Lululemon Beyondfeel Review: A Max-Cushion Daily Trainer With a Twist

Introduction

The Lululemon Beyondfeel is a relative newcomer to the running shoe shelves, pitched as a neutral daily trainer designed for maximum cushioning and an effortless glide. On paper that sounds like a direct challenge to the crowded soft-daily-trainer market. In practice, it is a more complicated story.

Lululemon says the Beyondfeel is built for maximum cushioning, and there is certainly a lot of foam in the midsole. But the ride does not deliver the sinking, plush feel the looks suggest. This is a shoe that looks like a max-cushion trainer and rides like something firmer and more old school.

Who This Product Is For

The Beyondfeel suits runners who want one shoe for easy miles, the occasional 5K, treadmill sessions, gym classes, and everyday wear. It works well as a run-commuting shoe that would not look out of place in an office, and it is a genuinely good casual option if you like the way it looks. It also has enough cushioning that you could reasonably take it up to half marathon distance.

If you prefer a firmer, more stable feel underfoot and do not love the ultra-plush, pillowy ride of many modern daily trainers, this shoe will make more sense to you than it does to most.

Main Strengths

The upper is where this shoe earns its keep. The seamless ventilated mesh is flexible and comfortable, with generously padded heel collars and a big padded tongue that keeps lace pinch away. Heel hold is excellent, lockdown across the midfoot is secure with no slipping, and the toe box offers roomy, middling volume with plenty of flex so your toes can wiggle. The fit feels just the right side of hugging.

Underfoot, the midsole uses super critical foam that is quite firm in the heel and a little softer in the forefoot. The outsole is a highlight: pressure-mapped rubber with high-abrasion, high-traction coverage and an aggressive stud pattern across the whole base, which is unusual grip for a road shoe and looks nicely durable.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Sizing needs attention. Lululemon’s website warns the shoes use US sizes and run small. Testers found the UK conversion slightly unusual: a US 7 corresponds to a UK 5.5 here, whereas in many brands a US 7 maps to a UK 5. Check the size conversion carefully, and try them on in a Lululemon store if you can.

The bigger caveat is the ride. The Beyondfeel weighs 11 oz (314g) in a UK 8.5, which is about as heavy as daily trainers come, and the stack sits at 37mm in the heel and 27mm in the forefoot for a 10mm drop. Despite all that foam, the ride lands flat and firm with no substantial rocker, so roll-through is not smooth and there is little response. It is a clunky shoe for tempo work, and even on recovery runs you feel more of the pavement coming through than in plenty of rivals. Compared with shoes like the Novablast 4, New Balance 1080 v13, or Brooks Ghost Max, it lacks the punch, liveliness, softness and spring those shoes offer.

Buying Advice

At $158 in the US, the Beyondfeel competes in a heavily contested price bracket. Shoes such as the Asics Gel Nimbus 25 and 26 and the New Balance 1080 v13 cost around the same and deliver far more versatility and bounce, letting you pick up the pace when needed.

If you are a Lululemon fan, love the colorways, and want a stylish shoe for run commuting, casual 5Ks, and easy miles, the Beyondfeel is a solid pick and arguably Lululemon’s best road shoe to date. If you want a true all-rounder for day-to-day training, stronger alternatives exist at this price.

Conclusion

The Lululemon Beyondfeel is fine rather than great: a competent, firmly cushioned, blocky daily trainer that looks superb and fits beautifully but trails its rivals on ride quality and versatility. It is the brand’s best road shoe yet, but most runners training day to day will get more out of the competition.