In Her Shoes: The Ida Sports Story | #080

In this episode of Add To Cart, we are joined by Laura Youngson and Ben Sandhu from Ida Sports, who have created the first football boot specifically designed for women’s feet. Only a couple of years old, they have grown from an idea on the back of a napkin and an early prototype they called the ‘frankenshoe’, to selling out of their first range, getting stocked in Dicks Sporting Goods and having Isabel Dawes kick a goal in the AFLW grand final wearing their shoe. In this chat, we hear how Ben and Laura used LinkedIn as an outreach tool, why their first crowdfunding campaign failed miserably and how removing barriers to entry for women in sport is their ultimate goal.Links from the episode:Ida SportsLaura’s Ted Talk (Mount Kilimanjaro)Isobel DawesBrisbane LionsIda B WellsSignet (sponsored)Shopify Plus & Peter Sheppard (sponsored)Questions answered:What are some of the key differences between men and women’s needs in a sports shoe?How did you go about designing a women’s football boot from scratch?What are some of the most significant barriers to entry for women in sport?This episode was brought to you by…  SignetShopify PlusAbout your co-hosts: Laura Youngson from Ida SportsLaura Youngson the co-founder of Ida Sports, a serial entrepreneur who has set up and run a number of businesses and not-for-profit organisations. Laura studied physics and has since worked as a diplomat, on the London Olympics and for PwC, before starting her own businesses. She is a TEDx speaker and holds four world records set with the organisation she founded, Equal Playing Field, which advocates for gender equity in sport. You can contact Laura on LinkedInBen Sandhu from Ida SportsBen Sandhu has advised startups and accelerators for a number of years in both the UK and Australia before joining Ida Sports. He is passionate about using business as a force for social change, most recently heading up RMIT’s LaunchHUB programme in 2020. He was a semi-professional cricketer who deeply understands the athlete experience, helping Ida Sports land two lucrative contracts with some of the US's largest sports retailers.You can contact Ben on LinkedInThanks to our sponsors, Shopify and Subscribe to the Add To Cart newsletter  SMS us to Suggest a Guest Connect with Nathan Bush Join the Add To Cart Community