From Okara to New York, Atoms launches unique sneaker after 2-year collab with famous YouTuber

Atoms, a popular brand co-founded by two Pakistanis Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali, has launched a co-designed sneaker with famous tech-focused YouTuber Marques Brownlee. This unique collaboration has brought together two innovators with a shared love for creativity, functionality, and quality.

According to the Atoms website, the limited edition sneaker features a sleek design that blends style and comfort, paying homage to Marques' first YouTube video and the start of his journey as a creator.

Sidra and Waqas started Atoms driven by ambition, curiosity, and a passion for making shoes. This was not their first foray into creating a shoe brand - they started Markhor when they first moved to the United States. Despite coming from modest, traditionally conservative backgrounds, their drive took them from Okara, Pakistan, to the closest large city—Lahore, to Silicon Valley, and then to Brooklyn, NY, where Atoms is now based.

Atoms originally became popular with their everyday shoe Model OOO which features an ultra soft midsole that cushions each movement, an odor-fighting copper thread insole, and conveniently elastic shoe laces. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company also launched specialized anti-bacterial face-masks which could be seen worn by many Pakistanis including President Dr. Arif Alvi.