Moolah Kicks, a women’s basketball brand that designs shoes specifically for women, started by 24-year-old CEO Natalie White, has been funded by Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban and has signed college and WNBA players to the brand.
The brand has signed NIL deals with several women’s college basketball stars, including Seton Hall’s Lauren Park, Mississippi State’s Nyayongah Gony, Baylor’s Aijha Blackwell, Arizona’s Lauren Ware, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, Alabama’s Myra Gordon, USC’s Madison Campbell, Kentucky’s Blair Green, North Carolina’s Eva Hodgson, Penn State’s Anna Camden, Villanova’s Kylie Swider, and NC State’s Saniya Rivers.
The WNBA’s Destanni Henderson of the Indiana Fever is the first pro to sign with the Moolah.
“As an entrepreneur myself, I love that fact that Moolah Kicks is a woman-owned brand dedicated to making premium performance basketball shoes exclusively for women and girls,” Henderson said. “The shoes are more comfortable than anything I have ever worn before, and the quality is definitely there. I am excited to partner with Moolah Kicks and be an ambassador for a brand I believe in.”
Moolah’s first shoe hit the market in 2021 as the only performance sneaker built by and for women’s players. Most women’s players wear men’s shoes, so there is a need for women’s specific shoes across all levels of basketball.
“I remember seeing an advertisement that had four of the top WNBA players, their profiles, holding up sneakers that weren’t only men’s, but named after male players,” White said during a 2022 TEDx Talk. “And I said, ‘We have to change this.'”
The latest release from Moolah, the Neovolt Pro, builds off of the original release of the Phantom 1 but features some technical advances. The new engineered mesh improves breathability, and a heat molded tongue increases cushioned support, and a webbing lacing system cradles the foot to give a unique fit.
The goal is to mitigate catastrophic knee and ankle injuries that impact female players, while giving players the power and flexibility necessary to compete at the highest levels of basketball.
UConn Huskies star Caroline Ducharme is also signed to the brand and, given the team’s national exposure, Moolah will be on its way to becoming a household name synonymous with women’s hoops.
“I love that Moolah Kicks is a brand that exclusively supports and elevates women’s basketball,” Ducharme added. “Having shoes that are made specifically for women’s feet makes a huge difference. They are so comfortable — I love playing in them.”
The sneakers retail for $124.99 and can be purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“Natalie has an amazing feel for what athletes want,” Cuban said. “The shoes are beautiful, great in-game, and affordable. I’m proud to be her partner.”
The price point makes the shoes accessible to youth players. The brand is already signing college players, if they can make headway at the youth basketball level, they have a chance to be the brand that grows with an athlete. Maybe one day there will even be a WNBA player with their own signature shoe from Moolah.
