'I can feel my muscles working like never before' - I tried the Lululemon workout shoes and haven't looked back in 2 years

For me, a pair of flat workout shoes is an essential in my gym bag - and the Lululemon Strongfeel shoes have had a permanent place since I started wearing them a couple of years ago. Uniquely designed for the female foot, I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all as I squat, deadlift, lunge, and walk through my workouts.

While you might think of Lululemon for pairs of the best workout leggings, the brand has several trainer styles, with the Strongfeel specially designed for strength training and gym workouts.

When it comes to gym trainers, I'm not easily impressed. I like combining cardio with weights - and few trainers can do both. To test the Lululemon Strongfeel shoes, I originally wore them for two weeks in all my normal workouts and walking to and from the gym. Two years later, they're still on my feet - and now in the Lululemon sale.

Lululemon Strongfeel trainers review

Specifications

• RRP: From £54 to £118, depending on colour and availability
• Size range: 3.5 to 10.5
• Weight per shoe: 390g
• Heel to toe drop: 6mm
• Colour range: 9 colours
• Cleaning: Cold hand wash, do not tumble dry

Quick review

I wear the Lululemon Strongfeel shoes for my resistance workouts, which include using dumbbells, a barbell, and some machines. I get onto the treadmill and the indoor bike, and I walk to and from the gym in them. After wearing them for a few years for this, a couple of times a week, I think anyone doing similar activities is perfectly suited to these shoes.

The flat sole allows for closer contact with the ground and a stable platform to lift from, cutting out the chances of falling off balance, which is especially important when lifting heavier weights. I also find it helps me feel more engaged and I can feel my muscles working like never before.

The cushioning makes heel-to-toe striking comfortable on the treadmill, and small lugs on the bottom of the shoe provide some traction outdoors. However, they aren't suitable as running shoes, and when I do run in the gym, I switch them over to my Hoka Clifton 10 (my current favourite).

What's it like to wear these Lululemon trainers?

The Lululemon Strongfeel trainers are very comfortable. I opted for a whole size up from my normal size 8, as I have slightly wider feet, and I wanted the extra room. The brand encourages buyers to go half a size up anyway, as they are made with US sizes and "run small".

When I first slipped them on, the sides and upper felt quite rigid - but just a short walk to the gym and some foot flexion in my stretching routine later and the rigidity was gone, replaced instead by an intense comfort and supportive feeling, especially around the midfoot and heel.

Some reviewers note that the shoes aren't very breathable - and I'd have to agree. At the end of my workout, I did notice that my feet felt a little sweatier than usual. However, this has faded with time and didn't impact the experience. Sweaty feet are also to be expected after an hour in the gym. I wore these shoes during the summer months when the temperature reached 28 degrees, and in the winter, my toes were snugly warm on my strolls to the gym.

I noticed that the sole of the shoe in my chosen colourway was quick to mark, especially on the sides, being white and pale blue, though the actual fabric of the shoe stayed clean. I wipe mine down along the sides if they muddy before heading inside. As these shoes are hand-wash only, this is something to consider. If you're doing lots of workouts where you're splashing or find yourself scuffing your shoes, you can't just throw them in the washing machine.

Design and fit of the Lululemon Strongfeel trainers

From opening the box and taking a brief look at the shoe, it doesn't appear to be much different from some of the other gym trainers I've tried - like the Reebok Nano X4, which were my last pair. On closer inspection, the small design elements that make this a superior shoe became very obvious.

For starters, the heel base is slightly wider than the width of the shoe, providing a stable base for strength training workouts where the majority of movements require a push from your midfoot and heel. This design feature adds a sense of security and balance, so I felt I could just get on with my workout, confident that my shoes weren't going to let me down. It sounds like a basic achievement, but trust me, it's one that not every gym shoe fulfils.

While the exterior appearance of the shoe is minimal, small panels made of water-resistant fabric cover the outside of the shoe. This comes in very handy when I'm walking to the gym in rainy seasons. There's nothing worse than wet toes. However, this is missing from the sides of the shoe just above the sole, where water sometimes splashes up.

Directly below the laces on the sides of the shoe is another panel made of the same thick fabric. It loops through two lines of laces, adding extra traction when you tighten the laces, improving support down the sides of the shoe, and enhancing that 'locked in' feeling. Just excellent.

Years on, I'd say they are a pair of the most durable workout shoes I've owned. While they certainly look different to when they were new, they offer just the same amount of support, coverage, and even more comfort than when I bought them.

Testing: Gym workouts

I wore these Lululemon trainers for four gym workouts over two weeks, strength training for just over an hour each time. During these workouts, I focused on compound movements like the barbell squat, deadlift, military press, and chest press. I also performed some single-leg exercises, such as a Bulgarian split squat, on a bench and used the leg raise machine.

Needless to say, the shoes were hard at work - and I was very impressed. The heel of the shoe felt stable under my feet during the squat, allowing me to push comfortably upwards through the movement without a wobble. The toe box is spacious enough to allow toes to spread out as needed, while still offering support down the sides of the foot.

Testing: Walking and stationary bike

The Lululemon Strongfeel trainers aren't designed to be running shoes - that's the Lululemon Beyondfeel shoe - but I walk 30 minutes a day to the gym and like to do a little cardio at the beginning of my strength training workout to warm up, so I was interested to see if these shoes could cover the basics of an uphill treadmill walk. I also tested the Strongfeel trainers for indoor cycling on a stationary bike.

On the bike, I barely noticed the shoes were there. They were held in place on the pedals by the straps. The cushioning came in useful when riding while standing up, though, as the additional pressure on the balls of my feet could have been uncomfortable. In the past, when I've worn thinner trainers, I could feel this pressure on the balls of my feet when I got off the bike. I didn't feel this at all with the Strongfeel trainers.

Walking to the gym, I didn't notice much difference between walking in the Strongfeel trainers and my running shoes - except perhaps a little less propulsion in my steps. But who needs that? On the treadmill, it became a little more obvious that these shoes aren't designed for higher-impact cardio, as it wasn't so easy to roll through the uphill walk as with other shoes. For a quick warm-up, though, I have no complaints, and I got off the treadmill ready for my workout.

Are the Lululemon Strongfeel trainers worth it?

Yes, absolutely. Now I've tried the Lululemon Strongfeel trainers, I'm not going back. For me, the support is unmatched by any other trainer I've had - and I've had many over the years. Given these are on sale now as well, they're a budget-friendly buy in the world of workout shoes, and I'll be stocking up before they sell out when I need a new pair. In movements that need stability and balance, these are a winner thanks to the wide heel support and locked-in feeling of the upper.

They are also significantly more stylish than many other gym trainers out there, being available in both neutral palettes and bright colourways and with minimal external design features.

My only issue with them is the combined lack of breathability and hand-wash-only care instructions. Together, it's not a match made for freshness.