ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Englewood-based STOMP Athletics is preparing to pitch its shoe traction products on “Shark Tank.”

In the game of basketball, traction is everything. STOMP Athletics Founder and CEO David Gonzales knew there had to be a better way to maintain grip on the court.

“I prided myself on being an ultra-competitive defender,” Gonzales said. “I was sliding around like crazy. I was the guy that wiped my shoes with my hands. Sometimes, I’d like my fingers. It’s just disgusting.”

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Englewood company STOMP Athletics pitching its products on ‘Shark Tank’

Gonzales created his first product sketches in 2007, and held on to them for years, before creating STOMP Athletics in 2021. The company creates products, including floor mats and “shoe armor” that sits right on top of a player’s shoes, to remove dirt and restore grip.

STOMP Athletics Director of Sales Michael Manoogian joined the team in 2023 while he was still a college student at Texas Christian University (TCU_.

“I knew this was going to be a huge product when… anytime I would go to sell at a conference or a trade show, I would sell out. That’s when no other tables were selling stuff,” Manoogian said.

Former Denver Nuggets player and coach Bill Hanzlik immediately bought in, becoming one of the company’s first major investors.

“If you have traction, you’re immediately better than your opponent,” Hanzlik said. “Plus, the risk of injury if you’re sliding around, you’ve got a chance you could roll an ankle or hurt something. So, I’m a big believer in it.”

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Manoogian did not want to stop at trade shows. He applied for “Shark Tank” online and, before they knew it, they were standing on stage ready to meet the Sharks.

“I cannot wait to see what our sales do over the next day, week, month, because I think they’re go to go exponentially north,” Hanzlik said.

“I am so happy I did this,” Gonzales said. “It was surreal. It was fun. It really brought all of this into a different perspective for me of just like, hey, we can run businesses and have a lot of fun doing it.”

Their episode of Shark Tank premieres Wednesday, April 15, at 9 p.m. on Denver7. Wednesday, April 15 at 9 p.m. on Denver7.

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