I have to tell you, I’m usually very stingy on sneakers. I’m very picky, don’t love shopping for them, and definitely don’t like spending lots of money on them. I usually only buy a pair once every 2-3 years, which is nowhere near the recommendation for foot and postural health (experts recommend replacing them every 300-500 miles, or every six to eight months of active wearing). So needless to say, after going through a few years and two pregnancies in my old New Balances, they were worn out!
After noticing a couple of my favorite Instagrammer’s working out in APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs) sneakers, I decided to check out the company’s website. I was blown away by the prices. I browsed the site for a few minutes, caught a glimpse of some that I loved (so many colors!), but closed the browser because I definitely wasn’t looking to spend $200 on a pair of sneakers. It was just a tease from then on… I kept thinking about them and seeing them pop up everywhere. That’s what usually happens, right?
I went to a few stores to look for sneakers in person, but didn’t like anything nearly as much as the APL’s I now had my heart set on. The one pair at Dick’s that I did happen to like had a price tag of around $160. When did sneakers get so expensive?! I decided I’d just spend the extra $40 to get the APL Techloom Breeze’s that I really wanted.
Ordering my first pair of APL’s
The day that I went on to purchase my sneakers happened to be International Women’s day (march 8th) and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were offering a 25% site wide discount for the day. That made it much easier. [At the time of writing this blog post, APL is offering new customers a 10% discount when signing up for email offers, or you could use my referral link for a $20 off coupon.]
I also signed up for their rewards program, which currently works like this: You get 1 point for every $1 spent, and when redeeming, every 1 point is worth $0.10. So $100 spent gets you $10 off the next purchase in rewards. You can earn points not only by making purchases, but also by liking/following their social media accounts, having a birthday, and referring someone who makes a purchase.
A week or so went by and I was so excited to get my new baby blue sneakers in the mail… only to be disappointed when I opened the box. I immediately noticed the bottoms and backs off them were dirty – like they had been worn for a day by someone before returning them. I may have let that go if they were cheap sneakers, but not at that price! So I took pictures and immediately emailed the customer care team.
The next day, I received a response, and from this I can say that APL has excellent costumer service. They responded by apologizing for the inconvenience, agreeing that it was unacceptable, and offering a coupon code for the amount spent so I could get a new pair of my choosing.
For this second order, I did go up a half a size (they did seem to run a little small). The initial pair I got did feel snug, so at least I did know this going into the next order. Instead of a 9, I ordered 9.5. I got the second pair in excellent (unworn) condition within only a few days.
These APL Techloom Breeze shoes quickly become my favorite pair of sneakers probably ever. Here is my APL sneakers review.
What I like about my APL sneakers
- They are just so comfortable. I am all about the comfort (long time Birkenstock wearer here 🙋‍♀️). These shoes fit feet like socks, and there’s a nice cushion on the back of the heel, which I love.
- They’re supportive for workouts and strength training.
- Stylish with a pop of color. There are few different varieties of style options, but my two favorites – the Techloom Breeze and Techloom Bliss, are just so sleek. And there are many, many color options!
- They clean easily. I’ve thrown mine right in the washing machine with some detergent and baking soda, and they come out looking really clean.
What I don’t like about my APL sneakers
- The price. These are definitely the most expensive pair of shoe’s I’ve ever purchased. I bought my first pair for $200, but now I see they’re at $220! It definitely helps to buy them when they’re offering a sale or discount! The rewards program can be helpful too, although I don’t believe you’re able to use your rewards in conjunction with a sale or discount.
- The laces. The laces are tucked and tied on the inside of the sneakers, so they’re sometimes felt. I do, however, love the look of the hidden laces though.
- It took a little bit of time for me to break in the ankle area (but I do happen to have kinda thick ankles). They were tight around my ankles at first, but have stretched to complete comfort.
Would I buy them again?
Yes, I would, and I’m sure I will be at some point when I can bring myself to do it again. I have to tell myself, since I only do buy new sneakers on such rare occasions, I deserve these, right?! They’re just so comfy and sleek and stylish!
I recently had a dermatologist appointment and the nurse in the office was wearing a pair of APL’s too. We talked about how comfortable they were and she said they were one of the best investments she’s made, which may mean more coming from someone who’s on her feet all day.
I love these sneakers so much that I reached out to the company to become an affiliate with them, to share products and offers with my readers. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend and affiliate with companies and products that I have used personally, love and trust. So if you’re interested in trying out APL sneakers or slides, I’d love is you’d use my link here. As always, thank you for being here and I hope you’ve found this APL sneakers review helpful!
*Some of the links above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers