lululemon’s New Running Shoes That 'Feel Like Walking on a Cloud' Come in the Prettiest Spring Colors — and We Tried Them Ourselves

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lululemon might have earned a cult following with its soft and flattering leggings, but it continues to build a reputation as one of the top activewear brands with its growing footwear collection. Just in time for spring, the brand launched the beyondfeel, a brand new running shoe that comes in both women's and men's versions. According to the brand, the performance shoes were engineered by studying the differences in foot shape between men and women and designing a shoe that meets the specific needs of each foot when in motion. The result? An incredibly comfortable, supportive, and stable running shoe that you are going to want to have in your arsenal this season.

FIrst things first, let’s talk specs. The women’s beyondfeel running shoe retails for $158. It weighs in at 9.5 ounces (for a women’s size 8) with a 9mm drop, and is made from a seamless mesh upper, supercritical foam cushioning, a pressure-mapped outsole with high-abrasion rubber, and an extra flex groove on the outsole.

beyondfeel Women's Running Shoe, $158 at Lululemon

What does all that mean? This shoe will stretch, support, and give you traction where you need it most — all designed specifically for a woman’s foot. That flex groove is designed to mirror a woman’s foot strike, and there’s an extra 2mm of foam in the front of the shoe to additionally support the way a woman’s foot specifically lands.

My fIrst impressions were that the shoe is stylish, easy to slip on, and immediately comfortable. There’s enough cushioning to be noticeable, but not enough to feel awkward or change my stride. Walking around the first time I wore the shoe, I had to agree with the reviewer who wrote they “feel like walking on a cloud!”

One of the major benefits of the beyondfeel is that it requires little-to-no breaking in. To be able to take a running shoe for a longer run right out of the box is a serious plus, especially if you always forget to break in your new shoes until it’s time to use them (just me?). As one reviewer put it, “I can’t believe how much support these give me, and that’s straight out of the box! No break in period. Fantastic ankle and arch support.” Another reviewer notes that she ran 9 miles out of the box and stayed blister-free — a true win, as any runner knows..

The beyondfeel is a bit more cushioned than my typical running shoe, and more so than their other women’s running shoe line, the blissfeel. It also has a slightly wider toe box. The beyondfeel is designed to be extra supportive, which is ideal for longer runs when comfort is king. The extra cushioning also comes in handy when pounding the pavement on road runs. One note is that I happen to have a particularly narrow feel and I did notice a bit of slippage in the back, but nothing that caused me issues when running. For the average foot, the beyondfeel should fit fairly true to size. Many runners size up in running shoes as is, so if you do that normally, I would recommend following suit for the beyondfeel.

While design isn’t necessarily the most important feature of a running shoe, I do find that most running shoes on the market today are just…not cute. I tend to take them off as soon as I’m done with my runs and change into something a bit more palatable (read: less garish).The lululemon beyondfeel are stylish enough to take you from your run to errands or even on non-run days as part of your general athleisure look, making them more versatile than many other running shoes in my closet.

I tested the Mojave Tan/Bone/Lichen Lime colorway, which is sort of like a khaki with some subtle lime green accents, but the shoe also comes in triple white, Lilac Ether/Dune/Juicy Peach, Precocious Pink/Light Vapor/White, Black/Bone/Rover, or Juicy Peach/Bone/Espresso, the latter being the most vibrant of the bunch.

The improved aesthetic also means that once you have to retire the shoes from serious training efforts (most experts recommend using running shoes for 300-500 miles max) you can continue to wear the sneakers for general use.

In use, the shoes felt fantastic on both pavement and packed dirt. They also felt good on the treadmill, but I wouldn’t say the extra cushioning is necessary for a tread workout. But does it hurt? Not at all. I had no pain or adjustment period while using the shoe, and appreciated the extra room my toes had in the toe box after a long run in hot weather. These shoes would be a good fit for beginner-to-intermediate runners, especially when starting to get into longer distances.

If wearing the beyondfeel shoes out for a long run, they pair exceptionally well with the Hotty Hot Short.

Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short, $68 at lululemon

The versatile, lined shorts come in both high and low rise, and have lengths of 2.5 or 5 inches, so you can find exactly the fit to help you stay comfortable and cool, no matter the distance you’re traveling.. Rest day? Consider a casual-yet-sporty look with a pair of their universally-beloved Align leggings and a Scuba Oversized Half-Zip Hoodie, which happens to be my all-time favorite sweatshirt.

Align High-Rise Pant, $98 at lululemon

Scuba Oversized Half-Zip Hoodie, $118 at lululemon

My favorite feature is the hidden key and phone hideaway in the pocket so I don’t lose my belongings when out and about.

No matter how you wear them, lululemon's beyondfeel sneakers are the pair you'll reach for no matter where you're going this spring, summer, fall, and then some.