Nike Is Releasing a Hijab Custom-Made for Athletic-Wear
Nike just announced it is creating its first athletic-wear hijab, called the "Nike Pro Hijab."
The company has been working on the product for more than a year, meeting with top-flight athletes like United Arab Emirates' Amna Al Haddad, Nike+ Run Club Coach Manal Rostom, and Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari to determine how to make a functional head covering that meets the cultural requirements of some female Muslim athletes.
To make the product both breathable and opaque, it's created with a single layer of lightweight polyester mesh. It will debut in black, vast grey and obsidian with the signature white Nike swoosh above the ear.
"I was thrilled and a bit emotional to see Nike prototyping a Hijab," Lari said in a statement to CNN. "I've tried so many different hijabs for performance, and ... so few of them actually work for me. But once I put it on and took it for a spin on the ice, I was blown away by the fit and the light weight."
The news follows the brand's "What Will They Say About You" campaign, which was launched in the Middle East last month, and a new Arabic option for their Nike+ Training Club App.
While activewear companies like Asiya cater to Muslim women, this is the first time a major American athletic brand has created a sportswear hijab. The Nike Pro Hijab will be available early next year.
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