I tried the Nike x Hyperice boot and vest: see the photos

The U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, are where the fastest athletes compete for a spot at the Paris Olympics. In other words, the stakes are high—and Nike created the Nike Athlete House to help runners through the grueling heats. Before and after their events, athletes could head to the house to prepare, recover—and even do their makeup. Yes, in addition to recovery equipment, there were also manicures, hair stylists, and coloring books. Balance, right? To achieve your Olympic dreams, you have to consider the holistic experience, and Nike has thought of everything.

But I was at the Nike Athlete House to test out the recovery gear, part of an exclusive tour during a Nike press trip. And my immediate first impression of the recovery area was that it looked like something from the future… because, in many ways, it was. Nike and Hyperice teamed up on two innovations that debuted at the Olympic trials: tech shoes and vests to speed up warm-ups and cool-downs.

These recovery tools aren’t available to the public yet, but I was able to test them out. Read on to learn more about the Nike x Hyperice shoe and vest and get my honest review.

What is the Nike x Hyperice shoe?

Let’s start with the boots. These high-tops provide a dynamic air-compression massage for your feet and ankles. They feel similar to other air-compression boots, such as the Normatec Compression Boots. If you’ve never worn one, it’s not unlike the experience of wearing a blood pressure cuff at the doctor’s office, just around your feet and ankles, instead of your biceps. And in case that description left any doubt: it’s a nice feeling, like a foot massage that can go anywhere.

Nike and Hyperice didn’t need to make their shoes cool. (The Normatec shoes look like massive moon boots that go up to the thighs.) But they did, packing the technology into a pair of cool Nikes that Sha’Carri Richardson, who won the 100m race at the trials with a 10.71-second sprint, has been using “as a key part of my recovery before and after workouts and races this spring,” she said in a statement. Nike Press Release.

Anthony Katz, Hyperice founder and president, tells PS that the Nike x Hyperice shoe is designed to handle “warm-up, recovery, travel and treatment” all in one.

Travel is a key element. Whether it’s Eugene for the trials or Paris for the Olympics, chances are that if there’s a race or game, an athlete has flown to get there. Katz envisions athletes wearing these boots during flights as a kind of supercharged version of compression socks, putting pressure on your legs to promote blood flow. As Katz explains, “With the dual Normatec system, fluid can move up,” which is supposed to help reduce post-flight leg fatigue and swollen ankles.

I may not be an athlete heading to races or games, but a portable, lightweight shoe to keep your legs fresh after a flight? Sign me up.

When I tried them on, I was impressed that the Nike x Hyperice shoe wasn’t too bulky, and felt more like a regular shoe than a recovery tool. I love the Hyperice Elite, which are full-leg compression boots, but they feel huge when inflated with air. I was honestly impressed that these shoes didn’t feel any bigger once inflated. Magic! Okay… maybe just clever engineering.

Did I mention that the boots are also warm? They were perfectly warm. I immediately thought about how nice they would be after a cold outdoor run, on a freezing flight, or really any night right before bed (does anyone else have cold feet all the time?).

But the benefits go far beyond how it feels. Air compression helps to deliver heat deep into the muscles and tissues of the foot and ankles, which can help athletes recover. And get ready to move faster.

To test it out, I wore the shoe on one foot and my regular sneaker on the other. Afterward, my foot that had been in the Nike x Hyperice shoe felt much lighter. It felt “ready.” As Tobie Hatfield, senior director of Nike Athlete Innovation, explains, that’s by design: “Recovery is an important part of any athlete’s journey, but athletes tell us that this concept of ‘pre-recovery’ is just as important.”

What is the Nike x Hyperice Vest?

I also got to experience a bit of a superhero moment wearing the Nike x Hyperice vest, which helps regulate body temperature. The vest uses thermoelectric coolers to instantly warm or cool your body, and is meant to help athletes set their body temperature to their exact specifications during warm-ups and cool-downs—without ice or liquids. I didn’t warm up or cool down before or after an event, but the warm vest felt nice in the air-conditioned room.

In my own running experience, temperature has always been a big variable. Growing up in Ottawa, Canada, running outside in the snow was a rite of passage. My sister and I have also traveled extensively for races and have experienced all sorts of climates. New Year’s Eve Night Races where the water in the cups distributed at the water points literally froze at over 80 degrees Maui Half MarathonI have experienced both extremes.

The Olympic Trials in Eugene were on the warmer end of the spectrum. I was able to compete in the Nike Media Race at Hayward Field the next day and the vest, set to cool this time, would have definitely been a game changer in my performance as I could have used it to keep my body cool before running. I was sweating before the race even started (heat and nerves), so being able to regulate my temperature would have definitely given me a competitive advantage…even though I was running at a pace that could be described as fast but can’t hurt me because I have two small children to take care of.

While I’m not aiming for gold, the Nike Athlete House has given me a glimpse into the elite athlete experience. Would I use the new Nike x Hyperice products again if I had the chance? Absolutely.

The author’s travel and accommodation expenses were covered by Nike for the writing of this story.

Genevieve Farrell Roston is an award-winning filmmaker and the Director of Fitness and Wellness Videos at PS. She oversees the Class Fitsugar and Dance Fitsugar series, which make fitness fun and accessible to a community of over six million subscribers and boast a library of videos that has been viewed nearly a billion times.