Nike becomes first major brand to launch hijab for women

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Nike hijabImage source, Nike

Nike's new hijab is designed to make sport more comfortable for Muslim women and goes on sale in 2018.

The light fabric has tiny holes for breathability and the length has also been designed to stop it coming untucked during activity.

Nike said it had been developing the new sporting hijab for a year.

Sporting hijabs have been around for several years, but Nike is the first major international company to embrace the sports needs of Muslim women.

Small sporting brands such as Capsters and SalamSports have previously been seen as leading brands of sporting hijabs.

Image source, Nike
Image caption,

Nike says feedback from hijab-wearing athletes revealed they wanted a lightweight hijab to wear during sport

Response online to the hijab has been mostly positive.

Nurhan says exercise wearing a normal hijab is difficult because of the heat they produce., external

Hend says her days of blaming her hijab for not doing exercise are now over., external

Rowaida praised Nike for using real hijab-wearing athletes in their campaign., external

But some hijab wearers have questioned Nike's decision to make branded hijabs.

Aaisha says she has no problem exercising in a non-sportswear hijab., external

But Kinza asked whether Muslim women would want to wear a hijab with the Nike logo., external

Nike says it was a carefully planned decision to put their trademark 'swoosh' above the left ear to "highlight the hijab's pinnacle performance nature".

United Arab Emirates athlete Zahra Lari has modelled the Nike hijab and posted a photo of herself wearing Nike sportswear to mark International Women's Day.

SZahra shared this photo on Instagram., external

She is the first ever figure skater to compete internationally and hopes to represent the UAE in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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