Better Than Barefoot: The New Nike Studio Wrap

A shoe for yoga?

That’s what I thought when I first saw the Nike Studio Wrap on Pinterest about a month ago. I was definitely intrigued. Especially since I’ve begun to really increase my yoga practice. So, when I got the invite a few weeks ago to come and experience the new Studio Wrap at the new Chicago Nike Training Club location in Lincoln Park (located at 833 W. Armitage), I was pretty excited! The store itself is extremely impressive and you can tell the folks from Nike Chicago really put their hearts into making it welcoming, feminine and boutique-style. I love it!

So, what exactly is it?

The Studio Wrap is “better-than-barefoot”. It’s a three-part footwear system (wrap, ribbon and flat) that allows you to go from the street, to your class and back to your daily life, in style.

Nike has done something they’ve never done before (as usual!) in an effort to keep up with the rise of studio-inspired workouts. From yoga, to pilates to the ballet inspired barre. Women are getting fit in their bare feet more than ever. We are in our bare feet when we push, pull, rotate, bend, squat and flex in order to get our sweat on. But sometimes, bare feet aren’t always the most convenient. I don’t know about you, but my feet get pretty sweaty in my yoga classes and my downward dogs can get out of hand. Or sometimes in Warrior 2, I slip and lose all focus. It’s kind of annoying! So, to have something that’s functional, comfortable, minimalist and stylish while I hop back and forth between yoga studios is very appealing.

Check out this beautiful video from Nike on how the Studio Wrap came to fruition:

After a really great introduction to the Studio Wrap from the creative team (much like the video above, with live yogis doing a yoga flow in the store) we got to try the shoes ourselves and we participated in a yoga class taught by Nike Master Trainer Traci Copeland. Traci is actually from Chicago (yayyyyy!) and now lives in NY. She had such great energy and a calming spirit.

Amazing dancer and yogi demonstrating the Studio Wrap.

Beautiful display table inside the NTC store.

Traci Copeland leading us through the yoga class. It was awesome!

Grabbing our toes with our peace fingers!

Reach up. Breathe. Straighten those legs. Reach high!

Concentrating on my breath…

Is it everything I expected it to be? Yes. And more!

I really enjoyed the Studio Wrap. Honestly, it was comfortable, functional and easy to get used to. My feet didn’t slip at all during my Downward Dog, Warrior poses and lunges. My feet did sweat a little but they never felt “hot” or clammy at all. The shoes also come with a wash bag so that I can put all the pieces in the bag together and not lose anything (which I am prone to do!) Getting the shoe on and off was very easy. And I loved that I could just slip on my flats that came with the wrap and just go about my evening. Convenience is key!!!

If you’re an aspiring yogi willing to try something new that will enhance your yoga practice, or you’re a veteran to the studio scene ready to change up your usual routine and try something new, you should definitely check out the Nike Studio Wrap Pack!

And if you’re in Chicago, you should definitely check out the new and AWESOME Nike Training Club! It’s an oasis for active women and has some of the best gear and shoes in the world to complement an active lifestyle. It will also offer complimentary studio classes like yoga and NTC (workouts from the Nike Training Club app) and also a morning Nike+ Run Club. You can check out the schedule of classes for February here.

A few pics of the store are below. Check it out!

So, what do you think about the new Nike Studio Wrap? Are you intrigued to try it? If you’re in Chicago, do you plan to visit the store?

Be Renewed!