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For the last week, I haven’t thought about my feet at all. After a year of struggling with foot pain, my problems have suddenly melted away. The probable cause: The shiny new Lululemon shoes on my feet.
Yes, that’s right—beloved performance apparel brand Lululemon has finally entered the footwear space, debuting its inaugural collection on International Women’s Day. “Historically, shoes have been designed and developed for men and then tested on women and taken down, but really not geared toward women,” says Heather Pieraldi, the company’s senior director of footwear development.
Over the last four years, the brand has been laser-focused on the specific needs of the female foot anatomy, which includes a narrower heel, wider forefoot, and shallow big toe, as well as a different heel strike angle compared to men’s feet. They scanned more than a million women’s feet to build the perfect fit, and went through rounds of testing to develop the right balance of support and cushioning to create the best feel.
The result is Lululemon’s first footwear collection, launching with the aptly named Blissfeel running shoe. It has a foam cushioning to soften landings and propel forward movement, coupled with a flexible but supportive upper that hugs the foot in all the right spots. What that adds up to is the same silky, buttery feeling Lululemon’s leggings are known for, but for your feet. Along with solid support and a definite springy feeling to each step, the Blissfeel has been designed so specifically for the proper fit that it feels like a natural extension of your feet, almost like nothing’s there.
When I laced up the shoe, there was no break-in time needed and none of that awkward wiggling around to see what parts of the shoe were too loose or too tight. They fit like a glove from the start. (Even my particular need for custom orthotics for arch support was a non-issue since the removable footbed slipped right out.)
I first tested them out on a short run, where the natural pressure I exerted with each step pushed me forward exactly the right amount, providing a surprisingly energetic and organic motion that kept me running longer than I had intended to, simply because there was such an ease of movement. Throughout the week, whether out and about running errands, pushing the pedals of an exercise bike, or pounding the pavement for a walk, the shoes were a comforting afterthought of every activity. During a night walk, I felt safe with the reflective backing.
I also wore them during a weekend trip to Connecticut in the midst of a bomb cyclone, where they kept a firm grip during brief walks on icy sidewalks and patches of snow as I explored Hartford. They even remained comfortable throughout the 20,000-step weekend. Another perk: They're both flexible and breathable. One of my feet has a tendency to swell while sitting for extended periods of time, but during both of my two-and-half-hour car trips, I could feel the swelling, but there was enough give on top of the shoe that it never bothered me.
The only slight hiccups during a week of wearing Lululemon's new shoes: the long laces were a bit floppy, which I noticed especially on the exercise bike. But once I figured out the right balance (tying slightly bigger loops did the trick), it became a non-issue. Also, after a week of daily wear, the light tannish pink shade did start to get a bit dirty and grey, particularly around the ankle support area. The side edges of the sole are showing early signs of those “wrinkles” that set in, which my pedorthist told me are indication of too much wear. However, the minute I switched into another pair of sneakers, my foot pain came back, so clearly the Lululemon's fit and function is what I need to keep me light on my feet.
The Blissfeel is available to shop now in sizes 5 through 11, including half sizes. It comes in 10 thoughtfully chosen colors. “The lead colorway was inspired by the little green speck that appears at the very beginning of sunrise to the very end of the sunset,” Lululemon’s vice president of footwear design George Robusti says. Other designs range from neutral everyday hues to brighter colors like a bold red. (Perhaps go for a darker shade if you tend to run trails or feel like its tendency to pick up dust might bother you.)
More Lululemon shoes are on the way: the Chargefeel, a workout shoe designed for cross-training, will be introduced in the summer in two silhouettes, a low and a mid height. “Both are designed for very versatile activities,” Robusti says. Also coming in the summer is the Restfeel slide, designed for recovery comfort with a dual-layer midsole. The final shoe of the first collection, the Strongfeel, will drop in the fall. As a training shoe, it will offer the most anchored support. Also in the works is Lululemon's first men's footwear collection, scheduled to debut in 2023.
