Straight out of Texas and planted directly beside Dingus Magee’s Restaurant is a business that Statesboro has never seen before, Along with men’s apparel are hats that can accent any outfit with a GSU logo on the front.

“Our long-term goal is to build a good relationship with the University and hopefully generate a lot of revenue for them, 10% of revenue goes to the University,” Copeland said.

Since opening day Barefoot has given free t-shirts to the first 1,000 people that have come in. They offer deals like this frequently to maintain loyalty from their customer base. Barefoot will be soon be giving a free t-shirt with any purchase of $70 or more.

Barefoot Athletics opened on Jan. 17. While this company may be new to Statesboro, they have spent many years acquiring a fashion icon status in other cities.

“Barefoot started up 13 years ago. We just opened up our seventh store which is this one and we’re opening three more this year, possibly one more here in Georgia,” Copeland said, “We looked all over the South. I’ve been to 28 colleges over the last 6 months and this one stood out by far,”

“It’s kind of a different take, different from campus stores,” Copeland said.

With the walls lined with antique pictures and moose heads, the atmosphere brings a unique outfitter feel to the GSU campus.

“Every college that we’re at is the same kind of small-feel college. We go to colleges that don’t have anything like this,” Kayla Menie, retail manager, said.

“We’re not just a store here hanging out by your campus, we’re trying to get involved. I’m trying to meet everybody and have emailed organizations trying to set up events,” Menie said.

Barefoot Athletic apparel has had previous experience in other towns, doing events to show off their designs.

“We always try to be next to a bar because we partner with them for a bunch of events, last year in Huntsville, TX, we have a bar that’s between us and a parking lot, we fenced in the whole thing for Marti Gras,” Copeland said.

“We have another deal that we do with 49,000 people with this Larry Joe Taylor Music Festival, we party it up there and make a lot of money while doing it, it’s good and that’s what America is about,” Copeland said.

With five stores open in Texas, one just recently opening in Conway, Ark., and now making its way to Statesboro, Barefoot Athletics has made a point to get its name out there to the GSU campus.

Copeland said, “It was a good opportunity, we are excited about it. This is a good environment. It’s fun. That’s what it’s supposed to be. It’s college.”