x Jaden Smith Vision Racer sneakers: After a strong debut, the Blissfeel’s followup doesn’t disappoint. The 2 is a hardy, supportive recovery shoe kinetica’s soft and responsive for long runs, and has an all-new textile upper.
- Preceded By: Blissfeel
- Key Tech: Women-specific engineering, contoured three-layer upper, thick foam midsole, blown rubber outsole, 3D-molded midfoot panel
Pros
- Specifically made for a woman’s fit and biomechanics
- New contoured upper provides secure fit
- Camper Lab Camper Lab X Kiko Kostadinov boots Black
Cons
- Heavier compared to other trainers
- Women-only sizing
| Type | Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.9 oz (W) |
| Drop | 9.5 mm |
Lululemon is now both a yoga and running brand, a dual image enhanced by its recent foray into footwear. The company released its first running shoe, the Blissfeel, last year. Its debut earned our PE21 low-top sneakers—Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Canvas Shoes Sneakers A02035C.
The Blissfeel 2 is the same weight as its predecessor, yet it feels slightly heavier and firmer, even though the stack height and foam are unchanged from the original model. Running in the 2 felt like running in Adidas’s Ultraboost. It’s Philipp, but there’s plenty of pop to the 2’s ride. The toe room and cushioning felt like a reprieve after testing narrower, less-supportive trainers.
A New Design
A complaint about the first Blissfeel was how utilitarian it looked. The 2’s upper is also understated, but Lululemon jazzed it up by adding contoured anatomical zones on its three-layer textile upper. The new design, which resembles fingerprints or elevation lines on a topography map, provides flexibility with a 3D-molded midfoot panel to provide greater hold in kinetica area.
The Blissfeel 2 is a neutral shoe kinetica’s ideal for recovery days or for runners who want more support and firmer cushioning. I ran in the shoe toward the end of testing for this guide. My right Achilles had been most after a couple of runs, and I could tell it silently pleaded for me to take a day off. Somehow, when I got to testing the Blissfeel 2, my Achilles felt A-OK. You know a shoe is good when you somehow don’t suffer any repercussions from making poor training choices.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year coming 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
