TECHUNTER MAGAZINE

Leaving The Boys’ Only Club: Sportswear’s Shift Towards The Female

Credits:

Words: Elitsa Dobreva [TH Author, Mammut product designer], Yana Dobreva [Author, Grand Studio Product Designer]

Edit: Yana Dobreva

Direction: Alexander Zabelin [TH, Founder, Editor-in-Chief].

Commentary: Brenda Holmes, Danielle Petesic, Patrick Peritz, Ophelie-Usannaz-Joris, Andrea Rühr, Irena Ivanova, Siona Dalcolmo, Gin Woo, Christel Hogsted

For the first time since the Victorian era, women’s sport has championed in an unimaginable way, driving fan crowds, sponspoships for female athletes, and unseesn revenues through the roof. Over the last decades, the track to victory and equality has been paved by many powerful women in their battle for emancipation, participation, and gender parity.

Looking back at the crowds, drawn by this year’s Women’s European Soccer Championships, as well as the WNBA’s latest season, and the 2024 Paris Olympics, it is hard to believe what a long and treacherous way women have come. From being denied participation at sporting events, women are now narrowing the gender gap in sports and truly becoming equal partners, humans and champions.

Historic Context

Parallel to civil rights and equality in education, sport is one of the biggest modern signifiers of the female resilient and revolutionary spirit, proving female potential for excellence.

Some of the biggest names in sports have helped dismantle the long-held belief of women being frail, or ruled by their reproductive system, and establish them as strong, relentless, beautiful, enduring and championing despite all.

Until the 19^th century, women were equally, or similarly, participating in sports as men – take as an example Ancient Greeks, Spartans, Senegalese, Native Americans. Western Europe and the US, though, are the first to ban females from regular exercise and sporting competition, due to notions of hormonal expenditure, finite energy, which is to be preserved for (of course) offspring, ideas of damaging reproductive organs, looking immodest, even overly sexual. It was even considered as unfeminine to look flushed or out of breath – a sign of healthy exercise nowadays.

It was not until shortly after the 19^th Amendment (1920), giving women the right to vote, namely in 1922, that the first Women’s Olympics took place in Paris. There, women were allowed to compete in more strenuous disciplines, such as running (albeit only up to 1000 meters), high jump, long jump, javelin and short put. At that time, just 22% of higher education institutions offered athletic programmes for females. It was only later, with the passage of Title IX of the Education Act, that women were provided equal opportunities for sports education.

Despite this, competitions and races were highly discouraged for women, especially in high intensity activities, such as marathon running, ski jumping (until as recently as 2014), and soccer, which were deemed not suitable for females. Even when competing, women were subject to multiple tests, not required from male athletes, such as gender exams and testosterone level monitoring.

In spite of overcoming these cultural and societal barriers, women haven’t given up on fighting for better positioning and conditions for female athletes.

Current Issues

In the sporting and societal timeline alike, the idea that men and women can be equal partners and equal competitors is still relatively new. So is the image of the healthy sporty woman as a beauty standard. Many trailblazing sport icons, such as American gymnast Simone Biles, British sprinter Laviai Nielsen, and British Olymic swimmer Amber Keegan, have spoken up about issues, still prevailing in female sport.

Currently, one of the biggest challenges is battling body image misconceptions. While a sporty body is definitely considered attractve by Gen Z and Millenials, the concept of praising the petite, slender body type is still prevailing. This stereotype is something male athletes are less exposed to, and which still causes a multitude of mental health issues, next to being one of the top reasons for eating disorders among female athletes. As many as 39% of women athletes, for instance, have reported struggling with their body image, compared to only 12% of male athletes.

Childbirth and post-natal recovery are another biological setback for females when it comes to sports. Physical and emotional recovery, as well as re-establishing a sense of identity after giving birth, are crucial for sportswomen, though they present a major setback in the training programme, taking some of the competitive edge off of women. While this is generally a happy event in athletes’ personal lives, a sense of understanding by the sporting community and sponsors should be established in such instances: something that is currently lacking.

Women’s biology, as well as their mentality, seems to be judged on multiple levels, which presents another hurdle in the way of females acceptance. Competitiveness is a characteristic, historically associated with men, therefore, competitive female athletes struggle to be likeable, unlike men, who are expected to be assertive and aggressive.

Sexism is still very prevalent in sports, even more so than in other areas of life. It is present in the still large pay gap in professional spors, as well as in events of online and offline harrasment. Women athletes are, unsurprisingly, 30% more likely to be subjected to online abuse than their male counterparts, which is only one side of the coin. Abuse by teammates, coaches and other team representatives are extremely common – a practice that received significant online coverage during the Women’s World Cup in Australia. There is hardly somebody who hasn’t seen Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales unsolicitedly kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after an emotional win. While this case attracted a lot of attention to potential mishandling of and disrespect towards female athletes, there are still many reported and unreported cases of emotional and physical harassment towards women in sport, especially by people in exectutive roles.

Despite all, female players constantly keep proving their ability to overcome these barriers. With support from teammates, fans, and other powerful members of the female community, significant progress has been made in recent years.

Rewriting history

With last year’s Summer Olympic games in Paris (2024), where, for the first time gender parity was achieved, a huge wave of female athlete fanship and endorsement was set off. And, after this summer of women’s sports, it looks like girls are here to stay!

This summer’s Women’s Euro Soccer Championship was the highest-attended Women’s Euro Championship to date, scoring 657,291 live views. The elevated spirit, exhilaration and attendance of screenings and live matches have brought this year’s host country, Switzerland, even more excitement than last year’s UEFA Euro (men’s) screenings. Especially among the younger fans and spectators, women’s soccer was the hottest event.

