Footwear Insight

I t's official. Lululemon is in the footwear business. First hinted at in 2019, the brand's entry into making its own footwear became official with the unveiling of its debut women's running shoe, Blissfeel, in March. Lululemon will focus on women's footwear in 2022, with three additional activity-specific women's styles, Chargefeel, Strongfeel and Restfeel, set to be introduced in the coming months. Men's footwear from lululemon is scheduled to launch in 2023. Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald stated, "We are entering the footwear category the same way we built our apparel business— with products designed to solve unmet needs, made for women first." In the development process, the brand says it "shifted the focus from being solely on the shoes to the people wearing them." The brand says its history, and its "research and understanding of how women uniquely move and want to feel," are the foundation for its approach to footwear and its vision for the category. "We intentionally started with women first because we saw an opportunity to solve for the fact that, more often than not, performance shoes are designed for men and then adapted for women," stated Sun Choe, lululemon's Chief Product Officer. "That didn't sit well with us. Innovating for women is in lululemon's DNA—now we're bringing that same expertise to footwear, and women were part of this journey every step of the way." The four styles launching in 2022 range in price from a $58 slide to the $148 performance running shoe. • lululemon Blissfeel is a running shoe engineered with an upper that supports movement and an energy-filled underfoot foam cushioning technology. Launching in March, available in 10 colors. • lululemon Chargefeel is a cross-training shoe designed for gym training and short runs with a dual density midsole for energy dampening and return, and an upper that provides midfoot lock down. Launching in summer. • lululemon Restfeel is an elevated slide for post-workout. Launching in summer. • lululemon Strongfeel is a training shoe designed for multi-directional movement that features a low profile, supportive midsole with a multi-directional outsole and an upper that locks the foot in place. Launching in fall. – Cara Griffin Foundation Wellness Adds Doctor Hoy's to its Arsenal ACQUISITION F oundation Wellness, the Wadsworth, OH-based manufacturer of insoles and orthotics, recently acquired Doctor Hoy's Natural Pain Relief, a topical analgesic company focused on safe and natural pain-relieving products. The acquisition is a logical fit alongside Foundation Wellness's family of brands. Sean Williams, CEO of Foundation Wellness stated, "We believe the brand is a great fit in our portfolio along with PowerStep and Foot Petals and will strengthen our ability to empower consumers to lead active and pain-free lives." n CATEGORY LAUNCH 6 • Footwear Insight ~ March/April 2022 footwearinsight.com THE FOOTWEAR EYE THE FOOTWEAR EYE Women's footwear will be the focus for lululemon in 2022. Lululemon Footwear Officially Unveiled

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