LANE EIGHT FOOTWEAR LAUNCH

The AD 1 Trainer aims for versatility. A new brand, Lane Eight, seeks to disrupt the footwear industry with a shoe that isn’t single-sport focused.

A new footwear company launched by Adidas and HYPEBEAST alums announced its first performance sneaker today. The founders say it offers consumers a degree of versatility that bigger brands struggle to provide.

Josh and James Shorrock — the two brothers behind the new venture — released the AD 1 Trainer. It’s the first all-around athletic shoe from its startup brand Lane Eight. The idea behind the sneaker is to merge the gym with everyday life.

There are three key concepts that make the shoe distinct from other athletic sneakers, according to the Shorrocks. First, they aimed it at regular people, not elite performance athletes. Second, they designed it aesthetically as a lifestyle sneaker that looks good outside the gym. Three, and perhaps most notably, the function of the shoe is all-encompassing and not confined to one narrow sport.