Co-founder, Laura Youngson, is a STEM advocate, TED speaker, and four-time Guinness World Record Holder. She’s always been drawn to the power sport had in bringing people together and in 2017, she set out to make a lasting mark in the game she loves.

In 2017, Laura led a group of women to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro to play a record-breaking football match with Equal Playing Field and highlight gender inequalities in sport. During the quest to play the highest altitude football match ever, Laura discovered they were all wearing boots made for men (or kids) and it left their feet in pain long after the final whistle blew.

After diving into the research, Laura learned that women were putting themselves at risk of injury when they were wearing boots that were made for men. It turns out that women’s feet are shaped differently to men’s.

Laura met co-founder, and former professional cricketer, Ben Sandhu while playing indoor soccer in Melbourne. They decided to team up and change the game.

Laura and Ben assembled a team of football and footwear professionals to identify what would make the perfect women's boot. The first "Frankenshoe" prototypes were cooked up in Laura’s kitchen and put together with the help of shoemakers in Melbourne.

In 2018, Laura and Ben traveled to Jordan with Equal Playing Field to break the Guinness World Record for the lowest altitude match at the Dead Sea. It was there that they tested prototypes with amateur and professional athletes alike.

Fast forward to 2020 and IDA was ready to launch their first boot. Global pandemic aside, the boots garnered 5-star reviews from players around the world.

What’s next? More innovation, more options, more footwear. We’re here to listen to athletes, advocate for more research in the women’s game, and ultimately give players more options when it comes to comfortable and well-fitting footwear.