Global – The sportswear brand has launched its first collection of unisex yoga apparel, likening the activity to a secret workout weapon for athletes.
While the retailer has offered yoga-related products in the past, this is Nike’s first yoga-tailored apparel line that includes products for men. Rather than focusing on the types of wellness and mindfulness tropes typically associated with yoga, the line focuses on strength, and is promoted by a range of professional athletes, including NBA players, footballers and skateboarders.
To show yoga’s potential as a secret workout weapon, Nike spoke to a range of competitive sports players and published their answers on its blog. ‘Yoga’s seated fold is very similar to the position you need to be in to land a long jump – legs straight, arms out fully, your chest almost meeting your quads,’ says Paralympian athlete Scout Bassett. ‘To have that kind of flexibility is tremendous.’
By repositioning yoga as a strength-building sport for men, Nike is tapping into the new generation of men who want to become physically strong without adopting a #ripped macho mindset.