Moolah Kicks, the company founded by Boston College’s Natalie White to provide a basketball sneaker specifically designed for a woman’s foot, is going national.
On Friday, the sneakers will be available in more than 140 Dick’s Sporting Goods retail stores as well as online, in sizes 5 to 15. The shoes will feature a higher-arched design with a slimmer width and heel.
To White, the goal of keeping female basketball players from having to wear ill-fitting sneakers designed for men just got a lot closer.
“I truly am excited because I think this is a huge turning point, not just for Moolah Kicks and Dick’s Sporting Goods, but women’s basketball as a whole,” said White. “To have [Moolah Kicks] across the country in 140 plus stores is giving female basketball players across the country not only access to sneakers that fit their feet but also the opportunity to contribute to building Moolah Kicks, which is a brand that’s advancing gender equality in women’s basketball.”
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After a fund-raising campaign in the spring, along with a seven-figure investment from a venture capital firm, White was able to deliver an opening order of 10,000 pairs of sneakers during a global supply-chain bottleneck.
Each pair will sell for $110.
“There were definitely a lot of hurdles to be able to deliver to Dick’s Sporting Goods, but the opportunity that has been extended to Moolah Kicks and women’s basketball and the bet that everyone is placing on women’s basketball is really unbelievable,” she said.
“For so long women’s basketball has been asking brands and organizations and people to pay attention and for more resources. This is really a turning point where we don’t have to ask any more. We have the visibility.”
Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com.