Why are running shoes different for men vs women? I tested the specialist QLVR shoe to find out | Tech Radar

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Why are running shoes different for men vs women? I tested the specialist QLVR shoe to find out

I've just tested shoes actually designed for women's feet, and they're a total game changer

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QLVR’s ENDVR is one of the most interesting “everyday training” shoes I’ve tested in a while, because the novelty isn’t a new foam or a higher stack, it’s a design fit for purpose. By designing around women’s feet and removing laces entirely, it solves a problem many runners have normalised: the constant compromise between heel lockdown and midfoot comfort. If you mainly run short-to-mid distances, do treadmill sessions, and mix in gym work, it’s a genuinely clever all-rounder.

+Locked-in heel and ankle fit without any lace pressure

Locked-in heel and ankle fit without any lace pressure

+Comfortable cushioning that stays stable on the run

Comfortable cushioning that stays stable on the run

+Quick slip-on design is genuinely useful for gym and short runs

Quick slip-on design is genuinely useful for gym and short runs

+Strong sustainability story with plant-based materials

Strong sustainability story with plant-based materials

-Traction feels less sure on ice than some road shoes

Traction feels less sure on ice than some road shoes

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Most running shoes feel familiar for a reason: the formula has barely changed in millennia. We have archaeological evidence of shoes being fastened with “shoelaces” as far back as around 3,500 BC, yet the basic lace-up running trainer remains the default.

QLVR (pronounced “clever”) set out to challenge that. Its debut shoe, the ENDVR, is a laceless “running slipper” built around a women-specific mechanical structure, with a slip-on Wing Fit system inspired by the way a bird’s wing opens and closes around movement.

The brand’s core argument is blunt: most athletic shoes are designed on men’s lasts (the mechanical devise used by manufacturers to create the foot shape) and scaled down for women, even though women’s feet tend to have different shapes and pressure points. So, they decided to literally break the mould and design something specifically for women’s feet.

It sounds like a noble ambition, although it didn’t necessarily start out as one. Originally the company was focused on doing away with laces. But co-founder and footwear designer Martin Dean soon realised this would be impossible with a unisex shoe.

“We were tweaking the design but we couldn't get it to work. The unisex fit system means it would just be too loose on the back of a woman's foot,” said Dean.

“That's when we realised that the majority of footwear is made to fit a man's foot. So we thought ‘let's launch this for women’.”

As a runner who often struggles with shoe fit, I could immediately relate to Dean’s explanation. I spend an inordinate amount of time fiddling with laces trying to get the fit around my ankle just right. I don’t want the laces to dig in, but I also don’t want my ankles rocking around. I also struggle with the width of running shoes finding that the toe box shape is never quite right. Typically, a lot of running technology, not just shoes but also some of the best running watches, are male by default.

When I heard about the QLVR ENDVR I was keen to try them out. Maybe, finally, this shoe would fit! Over the past couple of months, I’ve been testing the shoe on a range of activities. Treadmill intervals, 10k easy road runs, gym sessions and as an everyday trainer for trips around the shops.

As soon as I slipped the pair on they immediately felt different. But were they the shoe I was ultimately looking for?

The 'women-first’ part is not just a marketing line. QLVR is designed around a more 'triangular' female foot shape, with a narrower heel, wider toe area, and higher arches, rather than shrinking a men’s shoe and relying on laces to make up the slack.

The laceless part is the standout: the Wing Fit system is designed to sit in a closed, ‘laced-up’ position, flexing as you step in and then holding the rearfoot securely once your heel drops. In practice, it’s the first slip-on I’ve tried that feels like it’s meant to be run in. There is an immediate locked-in feel, and the foot is held snugly inside with minimal slippage. Being able to slip on a shoe and have the perfect heel fit straight away is a revelation.

Then there’s sustainability. QLVR leans hard into bio-based materials: a dandelion-derived foam it calls Dandelite, a Pebax Rnew polymer (from castor beans) for the Wing Fit system and propulsion plate, and a Tencel yarn upper made from eucalyptus fibres.

The fit is the first shock. I used QLVR’s sizing guidance and went down to a UK 6.5 (I usually size up to a 7 in running shoes). Straight out of the box, they felt very snug: secure around the ankle and heel, with noticeably more arch presence than I’m used to.

But that sense of the arch’s prominence faded fast. Once I started moving, the shoe relaxed into something closer to a slipper-like comfort, without the wobbly, overly soft feeling some max-cushioned shoes can have. For easy treadmill miles, it’s been especially pleasant: quiet, stable, and easy to forget about.

The laceless convenience is not a gimmick, either. If you’re popping out for a short run, going from work to gym, or fitting training into the cracks of a day, sliding in and heading off is genuinely freeing. No lace bite across the midfoot, no fiddling to get heel lockdown just right. The rearfoot hold is simply “there” every time.

QLVR positions the ENDVR as a shoe that can handle everything from intervals to cross-training. Based on my testing, that checks out. It feels comfortable and controlled for steady running, and supportive enough for gym sessions where you’re moving laterally or lifting lightly.

But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. For me, the snugness may be a limiter. On longer distances, feet swell and I like a little more room up front. With my toes close to the end of the shoe and a hint of heel rub developing, I’d be cautious about taking these beyond half marathon territory. But then again, they are designed as an all-round training shoe rather than a long distance running pair.

Grip has been mostly fine on roads, but on icy patches I felt less confident than in some of my regular winter-friendly trainers. And, subjectively, the look will be divisive: the Wing Fit silhouette is unapologetically bold, and personally I think they’re pretty ugly.

One extra practical win: QLVR says you can machine-wash the shoes cold after removing the insoles and using a laundry bag.

The QLVR ENDVR costs £165 (

9mm drop with 35mm rear / 26mm forefoot stack height

9mm drop with 35mm rear / 26mm forefoot stack height

QLVR’s current guidance is worth considering carefully, as it is a little contradictory. The product page and FAQ suggest the shoe can size up a bit small, recommending going up half or a full size if you’re between sizes. But the size chart says if you follow its guide you don’t need to go up in size, as toe wiggle-room is built in. This is why I opted for a 6.5 after measuring my feet according to their metrics. If I wanted to run longer distances in these shoes, I would definitely size up to 7.

Been running in the same kind of shoes all your life? The QLVR is for runners interested in the experimental.

The bio-based materials mean the shoe manufacturing process is eco-conscious.

The QLVR ENDVR is specifically biomechanically designed for women's feet

If you’re a long-run purist or ultra runner who needs toe-box space when your feet puff up and a little more slack at the heel, then this might not be the solution you are seeking.

Lily Canter is a UK Athletics running coach, ultra-runner and a freelance running and fitness journalist who writes for Tech Radar, Runner's World, Fit&Well and Live for the Outdoors, among others. Her ultra-running credits include running 250km across Tanzania, and placing first female in her inaugural 100km race.

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• Why are running shoes different for men vs women

• I've just tested shoes actually designed for women's feet, and they're a total game changer