Meet the Team
Founder-operated since 2013. No outside playbook — just people who live this game.
How we got here
Phenom Elite is founded in Columbia, SC by former Appalachian State walk-on Nathan Dorton. No investors, no shortcuts — just gloves and grit.
Southern Miss takes the field in Phenom gloves on national television. The brand goes from garage to broadcast.
A custom glove deal with the Hall of Famer himself. Straight cash.
Phenom becomes the official uniform provider for a professional football league — full kits, head to toe.
Superheroes hit the field. Our first major entertainment license.
Gaming meets gameday.
The Kool-Aid Man busts through. One of our loudest collections yet.
Sonic the Hedgehog joins the roster.
Our own-IP Warhawk line launches, and Phenom lands at DICK'S Sporting Goods, SCHEELS, and Dunham's.
Luxury Warhawk launches and the brand goes full drop culture — limited runs, waitlists, and the site you're standing in right now.
Meet Phenom Elite
Phenom isn't your average sports equipment brand. It's built for the next generation of athletes.
In 2013, CEO and Founder Nathan Dorton was a walk-on wide receiver at Appalachian State University who refused to settle for the gear he was given. With a $65 loan from his dad, he tore apart the process behind football gloves and rebuilt it better. That same relentless, walk-on mentality still drives Phenom today.
Fast forward to now: Phenom Elite has grown from a one-man hustle to a national brand — a manufacturer, retailer, and disruptor that's rewriting the rules of performance gear. Along the way, we've teamed up with NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss, inked licensing deals with Warner Media (DC Comics, Scooby-Doo, Rick and Morty) and Nickelodeon (SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and landed in major retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, Scheels, Dunham's, and more.
What started as one walk-on's hustle has turned into a full-service operation — controlling every detail from first sketch to final snap — and putting Phenom on the field with athletes at every level.
We're not here to blend in. We're here to stand out.
Our Why
Phenom Elite® ("Phenom" for short) is a mission-based company with one focus:
Design gear that performs at the highest level while disrupting everything the sporting goods industry thought it knew.
Disrupt [dis·rupt]: to cause radical change by innovation.
That's what we do. We take gear from utility to statement. From ordinary to unforgettable. From just another piece of equipment to a badge of who you are under the lights.
Every product — cleats, gloves, apparel, uniforms, or protective gear — is built for performance first. But it's also built to rep your team, your grind, your identity. Partnerships aren't an afterthought; they're our lifeblood. We customize, we innovate, and we deliver so every athlete — from small-town Friday nights to national stages — has the chance to look good, feel unstoppable, and play phenomenal.
Phenom isn't just a brand. It's who you become.
Press.
Get in touch
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