[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Nike has unveiled the Air Zoom HyperSlide, an advanced smart slide equipped with heat and vibration functions to aid post-workout recovery, as it moves to expand the recovery wearable market.

On July 27 (local time), IT outlet Engadget reported that Nike will release the Air Zoom HyperSlide in the United States on Sept. 29 for $249. Co-developed with recovery technology company Hyperice, the product will be sold through the official Nike and Hyperice websites as well as retailers including Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods.

The product's main feature is the HyperSlide Pod, a magnetically detachable module mounted on the top of the slide. The module is designed to deliver heat and vibration to the sole to help users relax and recover after exercise. Hyperice described it as a product that makes feet comfortable from below and promotes recovery.

Users can adjust heat and vibration in 3 levels each. The temperature can be set between about 42.8 degrees and 47.2 degrees, and Nike and Hyperice recommended using it while wearing socks to reduce the risk of burns.

Settings can be changed in the Hyperice app connected via Bluetooth, and the pod can also be controlled with its buttons without the app. The device also includes LEDs that show the current heat and vibration levels and battery status.

The battery lasts about 1 hour on a single charge. Assuming a typical recovery session of about 10 minutes, that is enough for about 6 uses. It supports USB-C charging.

The slide itself also features a design intended to improve recovery comfort. It uses Nike's low-profile Air Zoom cushioning and a textured footbed, and comes in two colors, black and Orewood. U.S. sizing ranges from M4/W5 to M18/W19, offering 15 options in total.

The new product can be seen as a follow-on concept to the Hyperboot unveiled last year. While the Hyperboot was a high-top recovery shoe combining heat with air-compression massage, the HyperSlide uses a more convenient slide format centered on heat and vibration. It excludes air-compression, but differentiates itself by improving ease of wear for everyday use.

The HyperSlide is also classified in the United States so it can be purchased through medical spending accounts FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account). This is seen as a strategy to target the market as a recovery support device rather than just a sports slide.

The industry views the product as an example of further expanding the combination of sports brands and healthcare technology. Nike and Hyperice are extending their lineup beyond footwear worn during exercise to the post-workout recovery stage, aiming at a new market. A key point to watch will be how quickly smart footwear with recovery technology spreads from athletes to general consumers.