Naming is a fun challenge - deciding what to call ourselves and our shoe took some thinking. Grace and I spent a long time arguing debating this together, with our friends, and our advisors.
If you're curious what factors played into our decision - read on friends!
Why Pines?
Four reasons:
- Not to get all deep and "woo-woo" on you, but across a variety of cultures, pine trees are a symbol of strength, longevity, and resilience—all characteristics we want to foster with our shoes. We’re making footwear that helps people play stronger and live longer.
- Oddly enough, both of our alma maters had a pine tree connection (Dartmouth - Go Big Green! & Stanford - Go Card!). Coincidence? Probably!
- Perhaps just as odd, we live, and founded a sneaker business, in Maine, aka The Pine Tree State. It was fate all along.
- The website was available, and it’s a short, recognizable word. Score!
Ok, but why is the shoe called the Atomic Court?
Glad you asked! Multiple reasons as well:
- Our shoes have an an-atomic-al design: foot shaped, zero-drop, with a toe box that doesn't pinch. They let your feet do their thing. So it’s a play on words, get it?
- The atom is a fundamental building block of matter. By focusing on the essentials, the Atomic Court is all about helping you unlock the fundamental strength of your feet when you’re on the court. Simple, powerful.
- The Atomic Age of Design was all about futuristic optimism, and frankly, stuff from that era just looked sweet. Our designer Michael DiTullo sprinkled some of that inspiration into our design, generating a retro-futuristic look we love—and hope you do too!
Curious about our logo? Check this out:
