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Get Your Popcorn Ready! Xero Shoes to Appear on Shark Tank

by Brian Patterson » on Jan 30, 2013 7

I’m a huuuuge Shark Tank fan.  It is the only must-watch TV show for me (well, besides Survivor).  As a budding entrepreneur, I enjoy the full episode, from seeing people pitch their beloved ideas to receiving life-changing funding offers or harsh rejection.  So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out that, yet again, my two favorite topics were colliding.  The first time was when I spotted (and then continued to spot) FiveFingers on Survivor.  This time, it is that….

Xero Shoes is going to be on Shark Tank February 1!

Xero/Zero shoes (formerly Invisible Shoes) on Shark Tank

I snapped the pic when I spotted Steven Sashen (owner of Xero Shoes) in the teaser for this week’s episode at the end of last week’s show.  We had received an email about this a few weeks ago, but seeing the teaser just made it oh-so-real.  For those who don’t know about Xero Shoes, they are the makers of nice huaraches, the shoes worn by the Tarahumara people and made popular in Born To Run.  Here is a picture of said shoe:

I’m a Little Scared – My Predictions

As a self-professed Shark Tank aficionado  I’m a little scared for them.  This just does not seem like something that is up the Shark’s alley.  Here is how I see this playing out:

The sharks are pitched.  Maybe some references to Born to Run and the Vibram craze.  Steven is an interesting guy, so it’ll probably be pretty funny and quirky.  And then the sharks, in no particular order:

Robert Herjavec laughs, says he doesn’t get it. Asks Daymond for his opinion, then says: He’s out.

Barbara Corcoran says she has a lot of friends that are into minimalist shoes and running, but it just isn’t for her because she doesn’t see these going mainstream.  She’s out.

Kevin O’Leary won’t like the valuation (whatever it is), and will make an absurd offer as a joke, but ultimately won’t make a real offer.

Daymond John says he sees interest in the footwear industry for minimalist shoes, but these aren’t what he’s looking for.  He’s out.

Mark Cuban will portray himself as the ‘every man’ (as he often likes to do) and say he just can’t picture himself wearing these.  He’s out.

I think it’d be really cool for them to get funding from one of the sharks, as it’d be fun to see how they change and grow.  Their brand is already evolving and improving since we first covered them over a year ago.  But… my gut tells me that this just isn’t the type of thing that these particular sharks will like.

I titled this ‘Get Your Popcorn Ready!’ for a reason… it’ll definitely be entertaining television.  Are you going to watch?

Submitted Comments

  1. Kat says:

    Do you know the date and time the episode is going to air?

  2. Brian Patterson says:

    Hey Kat, it is going to be Friday, Feb 1 at 8pm.

  3. Dan says:

    I will be watching on Hulu Plus this weekend.

  4. s.wike says:

    I think the sharks missed out. I want to try these shoes.
    1. Can you avoid heel spurs or other foot problems?
    2. Do they give to swelling feet?
    3. Are they good for diabetics?
    4. Do the thicknesses of the soles vary depending on male, female and weight?

  5. Deb says:

    Unfortunately, you were right – shot down with a ridulous offer made by O’Leary. There point was that they said it could be made by any company and mass produced….they’d better get their patent done soon!

  6. Dan says:

    O’Leary’s offer wasn’t totally crazy given the volume of sales they’ve had last year and then projected for this year.

    Getting a deal may also have really helped push them forward as they could get continued advertising support from the show.

  7. Dave says:

    Hi Brain, could you please email me? I have been dealing with knee problems (I read your post about the knee injury/exercise you went through) I thought I would post a comment on a more recent post you made. I just have some questions, I think my knee pain is very similiar to yours. Thank you very much.
    guileapp@gmail.com

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