You’ve seen the Nike Hyperboot all over some big magazines, but is it really something that you need? What does it even do?
In fairness, every Hyperice product has a pretty steep price point so it’s no surprise that when you throw on some additional Nike innovation we’ve now hit the $899 mark. Although it’s currently down to $699, sale or permanent we’re not sure.
As you may know by now Coach Stacey is a massive fan of all things Hyperice, so we probably should have let her take the first pass with these, but instead they came to much harder to impress Coach Amanda. I’ve just never found a massive benefit from the full leg compression, and yet I really, really love heat for recovery.
My feet have increasingly begged for relief recently, so these seemed like a great new recovery tool. Except they aren’t exactly that.
Who is it Good For?
- Athletes with Achilles issues
- Those who do a lot of high intensity movements that work the ankles
- Those looking to work on ankle mobility
- NOT going to help with plantar fasciitis or arch or anything else below ankle
Nike Hyperboot Overview
What I think is most important to know here is that this doesn’t seem to be a hero product, but it does seem to be Nike stepping in to the recovery space. They are KNOWN for going deep on technology and this is a marketing move that absolutely grabbed attention.
One of the complaints with a lot of recovery products is the time needed to simply sit and let them work. But spoiler, you sitting and relaxing is actually a BIG part of why they work, in fact there’s some data to say possibly the prime reason they work.
That being said, between my Nike Vomero Premium and the Hyperboot I am starting to feel like an astronaut walking around and I’m not mad about it. Sometimes technology can seriously help us make massive leaps forward (think Alphafly) and other times we need to acknowledge it’s just not necessary.
The Hyerboot is designed for post-workout recovery OR for athletes pre-activity. This is what makes them different from other compression devices listed above.
They actually found that the heat is able to go deeper into the muscles with the compression, and this resulted in more mobility and a feeling of being loose. PERFECTION prior to hard efforts.
Here’s where I think it gets confusing, I’ve seen some places describe them as a foot massage on the go. But that’s just not accurate. All of the heat and compression is targeting the ankle and Achilles. There is nothing across the midfoot or the toes.
And to be clear, no one is wearing these on the go.
They aren’t quiet or light. You can certainly walk around the track before a workout or around your house, but even with the outsole design you aren’t just out and about wearing them. If you’ve ever used Hyperice Normatec Compression boots, then you know that air filling and releasing is noisy.
Bonus points for using the same charger as my phone though, so no biggie to see them sitting in the kitchen charging up.
Nike Hyperboot Specs
- Sizes: Available from Men’s 6 to Men’s 17.5 (they are obviously unisex)
- Battery Life: Up to 1.5 hours
- Heat: 3 levels
- Charging: USB-C
- Available for $699
Quick Take
Pros
- Ability to move around
- Easy and intuitive to use
- Heat feels incredible
Cons
- Doesn’t massage full foot
- Cost
- Noise for “on the go”
Using the Hyperboot
Step one is trying to dial in your size. Since each size (S, M, etc) fits a range of sizes you aren’t going to get a perfectly snug fit. I personally had no issues with this because all of the work is around the ankle, so who cares if I have some extra room at the toes?
Using the boots is super easy. You can control both the heat and compression in the Hyperice App or by using the buttons right on the boots.
The lights next to each button let you know what level you’ve selected. While there are controls on both boots, they are going to sync up.
Since heat sensitivity varies from person to person, Hyperice recommends wearing socks while using the device to protect your skin and make the warmth feel more comfortable. As someone who likes the shower hot enough to turn my skin red, I still agree with wearing socks especially if you’ll have these on for a long session.
The highest setting is actually 125F, so toasty.
Unlike some of the other tools, the Hyperboots run on a 15-minute session. Just like with the legs, start small by trying level 1 heat and compression before cranking it up.
Nike Hyperboot Modes
You can choose from three modes depending on how you’re feeling that day: warm up, recovery, or heat only.
Since this is a little different than some other Hyperice tools, let’s talk through it.
For athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Track and Field Olympian, it makes sense that her workouts involve incredible amounts of power from the ankle. If she can go into a workout with those muscles feeling more warmed up, loose and mobile then she may be able to prevent pulling something and find better performance.
In terms of heat only, I mean I’m cold all winter so I guess sign me up for anything toasty. But a $20 heating pad for my feet is probably going to do the same thing. EIKKK sorry.
Our Verdict
For a very specific set of the population this is in an incredible tool that could help with performance and recovery. But in general, we wouldn’t recommend it for the everyday athlete. And our rating would definitely increase if it was a full foot massage!
The Hyperice X Nike Hyperboot is a miss for us. We see the benefits. We see the limited usage. But mostly we see Nike raising their hand to say we are paying attention to the recovery space and you should expect more to come.
All right, let’s hear it, what kind of recovery products do you like to use? Are you a fan of compression tools?
What else do you want to know about the Hyperice x Nike Hyperboot?
What to read next?
- Best High Tech Fitness Gadgets
- Should You Use an Ice Bath? (less often than you think)
- Ice vs Heat for Injuries – which to use when
The post Nike Hyperboot Review: Cool Tech, Eye-Popping Price—Here’s Our Verdict appeared first on RunToTheFinish.
from RunToTheFinish https://ift.tt/a4dWjZA
Post a Comment
Post a Comment