Zorpads Before Shark Tank
Whether it is visiting relatives or coming back after a long day at work, shoe odor is a pesky thing to deal with. Finding a product on the market to effectively prevent odor is a difficult task as some products just don’t work well enough. That is why Sierra Smith and Taylor Wiegele created Zorpads: a convenient and easy way to completely get rid of shoe odor.
Zorpads are thin card-sized strips placed on a shoe’s insole. The strips work effectively because of their “NASA-tested technology” which eliminates odor using its odor-absorbent surface. They are small enough to fit in any shoe, regardless of position and size. Zorpads strips are made up of three layers: a moisture-wicking layer, an adhesive layer, and an odor-absorbing layer that will guarantee odorless shoes.
Sierra and Taylor saw a gap in the market when they listened to people complain about shoe odor. The options on the market are inconvenient as the only products available were either powder, spray, or bulky shoe inserts, all of which were messy or uncomfortable. Inspired, the founders developed Zorpads during their time at Harvard studying business. Even after graduating from Harvard, the founders continued working on the pad strips in Harvard’s Innovation Lab until they completed developing the strips.
After creating a proof-of-concept, the founders received $25,000 in venture funding to finalize the product. Zorpads received great reviews, and customers loved the product. To capitalize on their success, Sierra and Taylor decided to pitch their company on Shark Tank, hoping to also find an investor willing to help them improve Zorpads’s marketing and sales strategies.
Zorpads on Shark Tank
Sierra and Taylor were on season 10 of Shark Tank to pitch their company Zorpads. They were seeking $150,000 for 8% of their company. The founders pitched their company to the sharks, citing the effect of the product before demonstrating it to them. They gave each shark samples to use on a bottle of smelly garlic to absorb the smell. The sharks smelled nothing, proving the product’s effectiveness.
The company had a space-themed design, prompting the sharks to inquire about it. The founders told the sharks their backstory. Taylor worked in product development at Clorox, earning five patents for the company, before working on air filtration on an Environmental-controlled life-support system at SpaceX. On the other hand, Sierra was the youngest director at a large hospital network before being promoted to the CEO’s chief of staff. The founders met at Harvard’s business school and worked on Zorpads there.
Taylor claimed the product uses technology tested by NASA to filter the air aboard the International Space Station. The strips mainly consisted of activated carbon cloth. Zorpads can absorb up to eight times more odor than other competitors. Each strip lasts around two months before requiring a replacement. Taylor claimed the strips could soak up more odor than an entire tennis court, which surprised Mark. He commented it was due to the density of the material used in each strip.
Sierra claimed that 40% of people who use Zorpads had never used a shoe-odor solution previously. The company mainly uses Direct to Consumer marketing to sell its products through its website, with plans to start selling on Amazon, Walmart, and Jet. Each pair of Zorpads is manufactured in New Jersey and costs $1.65 to produce while selling for $5. They predict they could get the cost down to 80 cents by producing the strips at scale. Since it was founded (2017-2018), Zorpads has made $103,000 in sales.
The company has a provisional patent on its strips, although the material itself is purchased from elsewhere. Sierra said they needed the money to invest in their marketing and sales strategies. She claimed that investing in Zorpads’s brand is vital to gain retail customers as people would seek out retailers to purchase their product.
Mark Cuban thought the founders were too ambitious, believing customers would seek retailers for an odor-prevention product, so he was out.
Lori Greiner was ready to make an offer but wanted Charles Barkley on board as he’s the company’s target customer. They offered Taylor and Sierra $150,000 for 30% of the company. She claimed she could get the product on QVC and build a strong successful brand for Zorpads.
Kevin O’Leary offered them $150,000 for 20% of the company.
Robert Herjavec matched Kevin’s offer: $150,000 for 20% of the company.
Sierra asked if Lori and Charles would go below 20%. Before they could answer, Kevin changed his offer to $150,000 for 15%.
Robert also changed his offer, lowering it to $150,000 for 12%.
Sierra and Taylor offered Lori and Charles $150,000 for 20%.
Lori and Charles counter-offered $150,000 for 22.5%.
Hesitantly, Taylor and Sierra accepted Lori’s and Charles’s counter-offer. They believed Charles would be a great spokesperson for the company, and Lori would help with marketing.
Zorpads Now in 2023 – The After Shark Tank Update
After Zorpads’s appearance on Shark Tank, the product began to sell on Amazon, Walmart, and Jet. The company saw a spike in sales after the episode aired. The deal with Lori fell, but Charles went through with his offer. Zorpads was able to make it with only one investor because of the boost in sales the episode brought.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Zorpads donated 10% of its profits to the No Kid Hungry charity. This effort was to help lessen the impact of the pandemic and help struggling children. In 2020, Taylor Wiegele stepped away from the company, leaving Sierra to take over.
In 2021, the company faced issues with its manufacturer, halting its production. Zorpads struggled to manufacture its strips at the time due to limited supplies. The problem wasn’t solved until several months later. The company eventually managed to fully restock and continued selling its products normally.
Each pair of Zorpads strips still costs $5 and can be found on their website, Amazon, and Walmart. The company has even partnered with Target, and its odor-absorbing strips can be found in any Target location in the US. In 2023, the company has reported $4 million in annual revenue; more than twice what they made in 2021.
Zorpads continues to grow to this day in 2023. Charles Barkley has endorsed the brand and helped market the product. With many five-star reviews, it looks like Zorpads is here to stay and will likely grow even further in the future. The company’s NASA-tested odor-absorbent material is still unrivaled in the market. To find out more updates and information, visit Zorpads’s website here.
