For more than 20 years, Lululemon has been a leader in the activewear space, creating women's performance tights with innovative materials and offering bestsellers like the Wunder Train Bra and Align biker short. And now, you can finally match your Lululemon bags, leggings and tops with the perfect accessory — a cushioned, supportive sneaker.
Lululemon took its first step into footwear today with the launch of its new shoe: the Blissfeel Running Shoe. The sneaker is the first release from the brand's larger footwear collection, which will be dropping throughout the course of the year.
The new footwear line was made for women first, with the Blissfeel design going through a number of wear tests to construct the best fit and feel.
"We intentionally started with women first because we saw an opportunity to solve for the fact that, more often than not, performance shoes are designed for men and then adapted for women,” Sun Choe, Lululemon’s chief product officer said in a release. “That didn’t sit well with us. Innovating for women is in Lululemon’s DNA — now we’re bringing that same expertise to footwear, and women were part of this journey every step of the way.”
Shop TODAY spoke with someone from the Lululemon team to learn more about the launch's first drop — and they even gave us a pair to try ourselves.
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Lululemon Women's Blissfeel Running Shoe
The Blissfeel Running Shoe is the first model in the footwear collection, which launched today. According to Lululemon, the sneaker is said to be comfortable and supportive enough to keep you running for miles.
Before shaping the design, the Lululemon team worked with foot morphology and biomechanics experts to create the perfect footbed for female feet. "[A] few of our studies and the data that we did showed that a woman’s foot is wide in the forefoot and narrow in the heel," Lululemon senior director of footwear development, Heather Pieraldi told Shop TODAY.
One of the most impressive qualities about the Blissfeel sneaker is its ability to adapt to the wearer's foot. Thanks to its memory foam cushioning, the brand says that the shoe softens landings and springs you forward to aid in performance during training. It also features a supportive and comfort-focused upper, with the intention of allowing women to enjoy a run with every stride.
Lululemon gave me a pair of the shoes to try, and as someone who is starting to run again, I find this style ideal for first-time runners looking to adapt their feet to a sneaker. I've worked out in them and have been able to continue my day without feeling tired or like I need to take them off.
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Shop TODAY associate editor Emma Stessman, who was also given a pair of the sneakers by Lululemon, verified the cushioning aspect. "There have been a few days recently when I knew that I was going to be on my feet and walking around a lot, and these were the shoes that I reached for," she said. "They’re lightweight and have a fair amount of cushioning, so they feel really good on. I tend to prefer a little more spring from my running shoes. Don't get me wrong, these shoes are pretty bouncy. But while the brand says that the Blissfeel is a running shoe, I’ve instead found myself using them as an everyday sneaker. And I love them for that purpose — they’re a great option that I can slip on to walk around the neighborhood or run errands."
The Blissfeel is now available online and in select stores for $148. It's available in sizes 5 to 11, including half sizes, and comes in 10 different colors.
Later this year, Lululemon will also be launching the Chargefeel Workout Shoe (summer 2022), Restfeel recovery slide (summer 2022) and Strongfeel Training Shoe (fall 2022). The brand is also planning on dropping a men's shoe collection in 2023, along with special editions and seasonal collections.
