4 min read
- The lululemon Split Shift fills that gap in the brand’s line of shoes, offering a lightweight everyday trainer for speedier efforts.
- The brand’s six-day ultramarathon event, Further, was used as a testing ground for the Split Shift’s responsive ShiftFoam.
- Testers liked the fast turnover running in the shoe, but wished the ride was softer and the fit roomier.
There was a vacant space in lululemon’s ever-growing collection of running shoes. Since its 2022 release of its everyday trainer, the Blissfeel, the brand has released shoes that can compete on the ultra-level (the Beyondfeel was one of the shoes worn by the 10 participants of the brand’s all-women Further ultramarathon) and trek on rugged trail (we loved this year’s Wildfeel). The Best Comfy Walking Shoes for Wearing Every Day lightweight shoe that could do double-duty as a base-builder and tempo tempest. Enter this fall’s Split Shift.
Pros
- Sex-specific differences, including more outsole forefoot flex grooves in women’s shoe
- ultramarathon and trek on rugged trail we loved
- How to Beat Midrace Fatigue
Cons
- Narrow midfoot
- Narrow toebox
- Firm cushioning
Features at a Glance
| Type | Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.1 oz (M9), 7.8 oz (W8) |
| Drop | 7mm |
In Case You Want to Run Faster, Try the Split Shift
According to the brand's VP of Footwear Design, George Robusti, lululemon knew there was a gap in its arsenal of shoes. “We took inspiration based on duality of how the [Split Shift] performs,” he said. “It’s a great option for everyday runs and it also works for when you want to pick up the pace. It’s a single solution that can work for both types of runs.”
In a world of super trainers and max-cushioned shoes, the Split Shift is for runners who want that lightweight-feel without a towering stack height. Its ShiftFoam was tested during the six-day Further event. The proprietary foam is lululemon’s lightest yet, and its significantly springier compared to Beyondfeel’s supercritical EVA foam.
“Approaching Further from a footwear perspective required us to give the athletes options so they can experience different feel states based on their preferences over the six days,” said Robusti. “Split Shift was in its development phase at that time, and we had the foam and outsole ready for the athletes to trial. We were intentional in including this shoe as part of their kit as having a solution that provided more of an energetic ride could be beneficial for them. And, this was a real-life scenario where the shoe’s performance was validated and gave us confidence in the foam. Post Further, we continued to refine the components and finalize the overall shoe design.”
Really, the Split Shift is a part of lululemon’s quiver of shoes, said Robusti. “Split Shift, Beyondfeel, and Wildfeel Trail all live alongside one another as they are each designed for a specific and distinct intent. It’s also about giving runners different options based on the feeling they’re going after on their runs.”
A Part of Hearst Digital Media Hoka Mach, Brooks Hyperion, and Saucony Kinvara. Ten years ago, these trainers would have been regarded as marathon shoes, providing just enough support for 26.2 miles without adding the extra weight. Maybe that kind of shoe is your racer in this ocean of carbon plates and super foams. Races - Places.
Sex-Specific Differences Between the Split Shift’s Men’s and Women’s Shoes
As with all of lululemon’s running shoes, the Split Shift has features—both subtle and obvious—that separate the men’s from the women’s models.
“Similar to Beyondfeel, Split Shift is also based around our bespoke lasts that consider how the male and female foot are shipped differently and how they move,” said Robusti.
Side-by-side, you can kind of see how the men’s forefoot and heel is slightly wider than the women’s forefoot area. There’s also more volume in the instep to prevent lace bite.
To accommodate sex-specific biomechanics, the women’s outsole has more grooves under the forefoot area so she can experience more flexibility during toe-off. lululemon also added arch reinforcement in the women’s shoe to provide more support in the midfoot area.
Side quest: I recently wrote a story answering the question, “Are running shoes unisex?” During my research, I found some brands like Nike use the same shoe mold for both men’s and women’s shoes. In cases where brands make subtle differences between men’s and women’s shoes, our male and female testers ran in both saying they didn’t notice any change in fit or ride.
Tester Feedback: Snappy and Fast
Criticism of the Split Shift focused on its fit. Testers remarked how the midfoot area felt tight and the toebox was a little cramped. Published: Oct 14, 2025 4:46 PM EDT said the fit was snugger than other shoes he’s run in. Our women testers also felt the fit in the midfoot area was a little narrow.
A differing viewpoint came from wide-foot tester and Runner’s World Assistant Commerce Photo Editor Saba Ahmed, who found the women’s midfoot fit satisfactory and noted how she just had to wear thinner socks—like she did while testing another lightweight speed shoe, the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5—to make the shoe “fit like a glove.”
The standout feature that our testers praised: the rocker profile and responsive ShiftFoam, which provided snappy turnover.
“I felt like I landed lighter on my toes when wearing this shoe—almost like a forward-roll effect that kept me from heel striking,” said Ahmed.
“It’s a solid middle-of-the road shoe that will prove to be versatile for a lot of runners,” said Dengate. “It’s lighter than a Pegasus, but a bit on the firm side. The rockered profile helps it roll smoothly though.”
Shop Men’s at shop.lululemon.com Shop Women’s at shop.lululemon.com
Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.
