The women’s sports boom is a boon for gear makers.
Fresh kicks. Caitlin Clark’s shoe launch was Nike’s largest ever, hitting 5K stores and selling out within hours online. The Swoosh’s women’s signature business is up ~500% since 2022, with CEO Elliott Hill calling it “one of our most powerful growth opportunities.”
Follow-through. As power players restrategize around women, upstarts are already tapped in.
By and for female ballers, Mark Cuban-backed Moolah Kicks treats developmental physiology as a differentiator. Focusing on younger and rec players, it teamed with specialized pediatric orthopedic hospital Scottish Rite for Children to study shoe impact on knees and hips.
Closing a $3M round last week, female-specific cleats maker IDA Sports plans to expand beyond footwear, outfitting next-gen soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and flag football players.
Proof points. Creating new fans, women’s sports have limited audience crossover with men’s.
Proving equal investment pays, Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber’s two-year-old Golden State Valkyries team just became the first WNBA franchise to hit $100M annual revenue — selling out every game and reaching the Finals.
Takeaway: Given the chance, girls support girls. With proper investment, women’s leagues open a world of entertainment—and ancillary revenue—in their own right.
