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You Can Now Buy Shoes in Quarter-Sizes Thanks to This Brilliant New Sneaker Company

atoms shoes msn

Squished toes and heel blisters are the inevitable downside to, you know, having to wear shoes every day. But you're not alone in that rather uncomfortable daily experience.

According to new sneaker company Atoms, 85 percent of people are wearing the wrong shoe size. To fix that common error, the NYC-based company is introducing a broader range of sizes and they're now being heralded as a "disruptor" in the shoe industry by none other than Vogue.

Atoms is only launching with a single product—a unisex sneaker called the Atoms Model 000—which seems like an overly confident move for a fledgling company. But it's not just any ol' sneaker. It's the world's first pair of footwear to be crafted in quarter-sizing, meaning it comes in a range of 41 (!!!) sizes.

Customers who opt for the "Quarter Size Experience" will receive three pairs of shoes, including one in their standard size; the other pairs will each be a quarter size bigger and smaller. But the fun doesn't stop there: shoppers have the opportunity to pick the left and right shoe that fits best and return the others for free. Say, for example, you order a size 7.5. Atoms will also send a pair of 7.25 and 7.75 size shoes, so you can pick which combo has the most comfy fit. (Indecisive-inclined customers beware.)

Atoms's sneakers come with a cushy foam inset and copper lining that controls foot odors and is naturally antimicrobial. The Model 000 comes in three colors—all-white, all-black and a black-and-white combo—and is available exclusively on the Atoms website for $179 a pop.

Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband of Serena Williams, was one of the company's investors. He said the tennis superstar loves the shoes. And if sneaker expert Serena (who recently wore a show-stopping neon yellow pair of tennis shoes on the Met Gala red carpet) is on board, how can we say no?

One small step for the footwear industry, one giant leap for our toes' wiggle room.

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RF1

Director, Branded Content + Cohost, Royally Obsessed Podcast

As Director of Branded Content at Gallery Media Group, Roberta helps oversee the ideation and execution of sponsored content and experiential campaigns across PureWow and ONE37pm, including PureWow’s 24 in ’24. She began her career in editorial nine years ago, and has written and edited countless articles on news, trends, fashion, beauty and the royal family. She’s also cohost of the Royally Obsessed podcast, named one of the best royals podcasts by The New York Times and Town & Country. She cowrote the book Royal Trivia: Your Guide to the Modern British Royal Family.