About APL
Athletic Propulsion Labs is globally recognized as a leader in athletic footwear and apparel for men and women. Their edgy designs combined with innovative comfort and performance technology quickly gained recognition by celebrities and athletes alike including popular influencers like the Kardashians.
This APL shoes review discovered that the Load N’ Launch technology in APL’s Concept 1 design became the first shoe banned by the NBA for the exceptional advantage it offered. Today, the combined technology of their LOAD ‘N LAUNCH and Propelium technology create one of the most comfortable, high performance athletic shoes on the market.
Athletic Propulsion Labs is recognized by many high profile magazines and media outlets including Business Insider, Forbes, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. This APL shoes review will look at the people behind the brand, its top selling footwear, customer ratings, and more to help you decide if the shoes live up to the hype.
Overview of APL
APL’s intrigue begins with their name and ends with their ability to deliver unique, high performance, high fashion athletic footwear. There’s a good reason the young company has caught so much attention. Founded by twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston when they were just 22, the company set its sights on creating the world’s finest athletic footwear.
APL describes their shoes as designs that sit at the intersection of luxury and performance. Based in LA and established in 2009, the brand continues to offer stunning footwear with innovative features such as removable laces that allow you to transition from lace ups to slip ons. Today, APL shoes are carried in over 300 world-class retailers around the world.
The Goldston brothers remain highly active in their community, contributing to issues that resonate with their mission; including women’s health issues through APL breast cancer shoes, children in need, scholarship programs, and solving the homelessness challenges in their hometown of Los Angeles.
This APL shoes review provides an unbiased look at what Athletic Propulsion Labs brings to the streets, basketball courts, and well-stocked shoe closets starting with a summary of the brand:
Pros
- Athletic footwear in a variety of designs for men and women
- Stylish and modern designs
- Exceptional comfort and support
- Advanced and innovative performance features, including patented Load N’ Launch and Propelium technology
- Easily accessible through 300+ retail stores and on the APL website
- Involved in community initiatives for women, children, education, and homelessness
Cons
- Pricey compared to other high-end athletic shoes
APL Women’s Shoes
With the ideal combination of fashion and function, APL women’s shoes are supported by their proprietary technology to optimize performance and comfort. The brand offers stylish athletic shoes for running and training, alongside slides for chilling in between workouts.
These APL running shoes reviews will give you an inside look at best sellers for ladies:
Women’s Ascend
To stay fit and improve performance, the APL Women’s Ascend is designed with training in mind. With a mid-cut silhouette, the TechLoom upper has integrated ventilation and support designed for comfort and durability. Lace up to suit your sense of style and fit with flexible lockdown offering a customized feel.
Between running errands and clocking in miles, the Women’s Ascend is designed for all day wear. These high-top trainers feature a cushioned APL Propelium midsole/outsole, available in a range of attractive color combos. Choose between white, black/melange, black/white, black/white/black, cosmic grey/metallic silver, leopard/black/white, multi/black, and quited black/metallic silver/white for $200.
Women’s TechLoom Wave
The textured silhouette of the Women’s TechLoom Wave is luxe and stylish. This shoe features APL’s newly developed high-elastic 3D stretch rebound TechLoom in the upper designed to allow movement with increased stretch front to back, as well as lateral and medial support.
The Women’s TechLoom Wave lacing gives you the ideal fit using an integrated lace loop. Tie, tuck, and hit the road in these streamlined shoes that can be transformed into slip-ons with the ingenious removable lace design. With their proprietary Propelium technology and durable rubber outsole, you get superior comfort and midsole integrity for years of wear and support.
These low-key sneaks come in an assortment of unique colors from classy black and white marble soles, citrus zest in a pale yellow, burgundy/white/melange, to deep emerald/peppermint. With 18 fashionable color combos, the Women’s TechLoom Wave sells for $225.
Women’s TechLoom Chelsea
APL’s newly developed 3D stretch rebound TechLoom upper means no need for laces on the Women’s TechLoom Chelsea. The convenient slip-on design features a dynamic weave pattern that hugs your foot for a perfect fit, with an elastic stretch collar for easy on and off. Every inch of this shoe is designed for looks and performance with a herringbone knit upper that expands when your moves demand extra range of motion.
