Lululemon Enters Men’s Footwear With Big Ambitions
The athleisure giant is looking to double its men’s business and grow total revenue to $12.5 billion by 2026
Lululemon is launching its first men’s footwear line, a strategic decision that’s part of the athleisure brand’s overarching goal to double its men’s business and compete more aggressively in a space already crowded with established brands like Nike and Adidas.
The Vancouver, Canada-based brand is launching its first men’s casual sneaker, called the “cityverse,” as well as two new running shoes for both men and women, the “beyondfeel running shoe” and the “beyondfeel trail.”
Cityverse will be available on February 13th, and the new running models will launch on March 19th and in May, respectively.
Lululemon hopes that improving its men’s business overall will help it grow total revenue to $12.5 billion by 2026. The company’s sales in the last quarter reflected a 19% increase, a growth rate that was down slightly from 27% in the previous year, as competitors like On Running have grown in popularity.
“With new performance running shoes and our first-ever casual sneaker added to our lineup, we can now outfit both men and women in versatile gear from head to toe,” said Sun Choe, chief product officer at Lululemon. “Extensive research, wear-testing and ambassador feedback went into each of these designs to ensure a perfect fit, no matter the activity.”
To create the shoes, the brand studied the differences in foot shape between men and women and made adjustments based on intended activity. The beyondfeel running shoe contains seven combinations of upper material, foam compound and construction methods between the men’s and women’s designs to account for such differences.
While apparel and accessories remain the focus of Lululemon’s business, the foray into footwear is seen as more than just an add-on. This expansion is perceived as a strategic move to strengthen the brand’s position, especially against rivals who have long made men’s footwear a core part of their offerings.
Lululemon’s footwear collection will not be limited to these initial launches. The brand plans to introduce further innovations to its footwear collection throughout the year, including the Restfeel Sandal. The newest footwear collection will be available in select stores across North America, Europe, and China Mainland, as well as online.