Earlier this year, Nike spread the word about its plans to design a hijab for female Muslim athletes. The company had planned to debut the new piece in Spring 2018, but released it in select Macy’s stores on December 1st. The hijab will also be sold on Nike’s website and other brick and mortar stores in early 2018. You can sign up to receive a notification when the piece becomes available.
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The item is being sold for 35 dollars and is available in the colors black and obsidian. There are two sizes to choose from, XS/S and M/L. In the months to come, Nike plans on releasing more color options like white and grey in the near future.
In an article on Nike’s website, Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Nike athlete and champion fencer stated, “It really sunk in how much my previous hijab was hindering my performance when I tried the Nike Pro Hijab,” Suddenly, I could hear, I wasn’t as hot and it felt like my body was able to cool itself down better and faster.”
Other athletes like weightlifter Amna Al Haddad, boxer Zeina Nassar, and figure skater Zahara Lari tried the Nike hijab as well and reported that it was monumentally better than their previous hijabs. Zeina stated, “[when I wear the hijab] I’m not distracted anymore because it sits better and is well adapted for sport.” Lari told Nike Pro designers, “The Nike Pro hijab is lightweight, breathable and sturdy- it’s everything I need.”
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This is a major step forward in the apparel industry and (hopefully) other brands will follow in Nike’s footsteps ASAP.
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