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The commitment to women’s football is stronger than ever today and has evolved into a truly dual-gender approach to the game.
In the 1990s, Nike emerged not only as a global power in the sport, but as a leader in respect and recognition of all footballers.
With the signing of American superstar Mia Hamm in 1994, Nike began championing women in football and inspiring the next generation of athletes. That same year, Nike began its partnership with the U.S. Soccer Federation. The subsequent uniform design for the 1996 gold medal winners laid the groundwork for women’s football apparel innovations to follow. The decade rounded out with Hamm as the face of a new boot, the Nike Air Zoom M9 F.G. — the brand’s first women’s-specific model.
In the years since, Nike’s support of players, clubs and federations has evolved, as have the products. Here, a brief history of Nike’s pioneering efforts on the pitch:
Elevating Athletes
Hamm was the first of what has become a standard-bearing line of American female footballers at Nike. United States legends Abby Wambach (the leading international goal scorer in history), Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe followed to form their own legacy. Now, a new generation of U.S. footballers, including 2017 signee Mallory Pugh, are poised to write the future.
They are not alone.
Around the world, the level of Nike athletes is no less astounding. Canadian Christine Sinclair is the second-ranked international goal scorer in history (for now). Sam Kerr leads Australia with her back-flipping flair. Lieke Martens helped take the Netherlands to the top in 2017.
In 2019, Amandine Henry, Lucy Bronze and Shanice van de Sanden claimed UEFA Champion’s League glory, while Barcelona’s Toni Duggan and Chelsea’s Ji So-yun registered some of the most memorable goals in the competition.
These talented players advance the quality of top-flight play. One become many. And, in turn, these players motivate ever more up-and-coming stars.
Democratizing Boots
Hamm wasn’t only Nike’s first female footballer, she was also the first footballer to wear the Nike Air Rio. The 1995 release featured Tensile-Air cushioning and full-grain leather, and marked the beginning stages of dual-gender product testing in football. Highlights include the 2004 Nike Mercurial Vapor II, the 2015 Hypervenom II, the 2018 Nike Mercurial 360 Flyknit and the 2019 PhantomVNM.
Beyond the core boot offerings, a select group of women have also been honored with special-edition boots, including Lloyd’s “Leave Your Legacy” Mercurial Superfly, Martens’ commemorative Mercurial in 2017 and Morgan’s PhantomVNM.
Since early 2018, Nike has extended its football boot sizing, providing adult options and unisex colors down to size 4 to account for smaller feet (adult sizing previously began at men’s size 7). The Mercurial was the first boot to be offered in expanded dual-gender sizing, now all Nike Football silhouettes are included. Players are able to see an inclusive size guide on nike.com and displayed in the product box for an easier buying experience. This step helps ensure all athletes begin play with the same elite performance platform, regardless of foot size.
Supporting Clubs and Federations
Supporting elite football is a critical component of Nike’s efforts in the sport. Club and federation partnerships highlight this endeavor and over the years, female athletes have been positioned alongside their male counterparts to create a united front. France, England, Brazil, Chile, Nigeria and the United States are among the examples.
Nike partners with 14 international federations playing this summer in France. The kits for each feature a new women’s-specific fit and, in many cases, represent the first time a federation has had a unique design for its women’s team.
