SHOE REVIEW: Lululemon Blissfeel

On March 8, Lululemon unveiled its first athletic shoe, the Lululemon Blissfeel. Launched on International Women’s Day, the shoe was designed specifically for women’s feet after years of research and experimentation. We took the shoes out for a spin to find out how they stack up against the leading competitors.

Category: neutral cushioning
Women’s: 251 g (8.9 oz.)
Drop: 9.5 mm
Stack height: 32.5
$198

Upper and fit

The shoe definitely gets points for its comfortable upper. In my first run in them, I quickly forgot I was supposed to be paying attention to my feet, a good sign that there was nothing rubbing, pressing or pulling. The padded tongue and heel collar moulds nicely to the foot to give you a comfortable fit, while the heel clip lends a secure, locked-in feel.

Overall, the shoe fit nicely, with just enough room in the toebox to give your foot some space without feeling like you’re sliding around in the shoe. As the company suggests on the website, runners with a wider foot may want to consider moving up a half-size.

Midsole

The midsole is fairly supportive and provides some cushioning, while still allowing you to feel the road beneath your feet. The shoe does not boast a carbon or nylon plate, and I didn’t get much of a rock forward or a lot of pop in the toe-off, so I wouldn’t choose the Blissfeel for speedwork, but I found it to be light and comfortable enough to wear for an easy, 30-60 minute run.

Outsole

The pressure-mapped outsole was flexible and moved with my feet, which gave me good traction when and where I needed it — no slipping and sliding on wet ground. I also found the outsole didn’t add too much bulk to the shoe, so it didn’t feel heavy or clunky on my feet.

Overall thoughts

Overall, I found the Blissfeel to be comfortable and easy to wear, without any glaring fit or function issues. It won’t give you that poppy, fast feel that many of the performance shoes on the market have today, and it may not have the cushion you want for a really long run, but it’s a great option for an easy, five or 10K recovery run.

Of course, in classic Lululemon style, the shoe also looks nice, and can easily transition from an easy-day run to running errands on the weekend in comfort and style–a strong selling point for the busy woman who’s fitting her runs around the other items on her to-do list. So if you’re a female runner who’s in the market for a daily trainer to take the pressure off your other more performance-oriented shoes, the Lululemon Blissfeel may be just what you’re looking for.