Kickin’ it: Former DSA student turned young entrepreneur with “Mad Kicks”

BY CORA WILLIAMSON

      Shelves cover the walls of the newest retail store in downtown Durham, Mad Kicks, lined with pristine sneakers of various brands. The unmissable black and white graffiti letters that illustrate Mad Kicks’ logo stand proud above the store located on 114 East Main St.

     Mad Kicks is a familiar business amongst some Durham School of the Arts students, given that the man behind the operation, Larry Atunez López, was a member of DSA’s class of 2023. Larry has taken the admirable but much less traveled path of entrepreneurship. Since starting the business in his sophomore year with nothing but two pairs of sneakers and the support of his family, Larry has been able to grow his brand and create a life of independence and success that many young adults have yet to achieve. 

     “Growing up I didn’t have anything. I never had any Jordans or streetwear because money was always an issue. But I knew Durham was missing a sneaker store, so I decided that I was going to open my own,” Larry started.

     At age fifteen, Larry took on the challenge of being a store owner. Starting out with nothing but two pairs of sneakers and a small storage room, he and his brother used social media to generate a higher budget, allowing their store to grow to its full potential.

     “I started Mad Kicks in a small supply room in my mother’s cafe. The room was 12ft by 12ft. My brother and I rented out the small room and we had $1,000 collectively to make the best of what we could. We made the investment on two pairs of shoes. We spent the rest of our budget on remodeling the small space to make a decent looking room with shelves,” Larry shared.

PHOTO CREDIT: LARRY ATUNEZ LÓPEZ
A peek inside the store shows the shelves filled with a rainbow of shoes. Every shoe is placed precisely in its display.

​     Since the humble beginning of Mad Kicks, Larry has seen major successes in his years dedicated to this line of work. With the help of his brother, Michel Atunez López, and encouraging support from friends and family, he could put his all into ensuring his accomplishments while simultaneously managing his schoolwork.

     “I’ve thankfully had a lot of success as a young entrepreneur. I have been able to live my dream life at the age of 19. By the time I graduated high school I had a new car paid for by my business. My business was able to generate over 6 figures from my sophomore year to graduation. I'm able to travel and write off taxes at the end of the year. Being a business owner has tons of perks,” Larry expressed.

     Though running a business at such a young age has its fair share of perks, it also comes with hardships. Having other store owners, business officials, or just adults in general, underestimate Larry’s abilities as a store owner because of his young age is nothing foreign to him.
 
    “I get asked all the time by city officials, other business owners, or customers when they first walk in if they can speak to the owner. When I say I am the owner, I always get mixed emotions and people don’t tend to believe me,” Larry stated.

     Another thing that sets Larry apart from his peers is the level of maturity he has had to obtain in order to run a legitimate business. Outside of school, Larry was constantly interacting with adults in a professional setting, causing him to go through his teenage years with real world experiences that most people don't have until their early-mid twenties.

     “Spending so much time with adults who are also entrepreneurs changes your mindset. By senior year I created an LLC (limited liability company), leased a retail space twice, learned how to use credit to my advantages and business write offs. I wasn’t even 18 yet,” Larry commented.

     Being a young business owner has had its troubles and triumphs, but ultimately, the experience has taught Larry valuable skills that will bode well for his future. His age actually gave him an upper hand, in a sense, because he had nothing to lose in taking on the project.

     “If you’re young, risk it all while you can before you’re 30 or 40 thinking about starting a business where if you lose, you lose it all. Start when you’re young, and if you fail, you can still have time to start something else and have a bunch of crazy stories. Start today. Start taking actions now. Day one or one day,” Larry advised.

​     Mad Kicks has been through many stages as it’s grown. Currently the store is in a comfortable spot, with a storefront in downtown Durham, a tight-knit team, and 7,181 loyal followers on their instagram- @madk.icks. Larry intends to grow the Mad Kicks brand even further.

     “I want Durham to be a staple for streetwear and fashion, I want Mad Kicks to be a supplier for it. As my vision for my store grows, I do want to start including designers at Mad Kicks. Being in downtown has opened a ton of new doors for us and we have a bunch of things in the works to make the store a more interactive experience and bring culture to Durham,” Larry concluded.