Sneaker options today go on forever, and new drops can fade from memory in days. Still, some fire kicks catch our eye—including Lululemon’s entry into men’s shoes. The above photo is not of the shoes.
The promo video should get you hyped.
Lululemon reinvented basic pants with the coveted ABC pants and joggers. They took a classic five-pocket design and tuned it just so, creating a contemporary staple. This knack for revitalizing tired styles piqued our curiosity about the brand’s potential in footwear.
The guys finally get their turn after last year’s women’s sneaker launch. Two clean new men’s styles—the casual Cityverse and performance Beyondfeel running shoe—dropped on Feb 1.
Our Top Picks: Lululemon for Men
“We received a lot of feedback from our male guests—on social, on the retail floor, and from our educators,” says Simon Atkins, SVP of Lululemon’s footwear division.
The Cityverse offers versatile, lifestyle appeal. “Our guests wanted that head-to-toe solution,” Atkins adds. The Beyondfeel running shoe rounds out an athletic fit. The market size and versatile wearability made running shoes an obvious performance category to lead with.
Atkins explained that the Beyondfeel running shoe was developed to provide men with a performance sneaker that completes an athletic outfit. Given the large market size, it made sense for Lululemon’s first performance footwear category to be running shoes.
The popularity of running and the ability to use running shoes for various activities make it a logical starting point for Lululemon to address men’s performance needs. Additionally, the running shoe technology can be translated to trail running shoes, allowing Beyondfeel to serve as the foundation for an expanded selection of men’s athletic footwear.
The Cityverse hits stores on February 13, with the Beyondfeel following on March 19—it’s time to lace up, gents.