Our Story

Yes! Athletics USA

Founder, Deb North

Deb North has built her life and career around saying “yes” to hard and scary things.

Widowed in 2010 with three daughters ages 8, 3 and just 4 months, Deb suddenly found herself navigating motherhood and entrepreneurship while raising three strong, competitive female athletes. That experience would ultimately shape her next chapter.

Deb built and led True North Consulting, a successful executive search firm, from 2010 until 2024. But after years spent on sidelines, in gyms and at tournaments with her daughters, she recognized a glaring gap in the athletic industry: girls entering traditionally male-dominated sports were still being asked to wear products designed for boys.

Rather than accept it, she decided to change it.

Deb founded Yes! Athletics, becoming the first company to engineer wrestling shoes specifically for the female athlete. Today, the company is expanding its innovative footwear, apparel and team products while advocating for girls in wrestling and other non-traditional sports.

Deb's story is one of resilience, reinvention and the belief that women don't need permission to enter spaces where they haven't traditionally belonged—they can build something better.

Yes Athletics Freestyle Greco Singlets in Red and Blue

Our Story: Built for Her — Yes! Athletics

At Yes! Athletics, we're redefining what it means to show up, suit up, and step onto the mat with confidence

No one had made wrestling shoes for girls, so we did

Not smaller men's shoes. Not an afterthought. Performance footwear built on a woman's last for her feet, her body, her movement

It started with one question nobody was asking: Why are girls wrestling in boys' shoes?

Yes! Athletics exists so no girl ever has to ask that again- from wrestling shoes to apparel, sports bras and team uniforms, every piece we make is built for her, not handed down to her

Our Mission

We exist to give girls and women in wrestling the gear they deserve — equipment that fits right, performs hard, and looks as fierce as they are. We’re here to support the growing movement of girls in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and combat sports, one confident step at a time.

What Makes Us Different

Our wrestling shoes are built on a woman’s anatomical last, ensuring the right fit in the heel, arch, and toe box. The result? Better comfort, control, and performance on the mat.

From youth to elite competitors, we offer girls’ wrestling shoes in extended size ranges, so every athlete — no matter her age — can find the perfect fit.

We believefemale athletes shouldn’t have to choose between function and fashion. That’s why our products featureeye-catching designs,vibrant colors, anddurable, breathable materialsthat perform under pressure.

When others ignored the market, we listened. As the first brand dedicated to female wrestling shoes, Yes! Athletics continues to lead the charge in female-focused design and innovation.

We’re not just a brand — we’re part of the growing girls’ wrestling community. Through partnerships, sponsorships, and campaigns like #GetTheGirlsCovered, we advocate for equality, inclusion, and recognition in combat sports.

Yes! Athletics USA

Join the Yes! Movement

From the first whistle to the final pin, we’re here to help female wrestlerstrain harder, compete stronger, and feel unstoppable Say YES! to performance. YES! to confidence. YES! to her..