Laces Out Loud is officially expanding! In Episode 31, we celebrate the podcast’s move to Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, and more before diving into a packed soccer week.
Gotham adds another trophy with a Challenge Cup win over Kansas City, while the NWSL’s new cleat-branding rules spark a bigger conversation about player compensation, endorsement deals, and whether women athletes are finally getting paid for the visibility they provide. We also dig into women-specific footwear design, sneaker culture, and why “shrink it and pink it” should have been left behind a long time ago.
Then it’s on to World Cup drama, FIFA’s science and technology exhibit in Vancouver, goal-line tech, player tracking, VAR experiments, and the NWSL’s return from break — including heat policy questions, Spirit survival plans, San Diego vs. Gotham, Denver vs. Kansas City, and possible debuts to watch.
What is Laces Out Loud?
Laces Out Loud is an NWSL and women’s soccer podcast about the game on the field and the forces shaping it off the field. The show blends match analysis, supporter passion, and bigger-picture conversations about player welfare, league growth, media coverage, business, technology, and soccer culture. We are here for the goals, the tactics, and the chaos - but also for the questions that determine whether the women’s game can grow with the ambition, care, and investment it deserves.