There are a lot sneakers in the world today. Too many, perhaps. Options are so plentiful that the introduction of a new brand or style can easily wash into the news cycle and be forgotten within days. That said, there are still some notable pairs that blow us away from time to time, including the latest from Lululemon—which we didn't expect at all.
We never really know what Lululemon is going to do next. From the ABC pants (that we love) to other lifestyle essentials, the brand has a way of taking basic silhouettes and reinventing them. What makes those ABC pants so great? Well, Lululemon took the standard five-pocket trouser and tweaked the design just so, producing a pant that became a staple for men of all walks of life. It's this ability to turn a tired-and-true style into a contemporary classic that made us curious about what else this brand can do. Which brings us to its foray into footwear.
While the brand waded into women's sneakers in 2022, the guys were forced to wait a bit. But today, a new duo of men's shoes has finally been unveiled. There's a casual sneaker, the Cityverse, and a proper running shoe, the Beyondfeel.
"We received a lot of feedback from our male guests—on social, on the retail floor, and from our educators," says Lululemon's SVP of footwear Simon Atkins, using the brand's preferred (if slightly strange) term for its customers. "Our guests wanted that head-to-toe solution."
The Cityverse is the everyday solution. "We take a well-trodden silhouette in the casual industry, and make it the Lululemon way, which is to provide an unmet need," says Atkins. "It's an element of luxury, combined with super-premium high-quality materials, clean classic logo placement."
On the other hand, the Beyondfeel, is the brand's answer to creating the full athletic fit. As Atkins explains,"From a performance standpoint, it’s obvious that we would start with running just based on the size of that market—both in participation and wearability—and being able to translate that into trail running too, which gives us a great starting point within our men's collection."
This is just the beginning, though. "We're thinking, as a company, very long term around footwear," Atkins says. "Footwear might be a small part of the overall Lululemon story today, but we have high expectations of growth."
In the meantime, you can start shopping Cityverse now. The Beyondfeel will be available to purchase on March 19.
