By Kelsey Burr

NEW YORK -- AAU alum Natalie White is kicking down the door of the basketball shoe industry.

The 24-year-old New York native is the founder and CEO of Moolah Kicks -- the first and only brand focused exclusively on creating women’s basketball shoes.

“Moolah Kicks definitely started because there was this gap in the marketplace. We were, and still are, playing in sneakers named after male players, and not only that, but fit for the male foot form,” White told AAU. “So, when female athletes play in LeBron's or Kyrie's, not only does it have a negative social implication, but it also puts us more at risk for knee, ankle, and leg injury.”

White wants Moolah Kicks to be a new wave in women’s basketball.

“We’re making sneakers that, first and foremost, fit our feet, elevate our game, and can perform at the highest level,” White said. “But we’re also a brand and a company who is an unapologetic for-profit business that says ‘Girls’ basketball is not a charity. It’s not an afterthought, it’s not second.’ All we do is women’s basketball and we’re leaning in. Every dollar we earn goes into higher sponsorship dollars, more marketing, or more products for these elite female basketball players.”

White started playing basketball at five years old, but she says she really fell in love with the game after playing AAU.

“There’s nothing like girls’ AAU basketball. Not only do you get an opportunity to play the game alongside kids who are as good as you and who are better than you and push you, but you also get such a sense of comradery,” White explained. “What AAU gave me was a sense of family and teammates that ran so deep and elevated girls’ basketball like I had never been exposed to before.”

After her AAU career, White attended Boston College, where she managed the women’s basketball team. It was during her senior year, in 2019, that the idea for Moolah Kicks formed – she knew she wanted to work in women’s basketball, but she didn’t see any brands that were just focused on the women’s game or who put women’s basketball first.

To accomplish the monumental task of starting her own shoe wear business, White did an incredible amount of research by talking to trainers, doctors, and orthopedic surgeons -- that’s when she learned that the male and female foot forms are different in five places. She also made sure to enlist help from experts in the shoe design industry, including working with one of the top shoe last manufacturers in the world, Jones & Vining.

In May 2021, Moolah Kicks launched a crowdfunding campaign, and by fall 2021, the first shoe collection was out. Thanks to White’s research, shoes were created with a narrower heel, lifted arch, slimmer width, and shallow lateral side to specifically fit the average female foot form.

“Once we got tens of thousands of dollars in presales, I approached DICK’S Sporting Goods and pitched them on the idea of having these sneakers in their stores. When they said yes, it was an absolute dream come true. They’re the perfect retail partner for us,” White said.

For White, seeing Moolah Kicks in stores reminded her of what shopping for basketball shoes was like when she was young.

“It’s like, you grow up your whole life and are used to shopping in the boys’ section and the men’s section -- that’s why I started this company. And so, to walk into a DICK’S store this fall, and to be able to go to a women’s basketball section, that in and of itself is a dream come true,” White said with a smile. “Then to see that it was Moolah Kicks, it was my brand that spearheaded this movement and opened up this section, I mean, I think that’s something I’m always going to be really, really proud of.”

In just two years, White has built a successful company from the ground up. Moolah Kicks can be found in more than 140 DICK’S Sporting Goods stores across the country, as well as online at moolahkicks.com. White hopes that in five years, her shoes will be “on every female hooper in America.”

She credits youth sports for teaching her important life skills from a young age.

“Growing up playing sports, playing AAU basketball, that has given me so many of the tools mentally that I need to grow and that I need to have in order to build this business,” White said. “That mental toughness that youth sports teaches you never leaves you. That mentality is priceless. That’s something I’ll always be thankful that youth sports gave me.”

Above: Moolah Kicks were spotted at the AAU Basketball World Championships