In the spirit of International Women’s Day, Nike is showing that International Women’s Day is in fact every day, and for every woman. The Nike Women’s ‘What Will They Say About You?’ campaign has, and continues to highlight an impressive and inspirational series of stories, following the lives of key sports women from the Middle East in their journeys to achieve, succeed and pursue their sports of choice. The ‘Just Do It’ motto has never been more relevant, combined with the brand’s signature addendum: If you have a body, you are an athlete.
This campaign is truly redefining the face of fitness and sports, empowering women and girls in and around the region who still face barriers and have a limited access to sport, highlighting exemplary sports personalities to show women that they too can do the same. Shining a spotlight on the GCC region, the Nike Women’s campaign falls in line with the recent introduction of Arabic language versions of the Nike+ Run Club and Nike+ Training Club Apps, which help to make fitness more accessible, with options to work out from home, or from wherever really.
In light of this cultural spotlight on sport, Nike has just introduced the Nike Pro Hijab – a groundbreaking garment set to take the regional female market by storm, marking a highly significant shift in the world of sports apparel for hijabi athletes and the evolution of the Islamic sportswear market. There was a clear gap in the market here and Nike has seized it. This was all about the feedback – listening to the consumers, to create a design that combined expertise and innovation in terms of material composition, while also meeting the cultural requirements of local communities. The many performance problems with wearing a traditional hijab when doing sports have been highlighted by the athletes themselves, not to mention the common issue of even finding performance hijabs on the market. And so after a year in the making, the Nike Pro Hijab design has been finalised. The product was tested by a range of elite Nike athletes, including Nike+ Run Club Coach, Manal Rostom, and Emirati ice skater Zahra Lari. It was also tested by everyday athletes from the Middle East region, to trial the fit, form and function.
The final pull-on design is available in sizes XS/S and M/L, and is constructed using a single-layer Nike Pro power mesh – the brand’s most breathable and lightweight fabric. The mesh features tiny, strategically placed holes for breathability, while remaining completely opaque simultaneously. Its stretchy construction allows for a personalised fit and can be adapted for different types of sport, whether this involves rapid movements or consistent speed. The debut collection of Nike hijabs will come in a range of dark hues: vast grey, black and obsidian – based on feedback from the athletes; however future ranges are likely to feature various colour combinations also. The product will be available for purchase in Spring 2018.
To see the latest from Nike, head to sssports.com, and get yourself kitted out for your sport of choice with Sun & Sand Sports. Sign up to our newsletter to hear all the latest updates from the world of sport and fitness, get health tips from the team, and stay ahead of the trends.
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