Lululemon launches first sneakers for men

Lululemon Athletica Inc launched its first sneakers for men - running and casual - as part of its efforts to boost its men's business, marking this as the company's first time to outfit for both men and women in versatile gear from head to toe.

What has now been added to the company's popular ABC pants for men of all walks of life is its latest innovations in men's casual sneaker—cityverse - and the running shoe -- the "beyondfeel" and "beyondfeel trail".

The casual sneaker will be unveiled on Feb 20 and running models will officially launch on March 19 and in May, respectively.

The efforts to boost its men's business for the company, who started by making activewear for women, shows the company's efforts to enhance its diversity of business portfolios. The company has vowed to double its men's business by 2026.

Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon, said the company's fiscal 2023 Q3 earnings reminded them that "building awareness and consideration remains top of mind for us, and we see ample opportunity to increase the media and brand building commitment to the men's business".

The company entered the footwear category in 2022 with the launch of a women's sneaker.

According to Sun Choe, chief product officer at Lululemon at the launch event in New York, the company built the collection by focusing on its feel-first philosophy, and its men's and women's shoes are designed differently.

For example, the brand studied the differences in foot shape between men and women, taking into consideration how each body moves, before fine-tuning for the intended activity, said the company. Its research found men's feet landing have greater force than women's, therefore they repositioned the cushioning to the footwear designs, said Lululemon.

Lululemon's new casual sneaker also offers footwear for multiple social occasions.

"We learned our male-identifying guests are seeking a versatile shoe that blends comfort with style, and we're addressing his needs with cityverse," said the company.

"Footwear is an opportunity to increase our share of the closet with existing guests while also attracting new guests to the brand," according to Lululemon.

In its fiscal third quarter in 2023, male business has increased 15 percent in terms of revenue year-on-year.