Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: This might be my favorite Lululemon running shoe yet
Lululemon entered the running shoe world with a bang last year with the launch of its Blissfeel running shoe. A year later, the Canadian brand famous for its yoga pants has released two new running shoes — the Blissfeel 2, an update on the road running shoe, and now the Blissfeel Trail, its first female trail running shoe.
Specifications
Type: Trail
Weight: 276g/9.7oz US Women’s Size 8
Drop: 9.5mm
Designed to take you from your front door to the trails, the shoe has a lightweight, supportive upper, and a high-traction outsole to keep you running confidently on uneven terrain. To find out more, we put the shoe to the test over a number of different sessions — from easy miles in the woods with the dog, to more technical hikes. But how does it compare to some of the best women’s running shoes or the best trail running shoes on the market? Read our Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review below to find out more.
Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: Price and availability
The Lululemon Blissfeel Trail was launched on May 23 and costs $148/£148. The shoe comes in five different colorways — Baked Clay, Black and White, Faded Zap, Florid Orange, and Violet Verbana.
The shoe comes in sizes US 5 to US 12, including half sizes. As with the other Lululemon running shoes, it’s only available in a women’s fit and has been designed to fit the female foot.
Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: Design and fit
The Lululemon Blissfeel Trail looks pretty similar to the Blissfeel 2, with a few tweaks to make it more comfortable and supportive on uneven terrain. Design-wise, the shoe has a similar silhouette to the road shoe, with plastic rails running along the side of the shoe for support. Lululemon has stuck with its simple design, and I liked the two-tone colorway of the Baked Clay version I received for testing.
Fit-wise, Lululemon appears to have rectified some of the issues they had with the earlier version of the Blissfeel, which came up small. I’m a UK 5 in most brands of running shoes, but wore a UK 5.5 in the original Blissfeel and still found it a little restrictive in the toebox. I went up to a UK 6 in the Blissfeel 2 and they fit well but were almost a little large in the toe box. I went back down to a UK 5.5 in the Blissfeel Trail and they fit comfortably.
Unlike road running shoes, you want a little extra room in a trail shoe between your big toe and the end of the shoe to allow for any knocks as you run. If you’re between sizes, it’s worth sizing up.
Upper
The upper of the Blissfeel Trail has a similar seamless design as the road shoe, hugging the foot for support on the move. The shoe has a plastic rail, which wraps around the entire foot, to make the shoe feel more supportive on the run — especially important in a trail shoe, as you travel over rocks and uneven ground.
Lululemon has said its trail shoe has ‘a protective overlay for on-trail durability,’ referring to a thicker, almost rubber-like material that runs around the front of the shoe, protecting the foot from getting too wet in muddy puddles. I found the upper to be the right mix of breathable and water-resistant on the move.
Midsole
Lululemon hasn’t said an awful lot about the foam used in the midsole of its running shoes, aside from the fact it’s “tuned foam cushioning” that “softens landings and springs you forward on every step.” Underfoot, it’s pretty firm, and while I haven’t loved that in the road running shoes, in the Blissfeel Trail, it works. When trail running, you don’t want a super bouncy, propulsive foam — you want stability, and to be able to confidently pick up the pace, knowing you’re supported on uneven ground.
That said, Lululemon has designed this shoe to take you from your door to the trails, so there is enough midsole foam to protect you when running on concrete sidewalks. Again, it’s still pretty firm, but it has a good amount of versatility.
Outsole
The outsole of the shoe has a lot more traction than the road version of the Blissfeel. The lugs aren’t crazy deep, but there’s definitely enough grip there to keep you protected on muddy paths, light gravel, and wet rocks. Sure, if I was trail running in Chamonix or taking on a super-technical hike, I might want a little more grip, but for most trails, the outsole here is substantial enough.
Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: Performance
Is this my favorite Lululemon running shoe to date? Quite possibly. As mentioned above, and in my Luluemon Blissfeel 2 review, I’ve always found Lululemon’s midsole pretty firm. While it works for gentle miles up to around a 10K, it’s not responsive or cushioned enough for me to confidently use it for longer, faster training sessions. That said, in the trail shoe, the midsole works. It’s firm enough to give you enough security to confidently take on the trail — I’d compare it to the Nike Wildhorse line in terms of underfoot firmness.
Whether or not I’d take these out for a longer trail run remains to be seen — even on the trails, I’d probably opt for something with a little more cushioning if I was running past the half-marathon distance. That said, if you’re looking for a shoe that’ll get you from your front door, to a trail 5K or parkrun, this one ticks the boxes.
Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: Verdict
I wasn’t expecting to like the Blissfeel Trail as much as I did, but this unobtrusive shoe surprised me. Lululemon hasn’t reinvented the wheel here — but they haven’t pretended to. In a market packed with carbon fiber plates, and huge stack heights, this is a simple running shoe, but it’ll get you around the trails comfortably.
The best part? It looks great, so you’ll definitely be able to wear this on hikes with friends, or out walking the dog. Sure, if you’re training for the Marathon des Sables, you’ll want something with more responsive cushioning on your feet, but if you’re run commuting across concrete and parks, this is a solid option for female runners.
If you are looking for a trail running shoe with more cushioning, check out the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 in our best running shoes guide.
