Sportswear brand Nike has developed a head cover or a performance hijab for Muslim women athletes, reported USA Today on Tuesday . Called the “Nike Pro Hijab”, the product is made from lightweight polyester. The fabric’s tiny holes makes it breathable while remaining opaque, a requirement for hijab-wearing women.
“The Nike Pro Hijab has been a year in the making,” said the company in a statement. “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.”
The company began developing the hijab after Muslim athletes complained about the discomfort of wearing a traditional head scarf during competition. The product will hit the markets during the 2018 spring season.
Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari is already using the product and was impressed. “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.”