Nike has worked with recovery gear maker Hyperice before on the Hyperboot, a pair of high-top shoes that can heat up and inflate to offer “air-compression massage.” Today, the duo are announcing the latest product of their partnership: a pair of slides that can heat up and vibrate. Called the Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide, the high-tech footwear will be available to the public on September 29 for $249 through Nike and Hyperice’s websites, as well as at US retailers Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods. As a recovery aid, the Air Zoom Hyperslide is eligible for purchase with FSA/HSA funds, Hyperice says.
What makes these slides “high-tech”? Mostly it’s what the company calls the Hyperslide Pods that snap magnetically onto the top of each slide. These are what produce the heat and vibration “to help your feet relax, reset, and recover from the ground up,” according to the companies’ marketing material.
Three heat levels and three vibration settings are available, with temperatures ranging between 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) and 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 degrees Celsius). The companies recommend you wear socks while using the slides, which feels like a fashion faux pas, but is probably good advice for anyone strapping on heated shoes.
The Pods connect to the Hyperice app via Bluetooth, which will allow you to customize heat and vibration levels. Without the app, though, you can still toggle those settings by pushing the buttons on the pods. They also have onboard indicator lights to signal to you the heat, vibration and battery levels. Speaking of, the companies say the pods should last about an hour, depending on use. If each of your recovery sessions lasts about 10 minutes, that should be six sessions before you have to charge them, which you can do via an onboard USB-C port.
As for the footwear themselves, they use a low-profile Nike Air Zoom sole with a textured, cushioned footbed, and feature design flourishes similar to the Hyperboot. There are distinct circles where the velcro straps meet the rest of the shoe, for instance, and generally look aesthetically pleasing. They’re available in black or a light tan called Orewood, as well as 15 sizes ranging from M4/W5 to M18/W19 in the US. That’s sizes M3.5/W5.5 to 17 in the UK and 36 to 52.5 in the EU.
Like the Hyperboot, the Hyperslide is meant to be worn after training sessions to aid in recovery. You’re of course, able to use them whenever you wish.
I’ve had a pair of the Hyperboot for about a year now, and they’re one of my favorite self-care gadgets. I’ve rarely used the heating feature, opting for the compression massage to soothe my sore feet. I’ve found that when I used the Hyperboot regularly, my legs generally felt less tight, and while it might seem unrelated, my quads seemed less tense and I experienced less knee pain.
The thing is, that is from using the compression feature of the Hyperboot, which the Hyperslides lack. I’m not a fan of percussive recovery instruments, so I’m not sure I’ll like the vibration much. But should you like the idea of vibrating slippers that look pretty good, these might be for you.
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