And you'll want to try them ASAP.
Did you know? Your foot has one of the highest numbers of sensory receptors in your entire body which is why today, iconic athleisurewear brand lululemon has branched out into footwear and launched their first-ever shoe.
Designed for women first (not also), the shoes have been tailored to specifically complement the female foot after years of trainers being designed for men.
Yes, men’s and women’s feet are actually very different – you have a completely different foot morphology than, say, your Dad – yet most running trainers and sports shoes are designed for a man’s foot and simply shrunk down when retailed for women. (Don’t miss our edits of the best running trainers or running shorts for women, or guide to the benefits of running, while you’re here).
Noticing this four years ago, lululemon started the product design process entirely from scratch, starting by asking women how they wanted to feel in their footwear. The response? They wanted a shoe that felt like it was made for their feet, with a good balance of cushioning and support, too.
Developed over 48 months, the brand worked with leading biomechanics and foot morphology experts to study millions of women’s foot scans.
“How do we recreate the unparalleled feeling of our pants, in footwear? That was the spark. From there we had engineers, scientists, and researchers figuring out that design challenge,” shares Sun Choe, lululemon’s chief product officer, with Marie Claire UK.
From there, they enlisted hundreds of women with the task of testing each iteration of the shoe. Trialing over thousands of miles, they provided detailed feedback on how lululemon could improve the fit, feel, and function of the shoes. “That feedback is what shaped the final collection,” emphasises Choe.
MC’s Health Editor Ally Head trying the blissfeel shoe in New York with Colleen Quigley, Track & Field athlete and lululemon ambassador
The end result? A trainer – available in ten different colourways – with a more supportive upper, unique cushioning system, and improved run return. “On average, women tend to have a narrower heel, a wider forefoot-to-heel ratio, and a shallow big toe,” explains Choe. “To achieve an unmatched fit, we built our shoes from the inside out – the foundation of which is our last – or foot form.”
As MC‘s resident health editor, I headed to New York with the brand for the launch of the shoe and have tested it extensively on a 5km, 10km, and 10-mile run. For my verdict, head to my full lululemon blissfeel running shoe review.
What’s so unique about the shoe, then? Well, they poured two decades of insight and research into designing the lululemon blissfeel running trainers. It’s a shoe designed specifically for female feet, and they actually listened to what women want from a shoe, too – supportive trainers than can be worn to both work and the gym. Plus, they prioritised function without compromising on style.
The notion that feeling your best helps you perform at your best is the brand’s guiding principle – which is why the shoe design was so guided by first-hand feedback, share the brand.
“This moment has been years in the making and represents an exciting new chapter for the brand. With the launch of footwear, we can finally offer her a true head-to-toe solution,” shares Choe. “We’re pioneering a new approach for the industry, shifting the focus from the shoes to the humans wearing them.”
“Prioritising feel is a paradigm shift – whether that’s crushing a personal best or crossing the finish line first – the focus is on the feeling and supporting our guests’ journey in whatever stage that might be.”
Coming later in the year are the Chargefeel, a hybrid shoe designed for both high-intensity gym training and short runs, the Restfeel, an elevated slide for post-workout, and the Strongfeel, a training shoe designed for multi-directional movement.
The post lululemon just launched female-first footwear based on the scans of over 1 million feet appeared first on Marie Claire.
