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Kynisca Sports, the first multi-team global organization dedicated to women’s football, has announced a $2 million investment in IDA Sports, a brand reinventing high-performance footwear for women. Noted businesswoman, philanthropist and Kynisca Sports owner, Michele Kang, is leading the effort in collaboration with Elysian Park Ventures, Firebird Impact and Tipt Ventures. The seed funding will help advance IDA’s mission to research, design and manufacture football cleats that support the unique biomechanics of women and girls.
This is the latest investment by Kang – who also owns the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and the London City Lionesses – to advance women’s sports and support its athletes. Kynisca is driven by the fact that only 6% of sports science research focuses on women athletes and Kang’s personal commitment to unlocking women’s athletic potential. The company wants to revolutionize women’s sports, particularly football, through unprecedented investment in research, sports gear and more. This includes offering the best playing and training environments, appointing world-class technical staff and driving innovation and sports science specifically for women and girls.
“There is minimal sports science research focused solely on women athletes, resulting in training routines, performance recovery plans and shoe and clothing designs with a male body type as the baseline… Women’s sports should never be an afterthought – they should be recognized as a standalone, commercially viable product and it’s exciting to partner with an innovative brand that shares the same sentiment,” said Kang.
As part of the investment, Kynisca will support and grow IDA’s brand and promote its products. This includes launching an initiative that allows women players at the highest level to provide direct feedback to help shape what they wear on the field. IDA will also release cleats for young players in February 2025, which will provide young girls with access to the right performance gear suitable for their development.
The issue of ACLs in women’s football gained widespread attention when five of the world’s top 20 (Ballon D’Or-nominated) women players suffered the injury in 2022. A serious ACL tear or rupture typically requires surgery and many months of recovery, and, in the worst case, can end careers. There are several fundamental differences between men’s and women’s feet and therefore shrinking down a boot constructed for men is sub-optimal and leads to pain, fatigue and serious injury. A 2022 survey showed that 82% of 350 elite women footballers across Europe experienced discomfort from their football cleats.
Co-founded by Laura Youngson in 2018, IDA Sports is the only company in the football cleats and turf sport industries that exclusively designs footwear for women. With women athletes 4 to 8 times more likely to sustain ACL injuries, the company makes cleats based on women’s anatomical differences. Its science-backed design aims to mitigate preventable pain, while reducing the risk of major injuries. IDA launched its cleats in 2020, designing them around a mold created from scans of more than 700 women’s feet.
“This investment isn’t just about creating a great cleat—it’s about sending a message that women’s sports deserve the same rigor, innovation and resources as men’s,” Kang told Sports Illustrated. “As IDA grows, I know they will inspire others to recognize the value in women’s sports and encourage further investment, helping to build a sports landscape where women athletes have everything they need to excel and inspire.”
Photos: Kynisca and IDA Sports
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