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Adidas launches new swim cap line for Black and afro hair

In collaboration with the British company Soul Cap, the global sportswear giant has introduced another inclusive product to its athletic wear collection. This time, it’s a swim cap designed to fit swimmers with long, voluminous, or Black and afro hair.

Last year, Adidas launched a marketing campaign that showcased how a one-size-fits-all approach to sports bra design has resulted in women lacking adequate breast support during their fitness routines.

Today, the historical one-size-fits-all approach to products of any kind couldn’t be less compatible with the way we view humans. Modern society has come to embrace our uniqueness, opening its eyes to the fact that we all have different needs.

So when the internationally governing water sports federation FINA announced a ban on the use of specialised swim caps made for afro and Black hair during the 2020 Olympics, controversy naturally arose.

Critics of the policy argued that the ban was culturally insensitive and served to create an unnecessary barrier to the sport. FINA was ultimately forced by protestors to reverse the motion.

Now, thanks to a collaboration between Adidas and Soul Cap, a swim cap designed for afro and Black hair has become widely available to people who need it – whether swimming for leisure or in competitions.

The swim cap is made from 100 percent silicone and is larger than typical swimming caps. It comes in sizes regular to XXL, so that anyone with locks, afro, or long and voluminous hairstyles will be able to fit it to their head more comfortably before swimming or competing.

British entrepreneurs Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmen-Salawudeen, the founders of Soul Cap, were inspired to create their line by after they spoke to a woman with afro hair who was struggling to put on her swimming cap.

In the same way that standard swim caps do, the product created by Adidas x Soul Cap creates a tight seal around the hair to allow it to remain dry while swimming.

For now, the product comes in one colour – a minty green – but it’s likely that additional colours will be released in the future.

It looks like Adidas is on a mission to make the world of sports as inclusive as possible.

The company recently entered a collaboration with Stella McCartney that resulted in its first collection of maternity workout wear, such as yoga pants, sports bras, and more.

Speaking of the swim caps, Adidas said in a statement, ‘We’re excited to collaborate with Soul Cap to jointly tackle one of swimming’s biggest barriers: accessibility.’

‘The Adidas x Soul Cap partnership aims to promote greater diversity and inclusivity in the world of swimming, by helping to break down social barriers in the sport.’

Accessibility