Going into taping, Tyler Stuart was familiar with the viral, sometimes cruel moments that come out of ABC’s "Shark Tank."
He and the Golfkicks team had taken acting classes in preparation, researched the sharks to predict where a deal may come from and rehearsed their pitch hundreds of times.
When they entered the tank, Stuart was surprised by the positive reaction his product and pitch garnered.
“It’s such a fun product that it was well received by the sharks and everyone was pretty nice to us,” he told Colorado Inno with a laugh.
Golfkicks pitched the panel of high-profile investors on its flagship product, a DIY traction kit that uses screw-in cleats to turn sneakers into a pair of golf shoes.
After using plastic cleats in the first two versions, Golfkicks has now introduced a metal core, reducing the steps needed to install its product.
“You had to drill a pilot hole and the sneakerheads were using it, but it wasn’t ready for the masses,” Stuart said of the previous versions.
With this updated product, customers with flat rubber soled shoes can quickly screw the cleats in and have a new pair of golf shoes.
After a handful of the sharks bowed out, Golfkicks was left to negotiate with Mark Cuban and Lori Grenier. Stuart said he was surprised by Cuban’s involvement in the negotiations, considering he isn’t an avid golfer.
“Going into the show, we didn’t think he was even on the radar as an investor,” he said.
Following a back and forth, Golfkicks struck a deal with Cuban for $300,000 for 13 percent of the company. Prior to the show, the company had only raised a friends and family funding round.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS71r6uh0Ro
Since airing over the weekend, Stuart said sales have been booming.
“Our sales are through the roof and these are by far the biggest days we’ve ever had,” he said.
Golfkicks recently launched on Amazon, taking presales there and on the company’s website. The kit retails for $32, and Stuart said he anticipates shipping it out to customers in November.
The company launched a Kickstarter campaign in May 2018, raising $15,000 from over 300 backers to create the first model of GolfKicks.
On advice from Cuban, Stuart said the company will look to create a product for children that will come with less cleats and will cost less.
The company is also exploring opportunities in other sports, as Stuart said they’re considering a multi-sport kit that would use a small stud.
“Our patent covers a lot of other applications beside golf,” he said.
Following the airing of Golfkicks’ episode, Stuart said he wasn’t too embarrassed to watch his national TV appearance and was positive about the impact Shark Tank had on his company.
“Overall it’s been a really fun experience and made us go faster,” he said.
