As from today, the Nike Pro Hijab will be available globally for sale online - providing a much-needed commodity for hijabi athletes worldwide. Incredible sports figures such as U.S. Olympian and champion fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad (who just made history by inspiring the first official hijabi Barbie) and German boxer Zeina Nassar as well as Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari were involved in the product’s development and now front the new product's campaign, hoping to empower and inspire Muslim women athletes to reach even further.
Zeina Nassar (c) Nike
Zahra Lari (c) Nike
Ibtihaj Muhammad (c) Nike
Reduced hearing, transpiration discomfort and performance hinderance were all issues that needed tackling, so these powerful athletes told Nike what was what until they came up with different sizing and the right mesh fabric for ultimate performance. This isn’t the first sports hijab hitting the market, as designers such as Aheda Zanetti have been developing their versions over the last decade, but it sends another powerful signal of inclusivity from an icon like Nike. It also just makes economic sense, as Business of Fashion noted about their Voices panel with IMG model Halima Aden yesterday: Muslim consumer spending is expected to reach $368 billion by 2021, which is a 51 percent increase from 2015’s figures.
(c) Nike
Most importantly, Zahra Lari notes: "It's a reminder to us Muslim women that we can achieve anything in the world”.
You can get the Nike Pro Hijab for €30 as from December 1 2017 in black & obsidian on nike.com and at select retailers in Europe, North Africa, North America and across the Middle East. A white and grey colourway will launch in January on nike.com and at select retailers in over 20 countries.
