Lululemon has dominated the “leggings to live in” athleisure sphere for so long that the launch of its first shoe line seemed inevitable.
Starting with Blissfeel running shoe, this knit style is designed with women’s measurements and movement in mind, unlike most other women’s sneakers that are often a tweaked version of a men’s shoe. According to Lululemon, the four-year development process included analyzing the foot scans of over one million women.
BLISSFEEL SIZING AND RETURN POLICY
Lululemon purports this light shoe is ultra-comfortable, supportive and soft and per its social media account, offers a 30-day return policy (even if shoes are tested). The 5-11 sizing is standard and slightly limited as there’s no narrow or wide-width options; they cost $198, which is in line with high-performance sneakers from Nike, APL, Hoka and New Balance.
WHAT THE BLISSFEEL REVIEWS ARE SAYING
For proper expert advice, we turned to the team at Running World. Its lab vigorously and objectively tests all types of sneakers. For the Blissfeel, marathon-running reviewer Amanda Furrer tested the shoes for five months and was “highly impressed” by the flexibility and bounce.
Next up we searched Reddit forums for detailed user reviews; many gave it high points for lightweight comfort, while others commented that those with wider feet may want to go up half a size to avoid a too-snug fit.
BLISSFEEL DESIGN NOTES
Blissfeel’s design team focused heavily on sensation and feel (hence the name), rather than technical components. Through various rounds of feedback, testers were able to give notes on the fabric, fit and function.
As for the aesthetic elements, this is a classic running shoe. Unlike Lululemon’s yoga pants, this is not a groundbreaking design and looks very much like any running sneaker you’d pick up at a sports store.
COLOUR OPTIONS AND AVAILABILITY
Blissfeel shoes come in multiple colour combinations: butter pink/scream green/mint, white, black, mink perry/pink parfait/light vapour, flare (red) and silver drop/alpine white. While there’s a lot of interest online, there’s still a solid selection of sizes available in most colours.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LU-SHOES
More launches to come include the Restfeel slides for recovery (coming this summer), Chargefeel for running and training, Strongfeel for training, as well as a men’s line that isn’t set to drop until 2023.
