The Atomic Court Evolution: Perfecting the Prototype
Welcome to the latest installment of building a shoe company! We are on a mission to build the ultimate minimalist court shoe, the Atomic Court, and we wanted to pull back the curtain a bit on our development process. As you'll see in our developer diaries below, getting a sneaker right takes a lot of tweaking, wear-testing, and occasionally bumping into things.
Check out the journey we're on to bring the Atomic Court to life at https://www.instagram.com/pinesfootwear/!
Change Log Pt. 1: Prototype 4 vs. Prototype 6
In our first video update, we walk you through the major upgrades we've made to get from Prototype 4 to Prototype 6. We're all about iterative improvements, and here is exactly what changed to made for our final proto:
- Increased Last Volume: We bumped up the overall volume of the shoe's last. This made a massive difference in both the fit and the feel of the sneaker.
- Removed the First Eyelet: Lacing through this eyelet was poking the top of our foot a bit during wear testing, so it had to go. Keeping the laces on the exterior of the shoe made a huge difference!
- Opened the Toe Cage: We opened up the toe cage, which provides more flexibility while reducing friction.
Change Log Pt. 2: The Quest for the Perfect Outsole
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYzW4h4Ox9_/
Next up, we want to talk about the sole of the issue: our outsoles. We have worked incredibly hard to find the perfect balance between durability, traction, and flexibility.
Our early prototype soles wore out too quickly, to fix this, we made three big changes to create our final, durable prototype:
- Targeting High-Wear Areas: We teamed up with our design and development team to identify the specific areas of highest wear based on our rigorous wear testing.
- Revamped Lugs and Traction: We inverted and increased the lug sizes in high-wear zones, specifically the toe, the forefoot, and the heel. We also added traction pads to the edge of the toe area to combat toe drag.
- Upgraded Rubber Compound: We completely changed our proprietary rubber compound to make it more durable. The best part is that we achieved this without compromising on flexibility or grip!
The result is our brand new Flexatomic Outsole. We’re loving the new design - it’s holding up super well and providing the on court bite we were looking for.
We can't wait for you to try these on. Let us know what you think of the changes in the comments, and be sure to keep an eye on www.pinesfootwear.com for the official summer drop!
