Atoms (shoes)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Footwear |
| Founded | June 3, 2019 |
| Founder | Waqas Ali, Sidra Qasim |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Shoes |
Atoms is a privately owned footwear company headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, focusing on the design, development, and retail of shoes. The brand sets itself apart by providing shoes in quarter sizes and allowing customers to buy mismatched pairs in two distinct sizes.
History
The company was established by the married duo Waqas Ali and Sidra Qasim in San Francisco. Atoms originated from their previous footwear enterprise, Markhor (initially named Hometown), which they started in 2012 while attending Forman Christian College University, Lahore. Markhor collaborated with artisans from their native town of Basirpur in Okara, Pakistan. In 2015, the founders participated in the Y Combinator accelerator program based in Mountain View, California. Driven by common challenges related to shoe sizing, their goal was to develop everyday shoes that better address fit issues. Before its official launch on June 3, 2019, Atoms operated through an exclusive invite-only platform, amassing a waitlist of over 40,000 potential customers.