Nike announces new swimwear collection to include ‘Swim Hijab’  

Nike announced its new Victory Swim Collection on Wednesday which will include a Full-Coverage Swimsuit and will provide a game-changing option for female athletes seeking full coverage and a full range of motion in the water. 

The Nike Victory Swim Line is slated to be available globally at select retailers and online from February 1, 2020, onwards. It will include swim separate options of hijab, tunic top and leggings for modest swimwear along with the full coverage swimsuit. 

"The design of the Nike Victory Swim Collection serves a variety of needs from modesty preferences to sun protection and represents Nike's commitment to inclusive design, providing more women with game-changing innovation to enjoy sport," the company said.

Nike was inspired by athletes passionate response to the company’s ''Pro Hijab'' in 2017 which addressed issues that female athletes faced trying to find a hijab that worked well for a particular sport in a time hijabs were not fully understood. 

Nike designers were introduced to the striking gap in apparel for water sports with athletes commenting that swimwear presented a barrier, rather than a conduit, to enjoying the water. 

While variations of “Burkinis” can be found in several Islamic countries and online, the attire is not appropriate for swimming as it weighs the swimmer down, a problem that Nike seems to have solved by making its new line from fabric that is lightweight, breathable and quick-drying with UPF 40+ sun protection. 

The company said that it was inspired by Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, the first in her sport to don the hijab in competition. 

Nike’s Creative Director, VP, Martha Moore said that the company was excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport through the means of creative thinking and inclusive design. 

“The more we listened, the more possibility we saw to serve female athletes in new dimensions…As we continue broadening our vision for innovation, we’re excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport by thinking creatively and designing inclusively. To us, Nike Victory Swim Collection shows the power of innovation to invite all women to discover the joy of sport,” said Moore in a statement.