HIIT workouts are believed to boost metabolism, burn fat and promote overall health on a cellular level. Perhaps that’s why more and more people are leaning on high-intensity interval-based workouts – particularly the type you might find at a group class – to get a fitness fix. And in response to that growing trend, Nike is releasing its newest workout shoe, the Air Zoom SuperRep.
“Working out is its own sport,” said Jamie Jeffries, VP/GM of Nike Training, in a press release for the shoe. The popular fitness subscription service ClassPass supports his claim – recent data from its 2019 user study says that its members spent more than 1,668 years of their time in exercise classes this year. So it makes perfect sense that Nike would create a brand new shoe for classes.
While the SuperRep will eventually become an expanded collection of workout shoes, Nike built the first with HIIT interval training in mind. In extensive studies of class attendees, the company found that most people wore shoes that either prioritized support or cushioning, but not both. So it used those two elements as the foundation of the Air Zoom SuperRep.
The shoe has separate areas of cushioning that are connected by a heel-to-toe plate that helps roll the foot back into a ready position after a movement. Nike also gave it an upper with lateral support. The combination of these elements, Nike says, is a shoe that’s as adept at side lunges and planks as it is at mountain climbers and burpees.
The Air Zoom SuperRep will be available for purchase on January 2, just in time for that post-New Year gym kick that you’ll want to set off on. The SuperRep collection will expand in April with the SuperRep Go, a workout shoe designed for exercising at home or on the road, and again in the summer with the SuperRep Cycle, which is for indoor cycling classes.
