps in research around these issues. 'Our founder always says that we're creating the sport science because so much of it just didn't exist,' Tice said. Advertisement But that's changing, with more investment in the space than ever before. 'Things are really starting to accelerate,' Tice said. 'It feels like we're converging in a moment for women's sports, broadly speaking, where all these opportunities and investment and media deals are emerging, and IDA, I think, is positioned nicely to support players from the ground up.' IDA already had existing relationships with players in the USL Super League, like Spokane Zephyr FC midfielder Marley Canales, who suffered an ACL injury while still in college. 'We've similarly seen USL players inquiring about IDA and what their cleats could do for them on the field and supporting their performance and comfort,' Tice said. 'That interest sparked our team to reach out to the (USL)PA. We see the Players Association as a really great voice for the players.' Through this partnership, USL Super League players will have the chance to engage directly with IDA for future cleat development, through survey feedback and research. 'It allows us also to go deeper and engage on the ground, as resources allow,' Tice said. 'The long-term hope is to start establishing relationships with players at various clubs and be able to connect with them and go in person.' IDA's head of research and design, as Tice explained, is usually traveling with a 'big foot scanner' to gather as much data as possible from as many players as they can on the road. 'Taking this step into the USL by engaging through the PAs will open doors for being able to do further testing and research on the ground,' Tice said. The USL Super League earned Division I sanctioning last summer, joining the 13-year-old NWSL as the top professional women's leagues in the United States. While this is IDA's most extensive partnership with a Players Association, the company teamed up with the NWSL Players Association last month for the release of its limited-edition Rise Icon boot. With each purchase, $15 went towards the NWSLPA. IDA Sports also had an inaugural roster of 10 professional players it partnered with last year, all players in the NWSL, with two on loan to USL teams, including five players from the Spirit. Advertisement 'IDA's number one priority has always been to support and provide the best resources to women athletes,' Youngson said in a statement, 'We are excited to share the benefits and comfort of IDA's cleats with even more players through this partnership and look forward to collaborating with Super League athletes on future footwear.' (Photos: IDA Sports)
