
Nike’s New Slides Might Just Fix Your Feet
THE SO WHAT
Nike x Hyperice slides with heat and vibration are another data-adjacent wearable surface — even if they start as recovery gear, they’re a beachhead for more sensors and software around movement and health. If you’re in connected fitness or sports medicine, assume the big brands will own more of the recovery stack and treat your software as the layer that has to integrate, not replace.
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