Nike Pro Hijab For Women Athletes Goes On Sale Across More Than 20 Countries

Nike Pro Hijab For Women Athletes Goes On Sale Across More Than 20 Countries

Sportswear maker Nike has announced that its Nike Pro Hijab, the first-ever hijab designed for activewear to create a more inclusive environment in sports for Muslim women athletes is now on sale.

The Nike Pro Hijab is available in black and obsidian colours on nike.com or at select retailers in Europe, North Africa, North America and all across the Middle East. Other colours including white and vast gray, will launch in January on nike.com and at select retailers in more than 20 countries.

The brand set out to design the new sports hijab after meetings between Nike designers and various female athletes highlighted many of the performance problems associated with wearing a traditional hijab during sports.

After learning that a lighter, softer and more breathable hijab was the priority for many of the women, the Nike Pro design team used their knowledge of sports base layers, the layer closest to the skin, to develop a prototype.

The new sports hijab was then given to athletes to test in their various sports, including weightlifter Amna Al Haddad and figure skater Zahra Lari, both from the United Arab Emirates, runner Manal Rostom, a Nike Run Club Coach in Dubai, and Zeina Nassar, a German boxer.

After assessing the athletes' feedback on performance and appearance, a final request to modify the fit was made, in order for the garment to suit a range of head sizes and face shapes, and the Nike Pro Hijab was complete.

The result is a lightweight, breathable hijab available in XS/S and M/L, which is not only more comfortable than a traditional hijab but in some cases actually boosts performance.

Nike’s hijab is lightweight and made of a super stretchy type of mesh polyester. Other cool and functionally sound design details are the elongated back to ensure that it doesn't come untucked with certain uniforms during physical activity and the fluff threads used at the neck and face to minimise any rubbing and irritation that usually occur when athletes sweat.