Nike and Hyperice have officially launched the “Hyberboot,” a technology-packed warm-up and recovery shoe that offers a heated massage for athletes’ feet and ankles.
Available in May, the Hyperboot combines Hyperice’s dynamic air-compression massage technology and heating tech inside of a high-top Nike shoe. The shoes are designed to drive heat deep into the muscles and tissues of the feet and ankles to help athletes warm up faster and recover quicker.
The sides first teased the futuristic shoe’s upcoming launch ahead of the Paris Olympics last summer. During the Olympics, Nike and Hyperice made the Hyperboots available to a select group of athletes including Gold Medal-winning sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, gathering feedback for the final product. LeBron James famously teased the shoes on his Instagram last year as well, driving buzz.
According to Nike and Hyperice, athletes who’ve worn the shoe report that their feet and ankles feel lighter after use, like they’ve already warmed up before actually doing so.
At an exclusive launch event on Wednesday, Nike senior director of athlete innovation Tobie Hatfield and Hyperice founder Andy Katz said the Hyperboot could represent the next frontier of recovery – wearable products like shoes and apparel that can be used by athletes on the go.
“What if we could have the athlete (recover) more often and have more control in doing that more often?” said Hatfield, who has designed Nike classics like the Nike Free running shoes. “One of the best ways to do that is if it’s a wearable that you can actually move in.”
Packed with tech, the Hyberboots contain dual-air Normatec “bladders” that are bonded to warming elements, which distributes heat evenly across the upper of the shoe. Athletes can choose between three levels of compression and three levels of heat by toggling buttons on the shoe’s heel. A battery pack is housed within the shoe’s insole.
Hyperice CEO Jim Huether believes the product could change the footwear industry.
“We think this is a transformational product that ushers in an entirely new category of business around tech-enabled footwear,” Huether told Athletech News at the pre-launch event.
Nike & Hyperice Deepen Ties
Partnering with Nike marks a big win for Hyperice, which was founded by Katz in 2011 and has been led by Huether for around a decade. The Irvine, California-based company has helped pioneer the fast-growing recovery market with products like Hypervolt massage guns and Normatec compression boots, which have become popular among athletes and everyday wellness enthusiasts alike.
“I think of Nike as one of the world’s most iconic companies, so it speaks volumes of the work that Hyperice has done to allow for this type of partnership,” Huether said. “We’re an up-and-coming company that’s developing a lot of awesome technology and is broadening out in a new category of recovery.”
To help drive awareness for the Hyperboot, Nike and Hyperice have assembled a roster of star athletes including Richardon and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, both of whom will feature in ad campaigns for the new shoes.
The Hyperboots will be available online and in select Nike and Hyperice retail partners in the United States on May 17th, followed by a global launch in the coming months. The shoes will retail for $899, and they’re HSA/FSA-eligible for Americans.
During Wednesday’s pre-launch event, Katz noted that while the Hyperboots were designed with elite athletes in mind, the market for recovery footwear extends to everyday fitness enthusiasts and even the general public.
“The landscape of people that could benefit from it is so wide,” Katz said. “Yes this is going to help LeBron James warm up for a game at 40, and Sha’Carri run her best time. … But this is also going to help people that just want to get out of bed every day and feel better.”
Nike and Hyperice are also planning a temperature-changing vest, although no timeline has been set for the official launch of that product.
