Hyperice Taps Virgil Van Dijk Amid Nike Hyperboot Launch in Europe, Canada
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk teams up with Hyperice as the Nike Hyperboot arrives in the UK, Europe and Canada
Hyperice has tapped Liverpool FC captain Virgil van Dijk as its latest athlete ambassador, pairing the announcement with the U.K. and European rollout of the Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot.
The device, which combines heat and dynamic air compression in a high-top format that delivers targeted heat and compression to the foot and ankle, will be available to consumers in the U.K., Europe and Canada starting Thursday.
Van Dijk, who has long relied on Hyperice products for recovery, said the partnership builds on routines that have helped him manage the demands of playing in the Premier League and Champions League, two of the top soccer competitions in the world.
“The Hyperboot has been a real advancement in performance technology, particularly being able to walk around whilst starting the warm-up process before a training session or match,” he said. “It’s become an extension of the routine I’ve had for years using products like Normatec to help ensure I’m always at my best. For me, warm-up and recovery are just as important as the training itself, so I’m proud to work with Hyperice and use the best products to help me stay at the top of my game.”
Hyperice CEO Jim Huether said the latest device could change the footwear industry.
“We think this is a transformational product that ushers in an entirely new category of business around tech-enabled footwear,” Huether told Athletech News earlier this year at a pre-launch event.
The Hyperboot by Nike x Hyperice will retail for €749.99/£699.99 in the U.K. and Europe, and CA$1199 in Canada via nike.com and hyperice.com, and will be available to try on at Nike House of Innovation Paris and Nike Oxford Circus.
“Virgil is a world-class athlete who embodies resilience and leadership at the highest level of sport,” Hyperice vice president of marketing Steph Smith said. “As we bring the Hyperboot to the U.K. and Europe, his dedication to football and relentless pursuit of excellence both on and off the pitch make him the perfect partner to showcase the power of innovation in recovery and performance.”
Although designed with elite athletes in mind, Hyperice is also targeting a wider audience that includes fitness enthusiasts and everyday consumers. During a recent panel at the UBS Athletic Training and Lifestyle Innovation Day in Boston, Hyperice CFO Kristian Pearson noted the company’s early mantra and how its mission has expanded beyond pro sports.
“Originally our mantra was that we want to be everywhere athletes are pushing the frontiers of human performance,” he said. “We want to be every World Championship event and every Olympic event and every national championship event, and be there in the presence of greatness, because those are the individuals that needed what we had. And then we kind ofrealized each individual is pushing their personal frontier. That person may be more sore, more stiff, more subject to injuries, et cetera. That’s really where we’re going to be.”