Lululemon enters shoe industry, capitalizes on women’s athletic retail
The shoe brand Hoka is very famous for their running shoes and is going to be a huge competitor for Lululemon to run against.
Tank tops, sports bras, athletic shorts and leggings are some of the apparel that typically comes to mind when thinking of what the iconic store brand LuluLemon sells. However, on March 22, the company stepped out of their comfort zone and entered the footwear industry with women’s running shoes named Blissfeel.
The company is planning to further launch three more women’s styles by the end of this year: Chargefeel, a cross training shoe, Restfeel, an “elavated slide” and Strongfeel, a training shoe. These three styles will all be released in the coming months provoking either a huge flop or success in Lululemon’s business.
Lululemon entering the shoe industry is definitely sparking controversy and conversation in the footwear industry as they have traditionally stayed away from running shoes due to a lack of expertise in this area. Big running shoe brands like Nike, Adidas and New Balance are under more direct competition now with Lululemon entering the playing field. Lululemon has been talking about launching the shoe for a considerable time, but has only just decided to actually go through with it.
The shoe will come in 10 different colors and is structured specifically to meet the needs of how women uniquely move during intense physical exercise; Many of their other products are modeled in this way such as their headbands and leggings. The launching of this shoe specifically is a big stepping stone because women historically have been underserved by athletic retailers.
Typically men’s athletics have been prioritized in the past, so this shift that Lululemon is capitalizing on is monumental for the female community. Additionally, Lululemon’s stock price has shown recent weakness and is down over 20% year to date. This new product line could be exactly what they need to bring them back up in the market if they pull through. By entering new products into their store, they are hoping for some rebuilding and modernizing of their brand.
The workout community, specifically women for the time being, will determine if all this work on Lululemon’s part was worth it. Meanwhile, the large shoe brands are prepping their competition in order to drive customers back to their businesses.
Emily Goldstein ‘23, the Public Relations Director, initially joined Inklings because her sister was in it. Goldstein has experienced several roles such...
