Lululemon Blissfeel 2: first impressions
The Lululemon Blissfeel 2 is the company's second take at building a neutral road running shoe specifically based on female anatomy. Unlike some women's shoes, it comes in an impressive range of sizes, from 5-12 (US) including half sizes. As a UK size 9 (US 11) who sometimes has to opt for men's styles, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusivity.
• List price: $148 (US) / £138 (UK)
• Weight (per shoe): 9.7oz / 276g (US 9)
• Drop: 9.5mm
• Materials: Synthetic engineered mesh upper, synthetic foam midsole, rubber outsole
• Colors: Black, white, raw linen, solar orange and more
• Compatibility: Short to mid-distance road running, treadmill training
If you're in between sizes or have particularly wide feet, Lululemon suggests going up half a size to be on the safe side. To me the shoe felt true to size, and nice and roomy in the toe and midfoot (where women's feet are typically wider than men's).
It's an everyday shoe, built with short to middle-distance runs in mind, and it well suited to distances of 10k or so. At 276g (9.7oz) for a women's US size 8 it's not exceptionally light, but you get plenty of comfort in exchange.
The upper is made from a layered, seamlessly engineered mesh material. It comes in a wide array of tasteful colors, like the white shown here, plus some zesty options like solar orange.
The tongue is minimally padded, and although it's not gusseted, it's wide enough to keep out the majority of grit and dirt. I'm not a big fan of the shape though, which is cut away at the top like that of the Hoka Bondi X, making it harder to grasp and pull up when fastening the shoe.
This is a shoe designed with heel strikers firmly in mind. There's a 9.5mm heel drop. and the heel has an oversized crash pad for shock absorption and stability. The outsole rubber has been positioned and patterned to maximize grip in high impact areas. It also extends up a little over the toe, offering some extra protection for the soft upper, which is a nice addition to a road shoe.
I was a little disappointed to find that the Blissfeel 2 lacks extra eyelets for making a heel lock to keep it extra secure, though the flat, relatively thick laces have minimal stretch so you'll probably be able to lock it down quite well without.
At $148 / £138, the Blissfeel 2 is a mid-priced road running shoe in the same price bracket as Hoka's everyday runners.
Lululemon Blissfeel 2: on the road
Running in the Lululemon Blissfeel 2, the first thing I noticed was the arch support. Women generally have higher arches than men, and the shoe is certainly built to reflect that. It took a little getting used to, but certainly wasn't uncomfortable and didn't seem to affect my gait.
The upper has less stretch than I'd expected, but is soft and comfortable nonetheless, providing particularly good support around the midfoot.
The general feel is quite firm, and although the midsole foam is soft, it's thinner than in most other road shoes I've tested recently. Whether that's a good thing or not will be a matter of personal preference.
For distances over 10k I like something a little more yielding, but for shorter sessions the Blissfeel 2 is absolutely fine (particularly since it's stylish enough to wear around town between training sessions).
The outsole provides plenty of grip, even on wet days like the one when I took these photos (though naturally the mesh upper isn't water-resistant). The Blissfeel 2 works great on a wide variety of urban surfaces, including asphalt, blockwork, and gravel where some other shoes might lack the necessary purchase. It's also well suited to treadmill running, though the padding and drop mean you wouldn't choose it for weight training.
