“TikTok made me buy it.”

Sure, that phrase has been heard many times before, and extends from Stanley cups to SneakERASERS, a product that promises a quick fix for those who accidentally stain their brand new sneakers.

Now, what exactly is a sneakERASER? Chris Pavlica (Founder/CEO) and Kevin Consolo (Founder/SVP of sales) are the owners of the SneakERASER company, which started in their home garage in Ohio. One day, they came up with an idea which led to the creation of a tiny white and yellow sponge with a scrubber on one side that tends to erase any stains on the soles of shoes. This little sponge consists of a pre-moistened or “just add water” rubber, proprietary liquid formula and an advanced molecular structure used for footwear maintenance. SneakERASERS can be located at stores like Walmart, CVS, Kroger, and Meijer, and found online at SneakERASER, Amazon.com, and other online websites. Price on these sponges goes from $3.49 to $34.49, depending on package size.

In the days of social media advertising and influencers, however, it can be difficult to tell which products are legitimate, and which are hype.

In 2021, Pavlica and Consolo were featured “Shark Tank“, season 12, episode 1223. There, they demonstrated their invention, the SneakERASER, to the “sharks” and sought a deal. Their initial asking was $200,000 for 8% in equity, but that offer did not convince the sharks.

As a quick sidenote, before their appearance on “Shark Tank”, Pavlica and Consolo, as well as the SneakERASER company, already had a total of $202,000 in sales in 2019, and $1.1 million in 2020. This seemed like a great product for the sharks, particularly Lori Greiner and Alex Rodriguez because of their previous interest in footwear products. Both sharks were convinced about the product, but not the deal, so they offered the sellers $200,000 and 20% equity in the company; Pavlica and Consolo accepted.

Ultimately, though, Greiner and Rodriguez did not close the deal, and the founders of SneakERASERS were left to their own devices. As of August 2022, the company’s income rose up to $5 million dollars, and they continue to earn strong sales to this day.

While the sharks might not have believed in the product, teenage consumers are a completely different – and discerning market. The Chronicle put SneakERASERS to the test in early December to see if they held up to their promise as an “instant shoe cleaner” or “miracle erasing sponge” that makes “pesky scuff marks and dirt stains instantly disappear.”

The small “just add water” sponge, which is perhaps 1.5″ in diameter, did remove considerable dirt from white sneakers. While the sneakers still showed signs of wear and tear, the before/after was notable. While the finished product was not quite as promised on social media, there was a considerable difference in the whiteness of the sneakers tested by the Wildcat Chronicle.

West Chicago Community High School senior Zayd Haroon had some stained soles on his white shoes. He agreed to use SneakERASERS to see if they made a difference.

“Overall, I could really see myself using this product. It is really easy to carry around, which can come in clutch at times,” Haroon said. 

Likewise, other students saw results.

“This product works very well. I’m actually pretty surprised that these actually work, and I feel like this is something I can use on a daily basis and save myself 150 bucks,” senior Hector Velazquez said.

A pack of 10 SneakERASERS (each eraser is supposed to clean one pair of shoes, though it seems feasible the same sponge could be used on multiple pairs) retails for $11.99 plus shipping.

While this particular product may have panned out in consumer tests, it is still imperative that teens beware of advertisements featured on social media; research and smart consumerism is necessary to determine what is real and valuable, versus which products are fake and/or useless.