When Kansas City Current forward Michelle Cooper scored her first of two goals against the Denver Summit FC last Friday, she didn't point to the badge on her jersey.
Instead, the 23-year-old bent down and gestured toward her bright New Balance Furon Elite V9 cleats, debuting a new colorway in front of the crowd at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and on NWSL+. The moment cost Cooper $500.
While insignificant on its own, the celebration came a week after the league rolled out its updated footwear exposure agreement policy , limiting which brands can be displayed during matches. Cooper denied making a point specific to the policy. Instead, she said she was celebrating her cleats.
"I just think my cleats allow me to do what I do and score goals," Cooper said postmatch. "To be able to put that (goal) away, and we debuted a new colorway, it is super awesome. So I just wanted to show that off a little bit. I love my cleats."
The league fined Cooper for not covering the branding as her sponsor, New Balance, is not one of the two brands that have signed a deal with the league in addition to their exclusive partnership with Nike, according to an NWSL Players Association spokesperson. The NWSL previously gave Cooper a warning during the Challenge Cup for showing the New Balance logo.
The league declined to comment on whether they have started giving players fines.
As part of the footwear framework introduced ahead of the Challenge Cup on June 26, the NWSL requires boot manufacturers to pay for the right to display their logos during matches.
The NWSLPA has been in discussions with the league about grandfathering in existing endorsement agreements, including Cooper's NIL deal with New Balance, which she signed while playing at Duke University.
"The league has decided to move forward with implementing this program over the union's objection, and specifically, our objection to forcing players like Michelle Cooper and others to breach their own individual endorsement agreements," Meghann Burke, the executive director of NWSLPA, told The Athletic , "Because these players had no notice of (the league's new framework) at the time they entered into their endorsement field."
The union's position is that the program violates players' rights under the collective bargaining agreement as well as the standard play agreement.
"We've really tried to work with the league to support its commercial objectives. We understand this is a revenue-generating initiative, and that's ultimately a positive for everyone," Burke said. "What's frustrating is that they're taking money out of players' pockets by refusing to adopt the same grandfathering language that exists in other professional leagues. If they're going to adopt an industry-standard model, they can't pick and choose which parts they like."
The NWSLPA said they will appeal the fine and file a grievance shortly.
However, because the NWSLPA is filing a grievance with the league, under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the league is not permitted to collect fines until the issue is resolved.
New Balance did not respond to The Athletic 's request to comment on its negotiations with the league.
So far, Cooper is the only player who has been fined. Chicago Stars FC forward Jordyn Huitema , who also wears New Balance cleats, was warned for wearing them for the first time last week, the NWSLPA confirmed. Cooper's Kansas City Current teammate Kayla Sharples , who uses Caddix cleats, has not been fined at the time of publication.
"I'm not going to ask Kayla to cover the logo on a product she believes helps her stay healthy," Jack Rasmussen, the CEO/Founder of Caddix, told The Athletic . "She's an All-Pro defender wearing cleats backed by data that we believe provide better joint protection. We'll cover the fines if that's what it takes."
Caddix also works with NFL athletes, and Rasmussen said that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and investor Joe Flacco has volunteered to cover the fine if Sharples receives one.
Rasmussen said he first reached out to the NWSL in March about negotiating a deal. Because Sharples wears her cleats for medical reasons related to an ACL tear in 2022, Rasmussen said there might be a workaround. "I then followed up in April, May and June. I never received a response."
The league did not agree to a medical exception for Caddix, according to NWSPLA.
According to Rasmussen, the league's footwear exposure deal requires brands to "pay the league $100,000, plus at least $5,000 directly to each player under contract," whether they have one or more players wearing the cleats. Caddix only has one full-time athlete in the league wearing their cleats.
The NWSL did not comment on the commercial arrangements the league has with its footwear partners.
"I've already paid Kayla $5,000, so I'm not going to pay a league $100,000 and then Kayla sees nothing of that; that's wrong," Rasmussen said. "The money comes directly out of her paycheck, and as everyone knows, even some of the league's top players aren't making huge salaries."
During Sharples' ACL recovery, she was approached by Caddix, who has a patent on a cleat design that allows the studs to flex during high-torque movements. The company says it helps dissipate forces before they transfer to an athlete's ankles, knees or hips. The company says the technology is intended to reduce stress on joints and lower the risk of lower-body injuries.
"That experience made me want to be part of something that could help prevent other female athletes from going through what I did. That's what drew me to Caddix," Sharples told The Athletic before the footwear exposure deal was in place.
When asked by The Athletic whether the player would face a fine for wearing cleats from a brand that is not part of the league-wide agreement, a league spokesperson said, "If a player displays a footwear brand on the field from a brand that is not a league-approved brand, they may be subject to discipline in accordance with the league's footwear policy."
However, they did not comment with respect to player fines.
"We're not rolling around in cash like these other companies are, but we're gonna do what's right, and we're gonna stand by our player," Rasmussen said. "This isn't like a money grab for us. This is actually not gonna hurt us."
IDA, the New York-based footwear brand dedicated exclusively to designing soccer cleats for female athletes, advised its players to cover their logo to avoid getting fined.
"We knew this was coming, but we thought we'd have more time to negotiate or come up with solutions," Laura Youngson, the CEO and co-founder of IDA, told The Athletic . "From a purely logistical standpoint, introducing it halfway through the season is difficult.
"Players have different needs, and there are a lot of practical considerations. We deeply care about our athletes; we've spoken to all of them who are sponsored by us, and even those we are in discussions with. We don't want to be in a position where the athletes are getting fines."
Adidas and Puma, which sponsor the largest share of non-Nike players in the NWSL, were the first brands to opt into the league's new footwear program. Last week, the league told The Athletic that they are negotiating with several smaller manufacturers that sponsor only a handful of players, with additional agreements expected in the coming weeks.
The league declined to disclose the financial terms of its footwear program when The Athletic asked.
"The broader goal of creating more commercial opportunities for players is a positive one," Youngson said. "But for smaller brands that represent fewer athletes, it's very much a David-and-Goliath situation. The league's partners have enormous scale, while we're building products that genuinely resonate with players."
IDA athletes Courtney Brown of the Utah Royals, Laurel Ansbrow and Sam Angel of Boston Legacy FC have not been fined as they painted the branding on their cleats.
"The league seemed to think that somehow spray paint would be the answer," Burke said. "We're no longer in an era where players simply wear black shoes, and you can just use black spray paint. They're usually fluorescent colors and not monochrome, and it's difficult to match."
The union expects the dispute to end up in arbitration.
"The law never moves as fast as anyone wants it to," Burke said. "I'm deeply frustrated by how slowly we've been able to resolve these issues over the past couple of years, especially this year.
"We've worked hard to reach an agreement with the league, but that requires cooperation from both sides."
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Seattle Reign, Orlando Pride, Gotham FC, Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit, Angel City, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave, Utah Royals FC, Bay FC, Denver Summit FC, Boston Legacy FC, NWSL, Sports Business
2026 The Athletic Media Company
