Combat Flip Flops Update | Shark Tank Season 7
Donald Lee and Matthew Griffin are former Army Rangers who saw the full scope of the effect of the war in Afghanistan during their tours. When they came back, they decided to change things. Combat Flip Flops employ makers in dangerous places, including Afghanistan, Laos, Colombia, and more. Will these accessories with a social cause wow the sharks on
Shark Tank Combat Flip Flops Update
- Entrepreneur: Donald Lee and Matthew “Griff” Griffin
- Business: Flip-flops made from combat boot soles with a social purpose
- Ask: $150,000 for 10% equity
- Result: $300,000 for 30% equity
- Shark: Daymond John, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban
During their pitch, Donald and “Griff” explained their business. Combat Flip Flops made flip flops, jewelry, and other accessories in ‘dangerous places’ by employing families. They wanted to give families the opportunity to support themselves without joining extremist groups. Likewise, the company donated to help send Afghan girls to school.
As they passed out samples, Robert Herjavec said he really liked his pair. The flip flops were made from the soles of combat boots, helping to repurpose materials. They cost $20, ship for around $5, and sell for $70. During the previous year, they had $134,000 in sales.
Daymond John thought the business model was complicated and asked how they could scale. They are confident they can. Robert said they had too many products, but all of them served a purpose so they couldn’t get rid of any of them.
Kevin O’Leary agreed that they are too diversified, so he went out. Robert agreed, saying there were too many SKUs to make a successful business. Lori Greiner wondered if they could focus on their strength before branching out. She was interested but wanted to see if the other sharks would go in on a deal.
Mark Cuban and Daymond paired up to offer $200,000 for 25% equity. Lori wasn’t willing to go with that deal, so she went out. Griff asked all of the sharks if Lori would come back for 30% equity, and offered the sharks $300,000 for 30%. The sharks accepted! Where is the business now? Keep reading our Combat Flip Flops update to see if the company is still doing great things.
After this episode aired, Combat Flip Flops’ revenue increased by 600%. Since then, they’ve sent more Afghan women to school and helped clear landmines from farmable land. However, research for our Combat Flip Flops update revealed some bad news. The withdrawal from Afghanistan by the US troops in 2021 caused it to shut down its factories there. In spite of this, the company worked to remove their workers from the area.
The company is still in business, however. Annual revenue is about $4.6 million. You can purchase Combat Flip Flops (and their other types of shoes) on Amazon and the official website.
Look below for our company updates for the other products featured in Season 7 Episode 16.
For more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 7 Products Page.
Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!