Some products show up everywhere — subway ads, Instagram, celeb endorsements. With this series, we're testing such products to conclude one thing: Does it live up to the hype?
Atoms, a new direct-to-consumer brand that’s set out to disrupt the sneaker market.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014, Atoms was the first footwear brand to enter the Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley-based seed accelerator. The brand quickly racked up funding from investors and it began an invitation-only phase to sell its unisex Model 000 shoe. Word spread like wildfire, and at one point the company even had a waiting list of nearly 40,000 people. Since June 2019, anybody can purchase a pair directly from Atoms’ website.
- Silicon Valley: Atoms received backing from Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dublin, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, and the rapper/angel investor Chamillionaire. The brand has been covered by TechCrunch several times, too.
- Digital advertising: Atoms upped its ad game on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
- Fashion magazines: Vogue recently published a writeup on Atoms, as did Esquire and British GQ.
- Pop-up shops: Atoms will have its first retail experience in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City throughout the month of October.
I hate trying shoes on even more than I do clothes. Even though I know it’s irrational of me, I always feel rushed because it seems like the shoe salesperson is staring me down as I try them on.
“How do they feel?”, they ask me as I haphazardly tie the shoes, stand up and pace around back and forth like a caged animal as I try to decide if they fit. “Good,” I respond to be polite, even though I’m not entirely sure yet.
Then I do that toe test to see where my big toe is in relation to the tip of the shoe. I realize I need a bigger size, and what do you know, they’re out of stock in that size. As stupid as it sounds, I’ll sometimes still buy the pair that doesn’t fit anyway because I need shoes immediately, I don’t want to go through the try-on process again, or even because they’re on sale.
Atoms helps eliminate the annoyances of shoe shopping. If you’re like me and hate how all over the place shoe sizes are, you’ll find comfort in knowing that when you order from Atoms, the company will actually send you three different-sized pairs of shoes to try on.
The whole process is extremely simple, and currently Atoms only sells one unisex shoe called the Model 000. You pick a color — black and white, all white, or all black. A brief online questionnaire will help you determine what sizes should be sent after you select your normal shoe size and answer whether you always wear that size or tend to size up or down. The system will then select three shoe sizes for you.
I went with a 9.75, a 10, and a 10.25 since my Nike shoes are a size 10, my adidas a 9, and my Saucony running shoes are a 9.5. After you receive the six shoes (three for each foot) in the mail, you pick what works best for your feet and return the rest in the original box and an included prepaid label.
In a few days, my shoes came in a big cardboard box. Within the box were three other boxes, some directions, and a pair of socks. At first, I thought the socks would somehow help me determine the right shoe size. After putting them on, I realized their sole purpose was to keep the shoes you tried on in pristine condition.
I tried on the 9.75-sized pair and found that they were not as wide as I needed. Next, I tried the 10, which is my usual size. Surprisingly, they were still snug —obviously not as much as the smaller size, but still too narrow for my tastes. Finally, I put on the 10.25 in hopes I’d end up like Goldilocks after her quest for the perfect porridge. It solved the width issue; the side of my foot was no longer over the edge. However, it was slightly too long.
Unfortunately, I didn’t experience an “Aha!” moment like I expected I would. I wore the Atoms on several walks with my dogs, while volunteering to clean up a park, and during the workday. They don’t leave my feet sore, but they don’t offer as much support as some of my other shoes. I’d say the Atoms are more stylish than my old Nikes and certainly don’t come untied as easily as my adidas shoes did, which is a huge bonus. You don’t even have to double-knot them!
Another downside: their expensive price. A pair of Atoms will set you back $170. The similar looking Oliver Cabell Phoenix and the ultra popular Allbirds shoes cost $95.
But if you're looking for a shoe to level-up from your old-school Chucks or adidas Sambas, I think you’ll be quite pleased with Atoms. What I liked most was that the tongue doesn’t slip, they’re extremely easy to put on and take off without untying the laces, they look nice, and they don’t have any in-your-face logos. I just wish they fit me a little better.
As much as I wish Atoms — or any company for that matter — could solve the problem of finding the perfect shoe fit, I can’t say Atoms did for me. The quarter-size system Atoms offers is great and is definitely a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t account for folks with wide feet.
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