Nike’s New ‘Pro Hijab’ For Female Muslim Athletes

Nike, the sportswear giant, has just announced it will soon release a new item of athletic wear: a high-performance hijab for female Muslim athletes. The ‘Pro Hijab’ will be available for purchase soon, and women are incredibly excited about it.

The Nike Pro Hijab will be simple and breathable—a must for any athletic wear. The company says it will be a single-layer pull-on design made from lightweight polyester. The fabric will have tiny holes for breathability but still remain opaque (a requirement for women who wear the hijab). It will also feature a longer tail in back so it can’t come untucked during high-intensity training.

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Nike said development on the pro hijab came after some Muslim athletes were unhappy about wearing a traditional head covering during competition. Most traditional hijabs are made from fabric such as cotton, which retains water—leading to an incredibly sweaty and uncomfortable workout.

Figure skater Zahra Lari, from the United Arab Emirates, is already wearing the pro hijab, Nike says.

“I was thrilled and a bit emotional to see Nike prototyping a Hijab,” Lari said in a statement. “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.”

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The design was finished in just over a year, and the finished product will be available for sale in Nike’s Spring 2018 season. According to a statement from the company, Nike has been intent on including people of all shapes, sizes, religions and sexes in its clothing for years.

“The Nike Pro Hijab has been a year in the making,” the company said in the announcement, “But its impetus can be traced much further back to Nike’s founding mission, to serve athletes, with the signature addendum: If you have a body, you’re an athlete.”