The fit will hold tight with superior support thanks to reinforcements at the lateral and medial, so when your foot moves, it remains centred. The suede heel counter and pull-tab add even more support to the Women’s TechLoom Chelsea. Featuring APL’s proprietary Propelium technology, these shoes maximize energy generation with awesome comfort and superior midsole structural integrity.
Designed for the active woman, their unique lightweight Propelium midsole and traction pattern use durable rubber outsoles, a forefoot crash pad, and TPU heel clip for the perfect combination of support, traction, and fit. The Women’s TechLoom Chelsea is crafted for style and comes in an assortment of 15 chic colors including a classic neutral almond/pristine, a pretty bleached pink, and an edgy fatigue for $300.
APL Men’s Shoes
Whether you’re taking it to the streets, the gym, or your local watering hole, every move with APL men’s shoes is supported by APL’s proprietary technology, optimizing performance every step of the way.
This APL shoes review discovered a diverse range of runners and trainers, an iconic basketball shoe, plus luxurious TechLoom, calf hair, and sweater slides. On to the most popular APL footwear for men:
Men’s Concept Boomer
The Men’s Concept Boomer is the one and only APL basketball shoe. It’s got everything you want when out on the courts including a high-top silhouette and molded heel counter crafted for top-notch support and a personalized fit. Cool feet keep you playing hard all day thanks to the open mesh windows carefully designed to wrap from lateral to medial.
These APL basketball shoes are built with a TPU cage that keeps your feet secure, while providing exceptional support even when the game demands instant acceleration and mad dodges. With an integrated toe cap your feet are well protected, and your shoes will survive game after game. Their patented APL Load ‘N Launch technology is so effective at improving vertical leap, these shoes are banned by the NBA.
When you’re looking for next level performance in a sleek and comfortable shoe, the Men’s Concept Boomer is a winner. This APL performance shoe is available in black/onyx or space grey/white, both designs boasting an eye-catching blue outsole for $200.
Men’s TechLoom Pro
The Men’s TechLoom Pro is APL’s original, classic runner with all of APL’s patented tech. The one piece woven upper is at the heart of their unique runner style. The innovative performance textiles make you stand out with APL’s distinctly fashioned knit patterns, artfully chosen color palettes, and streamlined silhouette.
The ultimate cushioning is created by APL’s patented Propelium midsole/outsole for unbeatable comfort. You can choose the ideal fit for ultimate performance with standard normal width sizing and a slightly wider toe box. Available in 18 leading-edge colors ideal for the fashion conscious guy, the Men’s TechLoom Pro sells for $140.
Men’s TechLoom Breeze
The Men’s TechLoom Breeze is all about the perfect balance between performance and luxe design. This shoe took two years to design, allowing APL to combine total comfort, a glove-like fit in a sleek, lightweight silhouette. The seamless high elastic stretch rebound incorporates their TechLoom upper designed to move with you. Combined with an internal speed lacing system and exposed eyelets, your range of motion is noticeably improved.
Using Propelium technology, you can maximize energy generation while still experiencing superior comfort. The midsole easily maintains structural integrity, lasting longer than running shoes with basic EVA. The lighter weight is achieved with APL’s Propelium midsole and traction pattern which provides an airy feel designed to last, with a durable rubber outsole and forefoot crash pad.
When you want to hit the ground running in comfort and style, the Men’s TechLoom Breeze is one of the lightest running shoes you’ll find. Available in 18 stand-out color choices including neutrals like sand and beach, patterned black and white camo, fluorescent yellow energy/white, and burgundy, these stylish runners sell for $250.
APL Shoes Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Deemed the “mainstay for the fitness community, celebrities, and sneakerheads alike” by Business Insider, you’d think these shoes have to be good. Some reviewers felt that the footwear is not worth such a high price point, and there is some contention about whether or not the basketball shoes improve jumping ability. That being said, feedback is mostly positive. These quotes sum up the kind of comments you’ll find in APL shoes reviews:
- “They actually do help you jump a little higher.” – Wired
- “The high-cut silhouette, combined with the sturdy materials gave me a very secure and almost ‘invincible’ feeling.” – The Hoops Geek
- “I would say this sneaker provides the most cushion while being light in weight of all those I have.” – APL shoes review on the website
- “Stylish enough to wear in and out of the gym.” – Business Insider
For this APL shoes review, I looked at ratings on Amazon for select designs. My search turned up 4.2/5 stars out of 74 ratings for the Women’s TechLoom Phantom, 4.4/5 stars out of 15 ratings for the Women’s TechLoom Pro, and 4.2./5 stars out of 20 ratings for the Women’s Ascend (other shoes available had only a handful of ratings).
