Vertically aligned nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanosheets as electroactive materials are directly deposited on Ni foam substrate using a facile hydrothermal method. The Ni-Co LDHs nanosheets are interlaced on the substrate with an average thickness of about 20 nm. Galvanostatic charge-discharge measurement reveals that the LDHs-Ni foam binder-free electrode has an impressive specific capacitance as high as 1734 F g(-1) at 6 A g(-1) in 3 M KOH solution. It also shows a remarkable specific capacitance of up to 1146 F g(-1) at a high current density of 30 A g(-1). (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.