Nike Deepens Its Commitment to the Next Generation of Female Athletes
The market for female athletic wear and footwear has grown exponentially over the past several decades, with female athletes staying front and center. As the biggest athletic apparel retailer, Nike has taken notice to women in the way they want to be noticed—the most recent example being Serena Williams’s “Dream Crazier" ad. Of course, when it came time for the release of an extended line of apparel that supports women in sports, the brand decided to do so on a whole new level.
In Paris, more than 28 of the world’s top female footballers joined Nike to reveal 14 National Team Collections for this summer’s tournament in France, with record-breaking gymnast Simone Biles, champion fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, and two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na being a few of the impressive athletes in attendance. NIKE, Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Mark Parker said of their mission statement that the new line is intended to “invest in the next generation at the grassroots level and deliver more innovative and compelling product design for women.” Deliver they did, by becoming the first company to focus on the precision of engineering technology for women’s activewear, created through a 4-dimensional motion scanning research and design lab.
In addition to announcing their latest partnership with the Women's World Cup, the brand also unveiled expanded footwear and apparel lines. Another notable aspect of the line is its commitment to sustainability, with each Nike "kit" being made from recycled plastic bottles. Nike’s new line aims to support and champion female athletes at the beginning stages of success by developing comfortable, practical, and durable clothing that works just as hard as they do, while also promoting female success and upholding narratives that encourage women to feel comfortable in a field that has historically rejected them. Goooool!