Athletic Propulsion Labs is not accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau), but they do have an A+ grade on the site. Only one complaint was filed in the last year over a billing/collection issue, but the details were not available.
Are APL Shoes Worth It?
From APL tennis shoes to stylish runners, most customers are big fans of the comfort, fit, and look of the footwear. However, when researching for this APL shoes review, although some basketball fanatics felt the basketball shoes did deliver on improved jump, the feeling was not unanimous. Buyers also pointed out that the shoes are pretty expensive, even compared to other high quality athletic footwear.
Athletic Propulsion Labs definitely has the edge in terms of innovative technology, and their designs reflect what’s trendy (as evidenced by the numerous celebrities who wear APL). If you’re buying the shoes strictly for looks and comfort, APL shoes offer an impressive selection. On the flip side, if you’re all about fitness and performance, you really have to try them on to find out if they’re right for you. If APL footwear is in your price range, we say go for it!
APL Promotions & Discounts
This APL shoes review turned up a number of discounts including:
- 30% off for healthcare workers and first responders
- 15% discount to all active, reservist, veteran, and retired US military personnel and to spouses and dependents of active personnel
- 15% discount to all teachers, faculty or staff at a K-12 or at degree-granting universities
The APL rewards program allows you to collect and redeem rewards not only for purchases, but from the very moment you create an account, for your birthday, for following them on Twitter, and even for recommending a friend who makes a purchase of $140 or more. You get 1 point for every dollar spent.
VIP rewards levels are included in the program:
- Gold: Spend $500 or refer 2 friends and get 1.2 times the points
- Platinum: Spend $1250 or refer 5 friends and get 1.5 times the points
- Diamond: Spend $2500 or refer 10 friends and get 2 times the points
Where to Buy APL Shoes
You’ll find APL shoes for sale at their online store, AthleticPropulsionLabs.com, at their premier brick and mortar store in LA, as well as: Saks, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, SoulCycle, Mr. Porter, Shopbop, East Dane, Amazon, and more. You can check the APL website for stores nearest to you.
FAQ
This APL shoes review addresses the most common questions that new and existing customers want answered.
What sizes does APL have?
Check to see if APL carries your size using these APL size charts:
Are APL shoes machine washable?
The word from APL is that their sneakers can go in the washing machine, but should be air dried.
What is APL’s Shipping Policy?
APL ships throughout the US and Canada, and its partners carry and ship products around the world. Here are the highlights on APL’s shipping policy:
- Free shipping is available in the US for all orders over $45
- Domestic orders placed before 12 PM PT are shipped on the same business day, and orders placed on Friday after 11 AM PT ship on Monday
- International orders are charged shipping and handling per item, based on weight and destination
- All orders can take 7-14 business days shipped via FedEx
- Once orders ship, customers receive a tracking number via email
What is APL’s Return Policy?
This APL shoes review found returns must be received in their original, unworn, intact, unwashed and smoke-free condition with their original packaging, tags, accessories, and extra laces (if included).
Domestic
Customers must complete a form to receive their free shipping label. The items can then be returned via FedEx to:
Athletic Propulsion Labs
108 S. Mayo Ave
City of Industry
California
91789
United States
International
Shipping is not included. Orders must be returned with the original packing slip or order confirmation and returned to the address above. Exchanges are not available.
All APL exchanges and returns must be made within 10 days of receiving your order.
How to Contact APL
If you have questions that were not covered in this APL shoes review, you can reach out to the team via:
- Phone (toll free): 866-672-8630; 7 am-7 pm PST Monday-Friday through Friday
- Email: help@athleticpropulsionlabs.com
- Contact form at AthleticPropulsionLabs.com
Author: Amanda Walsh
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