A facile two-step method is developed for large-scale growth of hierarchical mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ nanowire arrays on Ni foam with robust adhesion as a high performance electrode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The as-prepared mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ nanowire arrays consist of numerous highly crystalline nanoparticles, the Ni foam supported NiCo₂O₄ nanowires promote fast electron and ion transport, and alleviate the volume change during the charge–discharge processes. When evaluated as a binder-free electrode for LIBs, the NiCo₂O₄ electrode exhibits a greatly enhanced charge capacity of 1520 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. The mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ nanowire arrays exhibit great potential as an anode material for LIBs with the advantages of unique performance and facile preparation.