In the future, you may catch Anthony L. Griffin pitching his line of golf shoes and apparel to Daymond Johns, Mark Cuban, and the other investors on “Shark Tank.”
Griffin, owner of Augusta Solution Apparel and a 30-year U.S. Army veteran, has invented and designed multifunctional golf shoes that carry all the tools a golfer needs, such as tees and magnetic ball markers.
“It’s the first shoe that has an added functionality that helps golfers,” he said. “It prevents them from wondering if they have everything they need.”
While Griffin was in the military, he played many sports, including golf. Once he retired, he taught children about golf and life lessons at First Tee – Augusta.
Griffin initially ordered 1,000 pairs of shoes from a manufacturer in China, but they contained flaws that forced him to stop production. He found another manufacturer in China, a sister company of Reebok, to create colorful shoes that are made of full-grain leather and sell for $149 each.
But Griffin wants to do more than sell his golf shoe line. Instead, he wants to make all golf shoes, regardless of the brand, multifunctional. Griffin hopes to secure licensing agreements with Nike and other major shoe corporations.
“I would like to have a bunch of licensing deals,” he said.
For non-golfers, Griffin also created a walking shoe with his custom logo.
Once he started selling shoes, his wife and many of his customers asked him if he planned to add matching apparel to his product list. Griffin now sells a variety of clothing items, including shorts, shirts, belts, and hats.
A few retailers, such as Bonaventure Discount Golf in Augusta, plan to carry some of his items. He’s currently looking for major investors and has a meeting scheduled with Johns next month. Griffin has completed his application for “Shark Tank.”
“I need the money for more inventory and marketing,” he said.
For more information, visit augustasolutiongolf.com.