The Nike Pro Hijab, which will be available in stores in spring 2018, is the result of “an ongoing cultural shift that has seen more women than ever embracing sport,” Nike said in a statement. “This movement first permeated international consciousness in 2012, when a hijabi runner took the global stage in London.”
That runner was Saudi Arabia’s Sarah Attar, who along with Emirati weightlifting Olympian Amna Al Haddad helped inspire the product.
Al Haddad spoke to Nike extensively about issues she had with existing athletic hijabs: She had difficulty finding performance-grade head coverings — she only owned one, and had to hand-wash it every night during competitions — and its weight, movement and lack of breathability made it difficult to focus.
Nike’s goal, therefore, was to create a lightweight hijab that was “inconspicuous, almost like a second skin,” the company said. Its design is now being used by select Muslim women in the Persian Gulf region’s competitive sports scene.
Outside the world of sportswear, too, the mainstream apparel industry is capitalizing on the booming market for modest clothing.
Sportswear giant Nike is developing a high-performance hijab for Muslim women athletes, the latest move to fold the Muslim clothing industry into the mainstream.
The Nike Pro Hijab, which will be available in stores in spring 2018, is the result of “an ongoing cultural shift that has seen more women than ever embracing sport,” Nike said in a statement. “This movement first permeated international consciousness in 2012, when a hijabi runner took the global stage in London.”
That runner was Saudi Arabia’s Sarah Attar, who along with Emirati weightlifting Olympian Amna Al Haddad helped inspire the product.
Al Haddad spoke to Nike extensively about issues she had with existing athletic hijabs: She had difficulty finding performance-grade head coverings — she only owned one, and had to hand-wash it every night during competitions — and its weight, movement and lack of breathability made it difficult to focus.
Nike’s goal, therefore, was to create a lightweight hijab that was “inconspicuous, almost like a second skin,” the company said. Its design is now being used by select Muslim women in the Persian Gulf region’s competitive sports scene.
Outside the world of sportswear, too, the mainstream apparel industry is capitalizing on the booming market for modest clothing.
/USAToday/
Nike launches hijab for female Muslim athletes
08 March 2017
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Sportswear giant Nike is developing a high-performance hijab for Muslim women athletes, the latest move to fold the Muslim clothing industry into the mainstream.
