Here's What Went Down With Boot Illusions After Shark Tank
Entrepreneurs Andrew Goodrum and Queenie Davis pitched their very creative shoe venture on "Shark Tank" during season 3. The concept behind their brand, Boot Illusions, is that customers can transform their heels into stylish boots thanks to special slip-on covers. Davis and Goodman's company offered a range of options, from bootie slip-on covers all the way to thigh-high covers. It was certainly a creative idea! The couple hailed from Rochester, New York and their appearance on "Shark Tank" created a big stir in their community. In May 2012, the Rochester Business Journal posted an article about the couple's upcoming "Shark Tank" pitch, so obviously their city was rooting for them.
"Shark Tank" has had no shortage of ingenious footwear inventions. Jeska Shoe Company offered customers the chance to mix and match different heels. Another company, Muvez footwear, came on "Shark Tank" to pitch special slippers that could transform into outdoor shoes by stepping into a special sole. Meanwhile, Pashion Footwear promised sharks a sure thing with heels that could transform into flats. So Goodrum and Davis were in good company with their clever heel-to-boots hack, and they caught the attention of a few eager sharks. Despite that success, Boot Illusions didn't stand the test of time, and now rests in the vaults of "Shark Tank's" brilliant ideas that tragically didn't last.
What happened to Boot Illusions on Shark Tank?
Queenie Davis and Andrew Goodrum arrived on "Shark Tank," asking for $100,000 in exchange for 30% of Boot Illusions. Davis wore one heel and one slip-on bootie to show the sharks what she had created; she told the sharks that the prototype she was wearing on her foot cost $25 to make, and they sold it for $79.99 to direct customers. Davis and Goodrum explained that they sold a lot at trade shows, but were struggling to create a large retail presence. While the sharks were intrigued by Davis and Goodrum's concept, several sharks pulled out quickly. Robert Herjavec pulled out because fashion wasn't his area. Mark Cuban pulled out for a similar reason. Kevin O'Leary pulled out because he wasn't convinced that Boot Illusions had enough sales to be a viable investment, so he pulled out as well. O'Leary felt that the business just wasn't profitable yet.
This left Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran, both of whom made offers to Davis and Goodrum. With an interest in licensing Boot Illusions, John offered the entrepreneurs $100,000 in exchange for 75% of their business. Corcoran offered the partners $100,000 in exchange for 55% of Boot Illusions. Eager to retain as much of their company as possible, Davis and Goodrum agreed to Corcoran's deal.
Boot Illusions after Shark Tank
Unfortunately, the deal between Barbara Corcoran and Boot Illusions didn't go through. Queenie Davis spoke with the Shark Tank Blog in January 2013 and explained what happened after their episode on "Shark Tank." Davis said, "We weren't quite as far along in the business as Barbara had hoped. We never moved forward, but Barbara did call a few weeks ago to check in." Davis went on to say that even though the "Shark Tank" deal fell through, she and Andrew Goodrum did try to push Boot Illusions forward on their own. They had been working with a manufacturer in Turkey before their episode aired, but Davis explained that they were forced to look elsewhere because the location in Turkey couldn't meet their needs. They found a shoe manufacturer in Brazil, but the switch was really hard on their business.
"We were supposed to be ready for the Christmas season," Davis went on. "We were shipping our fabrics to Brazil and Brazilian customs wouldn't let it into the country. We had worldwide orders and we had to return all the money. The logistics killed us; it's been quite a battle." However, as of that 2013 interview, Davis was still optimistic about the state of Boot Illusions.
Why did Boot Illusions go out of business?
It looks like production was the downfall of Boot Illusions. As Queenie Davis explained in her 2013 interview with Shark Tank Blog, their switch from their manufacturer in Turkey to one in Brazil created complications for the brand. At the time of the interview, Davis was still hopeful that things could get back on track. "You WILL hear from us in 2013," she said in the interview. "Like I said, it's been a battle, it's always something. It's exciting to keep going though. Tomorrow brings another opportunity!"
Despite this enthusiasm, Davis and partner Andrew Goodrum shuttered the business. Their domain, bootillusions.com, is now for sale on Huge Domains, and their social media has stopped altogether. They had one Instagram post from January 2023 of a quote by Coco Chanel, and their last product-related post was from February 2014. It's a real shame that production halted everything because people supported the couple and their ingenious ideas. "Omg I just watched you on shark tank!! Such a great idea but what are you up to???" one fan asked on Instagram. They had people rooting for them.
As for the founders themselves, it looks like both Davis and Goodrum are taking a hiatus from social media, as we haven't been able to find any updates on either of them. Nevertheless, we're impressed with their creativity and the guts it took to pitch their business! Hopefully we'll see more of them in the future.