The Bayou Classic is one of the centerpieces of Black college football. It features two of the premier HBCUs going head-to-head on the gridiron and on the instruments.However, for one CEO, it was another dream come true. Flashing back to 2006, Kerry Horton was just finishing up generating his business idea, Mascot Kicks.
“You see 10,000 fans, wearing hats shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants,” said Horton. “The only thing they were missing were the shoes. That’s how we came up with the idea of Mascot Kicks. We take the school logo wit the school colors and put them on the shoe.”
Horton is a former baseball and football player for GSU.
In coming up with the idea, Horton, an GSU alumnus, ran into several problems along the way, most importantly, licensing.
“We can’t just run out there and use their logo that’d be copyright infringement,” he explained. “It took us about two years to get to the point we are now.”
And the end result of the hard work over the years came to fruition on Friday. After negotiating with Grambling State University and the World Famed Tiger Marching Band, the band wore some fresh footwear, designed by Mascot Kicks.
“Those two years were well worth it,” said Horton. “To actually see the [World Famed] wear Mascot Kicks at the Battle of the Bands . that was a blessing in disguise.”
While Horton has done other work before, GSU was the first major deal that Mascot Kicks has received.
“I came back to my roots and I started with them,” Horton said. “They allowed me the opportunity to produce the shoe for them.”
Horton said a pair of the customized shoes retail for $49.99 for walking shoes. Prices for cleats and basketball shoes may vary. The company also produces shoes for fraternities and sororities as well.
Horton also said that orders must be placed in bulk for now, as the company is currently working on a way to do single orders.
The company is also in the process of designing fresh gear for the GSU cheerleading squad. With more talks with other schools on the way, Horton sees a vision for Mascot Kicks.
“Every university and organization in the nation will be wearing Mascot Kicks within the next five years,” he said.