All Tied Up!
By Merry Gordon
Entrepreneur Dads Prove Tough Enough For “Shark Tank”
T
hese days, Latter-day Saint entrepreneurs Skylar Bennett and Kevin Shoemaker are all tied up. The founders of Gilbert-based Tough Apparel recently appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” to pitch their line of durable and stylish clothing accessories. Their journey started when the ASU grads, hired a week apart at the same commercial real estate firm, became fast friends and found they had a lot in common—including a frustration with traditional neckties. “We worked in a very professional, shirt-and-tie everyday atmosphere, and it was awful having to dress that sharp every day,” says Bennett. Traditional ties were expensive, poorly constructed and not machine washable—a big drawback for the two fathers, who knew that life with young children gets messy. Bennett and Shoemaker redesigned the necktie, adding a microfiber cleaning tip and strategic tie keeper placement while ditching the felt inserts and traditional split stitch
for an “iron lock” seam. Best of all, the liquid-resistant performance fabric they use is not only stylish, but machine washable. “It’s just one of those commonsense things that hadn’t been developed,” Bennett says. Within a few years the two knew they were onto something, and in 2017 they left the real estate field to pursue Tough Apparel full time, branching out into other menswear products. Their designs range from the classic to the offbeat. “What you wear should be an expression of your personality,” says Bennett. They often solicit style advice from their wives, who “have to look at us all day,” says Shoemaker, and from their customers. “We love talking to our customers,” Shoemaker adds. “We’ll pick 50 patterns and narrow to 10 or 15 based on their feedback.” While they have great success at local markets— “if we can get in front of our customers, they’ll buy,” Bennett says—they’ve received national attention through appearances on “Shark
Tank,” a show that allows entrepreneurs to pitch to real-life investors. Season 11 saw the pair proving their “life-proof” ties were also “tankproof,” and a memorable run culminated in investor and television personality Robert Herjavec sinking $100,000 into Tough Apparel for a 35% return. The “Shark Tank” experience was grueling, the two admit, but tremendous fun. “Day after day, we were just screaming our pitch in our hotel room,” Bennett laughs. The “ready for anything” mentality during the show’s filming helped them adjust during the recent pandemic. “We’ve had to pivot and adapt every day of our lives,” says Shoemaker. After a shutdown mandate, Tough Apparel “sat dead for 8 weeks” until they realized that the same equipment that produced their ties could produce a line of face masks. “I don’t think that this calamity changes anything,” Shoemaker states. “It’s always been there—it’s part of life. You adapt, you figure it out, you move forward.” For Tough Apparel, that’s part of the
Photo courtesy of Tough Apparel
The Valley entrepreneurs were featured on Season 11 of “Shark Tank,” where they pitched their wares to potential investors.
journey. “We’re here to help people on their journey through life. All our products are designed to give you confidence so you can be your best self.” You can find Tough Apparel online at toughapparel.com, at Pomeroy’s in Mesa or Tough Apparel’s own Preach Supply in Gilbert.
Photo courtesy of Tough Apparel
The Tough Apparel founders pitch their ties to the “Shark Tank” sharks.
Photo courtesy of Tough Apparel
Tough Apparel founders Kevin Shoemaker and Skylar Bennett think fashion should be fun and durable.
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