Parasol Island – Integrated Digital Studio

The first female basketball brand is on the up.

The Fijian term “moolah” is used in colloquial English to describe money. Now, Moolah Kicks is the name of the first sports brand to develop a shoe specifically designed for women. The brand name reflects the company founder’s mission – to bring more attention and money to women’s basketball.

The brand was founded in 2019 by Natalie White, a then 23-year-old New Yorker. White, who plays basketball herself, was unhappy with the shoes available on the market. She wanted to design a sneaker for female basketball players that biomechanically supported the shape of the female foot. Her shoe was completely rebuilt according to a custom mould or “last”. This standalone design was crafted not only to enhance female performance, but also to “reduce the risk of knee, ankle and leg injuries”.

The sneaker boxes are also a specific brand feature. The outer colour scheme of blue and yellow represents the average attendance ratio at men’s and women’s NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) basketball games during the 2019 season. The inside of the box illustrates the founder’s vision for future women’s basketball games: a dense crowd surrounding a basketball court.

The first design was financed with crowdfunding, but the young sports brand now boasts three shoe styles featuring a variety of designs across its range. The shoes are sold online and in 450 outlets of a US sports retail chain. WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) stars such as Courtney Williams and Destanni Henderson have been won over as brand ambassadors. The latter says of the product: “The shoes are more comfortable than anything I’ve ever worn.”

At the turn of the year, Boston investor TBD Angels invested almost $5 million in the company to drive further growth.