Renowned for its high-quality yoga pants and leggings, Lululemon is somewhat of a big deal in gym wear. At Indybest we’re big fans of the brand, and its products have made an appearance in our best running leggings, running shorts and sports bra round-ups.

Earlier this year, Lululemon launched its first-ever footwear collection, designed specifically for the female foot – responding to the current market where sports shoes are typically designed for men’s feet and then adapted for women’s. The brand took 20 years of experience in creating athleticwear and channelled its innovations and insights into creating its debut for the sports trainers market, the blissfeel.

Fast forward to late July and Lululemon has already released its second women’s workout shoe, the chargefeel. While blissfeel was designed specifically for running, the chargefeel – a women’s cross trainer – is made to cater to people with different workout needs.

Most people work out in lots of different ways, so the brand’s latest shoe drop is supposed to support all these different forms of training. To live up to these promises, it needs to be supportive enough for running, light enough for HIIT exercise but also stable enough for strength training.

The chargefeel should be able to perform for different workouts due to its construction – leading with the bounce and forward motion of a running shoe, then rounding out with the stabilising side-to-side motion of a trainer. And, according to Lululemon, it’s also the perfect shoe for on-the-go.

The main difference between the chargefeel and other cross-training shoes, is that the latter usually tend to provide stability for lifts and jumps and are overall best-suited for short bursts of cardio – but not for running. Is this new design really the best of both worlds? We put it to the test.

How we tested

We put the chargefeel through its paces for several weeks to find out if it can do everything the brand promises. During this period, we’ve jumped on the treadmill for some 4k runs, strapped them on for our boxing sessions and wore them to the gym for strength training – followed by a quick grocery shop when needed. After plenty of runs, rocket jumps, jumping jacks and squats, we’d say we have a fair idea of what this shoe is capable of.

We’re normally a UK size 6 but sized up to a UK 7 as per the brand’s recommendation, and it fit perfectly.

Lululemon chargefeel low women’s workout shoe

Best: Trainer for all forms of exercise

Sizes: US 5/UK 3.5 - US 11/UK9.5

Colours: Light ivory, lemon ice, anchor, black, light sage, magenta purple, white, pink clay

Weight: Low 267.5g, mid 245g

Designed for: Run, sprint, HIIT and jumps

Buy now £128, Lululemon.co.uk

Upon opening the box we first noticed the shoe’s fly-knit material. We like the look of it and love how lightweight, breathable and quick-drying this material is, but we’ve learned from our current running shoes that this material does tend to get dirty quite quickly.

We tried the black colour, though, so even after using them outside a couple of times, barely any dirt is showing on them. Just be aware if you choose a lighter colour, such as the lemon ice or white shoes.

When bending the shoe, the front of the sole is very flexible and bends easily, but from the middle to back, it’s much more sturdy and solid. The entire sole of the shoe feels soft to touch and we could already tell it must be a comfy fit, while the bottom looks like it will provide plenty of grip during sessions.

While we tried the chargefeel low, the shoe is also available as a chargefeel mid (£138, Lululemon.co.uk), with a sock collar design for that second-skin feel and extra support. The low chargefeel looks more like what you’d expect from a workout trainer.

When we slipped our feet in, the level of comfort we felt was the first thing we noticed. The shoe fits snugly around our foot and while it feels like it’s quite secure, it still allowed us to move our feet exactly how we wanted. Its dual-density midsole provides a bounce that’s needed for running, but also supports the multi-directional movement needed for other forms of training.

We first wore the shoes to a boxing session and were very pleasantly surprised by just how bouncy they felt when walking, running and during jumping movements – they really added a pop to our step. They also provided the stability and support we needed during our strength sessions in the gym.

While they did the trick for a 5K run – they gave us a bounce and provided plenty of cushioning – we doubt the chargefeel will be our choice for long distances. We missed how our current running shoes are shaped specifically for the way we walk and how our feet stand – something we think you’d need for longer distances. So, if you’re a keen runner, we think you’d probably still need special running shoes. That said, if you like to switch up your workouts and only do some short-distance running in between, the chargefeel is definitely a good choice.

The verdict: Lululemon chargefeel

We have to admit that while it’s probably not one for marathon training, the chargefeel does do most of what it promises and we’ve happily worn them for any type of workout – including walks to the grocery shop after. We do recommend trying them on in-store if you can, as the sizing is a little odd, or to purchase at least a full size up when shopping online.

They’re not the cheapest trainers on the market but neither are they the most expensive. And if the chargefeel saves you from having to purchase a pair of gym trainers and running shoes for your 5Ks, then it’s definitely a good option.

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Lululemon’s chargefeel trainers claim to support all forms of exercise, so we tried them for ourselves

Good looks aside, this comfy all-rounder can handle running, HIIT, strength training and more

How we tested

Lululemon chargefeel low women’s workout shoe

The verdict: Lululemon chargefeel

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