Nike’s latest futuristic sneakers massage your feet while you wear them
In the 1980s, Mart McFly traveled back to the future (2015) and put on a pair of self-tying Nike sneakers. Now it’s 2024 and Nike’s latest shoes do a lot more than just tighten on demand.
The brand has teamed up with Hyperice, makers of some of the best massage guns, to create a pair of high-top shoes that massage athletes’ feet as they wear them, using heat and dynamic air compression.
The shoe contains a series of dual-air Normatec bladders (air-filled bags) connected to heating elements, which are powered by battery packs in the insole. These are designed to “drive heat into the muscles and tissues of the foot and ankle,” with the aim of improving the wearer’s performance and recovery.
They are controlled using four small buttons on the heel of the shoe (pictured below).
Hyperice says athlete testers have reported how their feet and ankles feel “freer and lighter” after wearing them, “as if they have already completed their warm-up before actually starting their usual routine.”
“Recovery is an important part of every athlete’s journey, but we hear from athletes that this concept of ‘pre-covery’ is just as important,” said Tobie Hatfield, senior director of Nike Athlete Innovation. “The shoes we developed together with Hyperice help prepare the body for activity, whether you’re playing for a title or on your feet a lot at work.”
Recovery has long been a leading element of fitness tools like the best running watches, using tools like Garmin’s Training Readiness score to ensure athletes take enough time off their training. But by stretching your entire body and using percussion massage, you can make your body bulletproof before the workout begins.
Athletes including long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, footballer Ada Hegerberg, basketballer Lebron James and golfer Tom Kim are already putting the futuristic equipment to the test.
“I could tell the difference right away,” says Kim. “I feel so much lighter on my feet after wearing the Nike x Hyperice shoe in the morning.”
Kipchoge adds: “I’ve used the Nike x Hyperice shoes before and after many important sessions during my training for the Olympic marathon. When I use them to warm up before a fartlek or hill session, my legs feel light during training I also use them after running as an important part of my muscle recovery.”
The shoes are not yet commercially available, and Nike and Hyperice plan to release them at a later date after gathering more feedback from athletes. The brands have also collaborated on a vest with thermoelectric coolers that allow athletes to adjust their body temperature.
“Since Hyperice’s founding, we’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from Nike, from the care and innovation we put into our products, to the way we connect with the athlete,” said Hyperice founder and president Anthony Katz.
“This collaboration is the culmination of years of work between our two brands to deliver innovative footwear and apparel for the athlete with the aim of improving their performance and recovery. And this is just the beginning.”
