The players union for the USL Super League has partnered with women’s soccer footwear company IDA Sports to provide its cleats to all 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 company’s premise is that cleats made specifically for women help reduce injuries, including ACL tears, which women are up to eight times more likely to incur than men, according to some recent studies.
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 alongside the more established National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
“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 NWSL 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.
Michele Kang, the majority owner of the Washington Spirit, is an investor in IDA Sports. Last year, she led a $2 million investment round into the company, which aligns with Kang’s wider ambitions of science-backed decision-making tailored specifically to female athletes.
IDA debuted its first cleat in 2020. The company’s cleats include more arch support, a narrower heel cup, a wider toe box and shorter, conical studs. The company says that proper equipment — rather than women wearing small-size cleats made for men — is one of the factors to mitigating injuries.
The USLPA’s deal with IDA Sports also gives players access to cleats at no cost, a relatively new concept in the sport.
Players who have existing shoe deals will have a choice of whether to opt-in to receive IDA cleats, an IDA spokesperson confirmed.
Nike has been a primary sponsor of the NWSL since the league’s inception in late 2012, outfitting kits for every club.
Many women’s players do not have sponsorship deals that would otherwise give them free access to cleats or gear. Players are also generally paid less than their male counterparts.
USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort said last year that the league’s minimum salary is comparable to the NWSL, whose minimum was $35,000 but raised to $48,500 this year.
“This partnership with IDA Sports reaffirms our commitment to supporting and empowering our USL Super League members,” said USLPA Assistant Director Bri Visalli.
“Partnering with IDA Sports is about more than footwear, it’s about giving our players a voice in the products they use every day. We’re excited to work with a company that values athlete feedback and is committed to creating solutions built specifically for women.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
