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If Dennis Rodman played pro golf, he'd buy his footwear from Dale Bathum.
After all, says Bathum, it takes a bit of a rebel to wear his invention - the golf sandal.
The game's old guard may cringe in their Footjoys, but the golf sandal appeals to a new generation of golfers who care more about comfort than conformity.
"In many ways, golf is still too stodgy and uptight," says Bathum. "There's a group of younger people out there who just want to go out and have a good time."
With an attitude like that, no wonder Bathum. named his Preston-based company Bite Footwear. "Bite has two meanings," says Bathum, founder and president. "Well, actually, three. No, four."
First says Bathum, bite is what happens when a golf ball lands on a green and stays put. Second, bite alludes to the traction golfers get with Bite Footwear. Third, it's a short enough word to fit on the sandal. And fourth?
"It's edgy," he says.
Founded in 1996, Bite Footwear has-, tasted quite a bit of success. Revenues have climbed from $2.1 million in 1997 to $3 million in 1998 to $3.28 million in 1999. Bathum. expects, another 25 percent increase in 2000.