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In 2019, Lululemon announced it would be leaning into footwear. Three years later, the fitness brand is finally releasing its products.
The move is the company’s latest attempt at competing with top athleticwear brands like Adidas and Nike — and in order to distinguish itself in the marketplace, it’s creating shoes engineered for women’s feet.
CEO Calvin McDonald called the new footwear line the “natural next step” for the brand’s expansion.
- The Blissfeel, Lululemon’s first-ever women’s running shoe, will launch March 22 and retail for $148.
- Three additional lines of trainers — Chargefeel, Restfeel, and Strongfeel — will follow soon after.
The company will unveil men’s footwear in 2023.
An Underserved Market
Lululemon joins a small group of brands that offer athletic footwear designed specifically for women’s feet, rather than shrinking men’s versions.
“More often than not, performance shoes are designed for men and then adapted for women,” Sun Choe, chief product officer, said. “That didn’t sit well with us.”
Historically, Nike’s Air Swoopes and Ryka have been some of the only women-centric shoes on the market. A women’s basketball footwear brand called Moolah Kicks launched in 2021.
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