Simone Biles curled up on the couch with her husband. Patrick Mahomes prepping between games. Stephen Curry winding down in bed with a book. What do these star-athlete moments have in common? A pair of zip-up leg sleeves. Compression boots have become the recovery tool of choice for Biles, Mahomes, Venus Williams, Curry and other elite performers, who talk openly about slipping them on at home, on the road and between competitions.
How Compression Boots Work
The devices wrap around the legs and deliver rhythmic pressure that pushes fluid out of the muscles, boosts circulation and eases that heavy, tired feeling after a hard workout. Sessions typically last 30 to 40 minutes and feel a bit like a deep-tissue massage without needing a therapist in the room. They are not meant to replace sleep, hydration, nutrition or rest. They slot in alongside those basics as one more piece of a bigger recovery routine.
Which Athletes Use Compression Boots
Biles told Vogue the boots are a staple of her regimen. “As far as recovery goes, I love to take Epsom salt baths. I love to get in compression boots to kind of flush out all the bad toxins,” the Olympic gymnast said.
At home with husband Jonathan Owens, the boots often come out during couple time. “Whenever we come home we kind of try to wind down, watch a movie or watch one of our shows we’re watching, and just relax,” Biles told E! News. “Or most of the time we’ll be in compression boots together, doing recovery or hanging out with our dogs in the backyard.”
Mahomes, for his part, uses the Hyperice Normatec 2.0 Leg Recovery System, he told Men’s Health. “Having the boots is something I really utilize,” Mahomes said. “It makes perfect sense to me.”
Williams travels with hers. “For rehab, I use Normatec compression boots, but more so when I have injuries. So I travel with those as I need to, and compression machines for ice too,” the tennis star told SELF.
For Curry, the boots are part of a cozy bedtime ritual. “I wear Normatec compression boots when I watch a show in bed, read a book or talk to my wife,” the NBA star told Business Insider. Curry insisted the payoff is real. “It’s time-consuming. It’s not always glamorous, but it does work. The results are proven, and it all allows me to play at a high level, even at this age.”
Golfer Collin Morikawa keeps a pair in his tournament bag. “On-the-go recovery is vital to my routine,” Morikawa said in a Therabody release. “Relief from everyday aches and pains are critical for me as an athlete, so I am thankful for products that allow me to passively recover while I decompress and recharge my mind.”
Soccer player Tim Ream lines them up with red light therapy and cold plunges each week. “Then I use the compression boots from Normatec. All of these things have been a go-to of mine now over the past year and a half in order to maintain a good level of recovery between training sessions and games,” Ream told Men’s Health.
Princeton Sports & Family Medicine notes that compression garments worn after exercise can help speed recovery by reducing soreness and fatigue, allowing athletes to train harder and more often without lingering pain. The practice also supports rehabilitation. Pneumatic compression devices can reduce swelling and pain for people coming back from injuries, according to the site, enabling a quicker return to training.
The clinic also flags endurance benefits during exercise. Compression garments can cut down on muscle oscillation, the small vibrations that build up during movement, and that dip in fatigue can help athletes hold a higher level of performance for longer stretches.
Convenience keeps the boots in rotation. They travel easily, come in different pressure levels and fit into a routine at home, on the road or between rounds.