In 2023, another major event attracted a record number of women’s soccer fans. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, reached remarkable levels of live attendance of almost 2 million viewers: 600,000 more compared to the previous world viewing record, set in 2015 in Canada.

Women’s Basketball has also had an amazing couple of seasons with 36% increase in regular-season viewership across different broadcasting platforms. In 2024, WNBA’s regular season captivated 54 million viewers, which marks an astounding 170% increase compared to previous season, with the tendency keeping an upward curve for 2025.

Triggered by this immence viewership growth, women’s sponsorships are also skyrocketing, attracting unique sponsors, independent from men’s sporting events. Visa, Lay’s, Heineken, Just Eat, Amazon, Adidas, and PlayStation are just some of the brands, backing the women’s 2025 UEFA, who didn’t feature in the men’s respective event. Famously, Pepsi is one of the companies, increasing investment in women’s soccer, while Nike has extended its contract with NWSL (The National Women’s Soccer League) until 2030. These and many more sponsorship events mark the growing trust in and brand excitement about women’s sport. With a prize pool of €41 million, this year’s Women’s Soccer Championship marked an astounding 156% increase in comparison to 2022. Similarly, as of 2025, a $76 million sponsorship revenue in basketball has signified 52% in sponsorship increase compared to 2022.

More interestingly, many of the recent sponsors are female themselves. In recent years, women have played an important role in sporting events, not only as athletes, coaches and executives, but also as investors. Entrepreneur Michele Kang has invested $25 million in female athletes through her Kynisca Innovation Hub, aiming to support development of women’s soccer. Another remarkable female-led investment company, Monarch Collective, headed by Kara Nortman and Jasmine Robinson, has already put $150 million into women’s soccer. Their investment is said to increase to $250 million in following seasons.

As these citations represent just a fraction of recent investments, it is estimated that women’s sports sponsorship is growing twice faster than men’s and return expectations for brands are far exceeded.

A proof of that is the ever-increasing fanbase, as well as a massive increase in broadcasting and social media engagement. The relatability, compassion, tackling of social and environmental issues, as well as the authentic personal narratives of female athletes, captivate sporting fans in a new and unexpected way. Famous for their social engagement and appreciation for compassion, Gen Z, in particular, are drawn by female athletes and celebrate their support of important to the public causes.

Women’s relentlesness, dedication, authenticity, and challenging of stereotypes have sparked increased media attention and new streaming possibilities. Media rights are currently attracting investments by major broadcasting partners. One of the biggest such steps for women’s soccer coverage is 2027’s and 2031’s rights to Women’s World Cup, recently acquired by none other than entertainment giant Netflix. This is expected to draw an ever-increasing audience with many people turning to the streaming platform for movies, series, and now, sports as well. The BBC is also launching a new campaign, giving airtime to sportswomen in their platform ‘Names Will Be Made’, which celebrates the achievements and social impact of female athletes.

A further major step, undertaken to support women in sports and their stories, is launching conferences and commisions to regulate equality in sport and to make sure that women’s voices are heard. A High-Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport was established in September 2019 by the European Union. Its goal is to put forward and fullfill an action plan for gender balance in sports. Additionally, an annual Gender Equality & Sport+ Conference is held to make sure socieatal regulations are met and to encourage women as equals in sport. This year’s conference was held on Tuesday, 30 September in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Voices of Change

In order to understand the changes needed in female sports, let’s first look at some of the most remarkable achievements and personal stories of female athletes in recent years and how women relentlessly and fearlessly established themselves in previously male-dominated disciplines. Their achievements have made permanent impact on not only the sports industry but also on product areas, such as design and development, broadcasting and entertainment.

With a deep dive into some of the most followed sports right now, let’s celebrate a few accomplished female contemporary athletes.

Running

A trailblazer for female runners, Ruth Chepngetich broke the 2:11:53 world record, finishing the 2024 Chicago Marathon two minutes faster than the record time – with 2:09:56. There were only 10 men faster than her, signifying an ever-closing gap in performance for endurance running. Her record is still waiting to be broken.

In more than one way, truly remarkable is also the story of Allyson Felix, a sprint athlete, endorsed by Nike, who rocked the world with her determination. After becoming pregnant and following Nike’s deal withdrawal, she successfully delivered her child, and went back to training only 10 months later, breaking Usain Bolt’s record with 14 Championships gold medals. Following her massive athletic achievement, she even launched her own hugely successful shoe brand.

Trail running

When it comes to TR, one of the biggest names, not only among female athletes, but overall, is, undoubtedly, ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter. In 2023, she became the first person to win Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the same year! Those races present the most challenging and prestigious ultra races, making this an achievement hard to be topped in the years to come. With this act, she paved the way for female ultra runners, reminding the world that determination and endurance are two of women’s most important advantages to carry them to victory.

At this year’s UTMB race, her efforts (in 2023 she finished at 23:29:14) were backed by female ultra racers Ruth Croft (22:56:23), Camille Bruyas (23:28:48), Katharina Harmuth (24:16:39) and many other amazing female athletes on their way to break records.

Cycling

Cycling is suddenly and mindblowingly on the rise among both men and women. An inspiring legend in endurance cycling, who only picked up the sport recently, is the Canadian ultra distance cyclist Meaghan Hackinen. Similarly to Courtney Dauwalter in running, she became the first woman to finish all three mountain races in one year. This year, she arrived second in the Atlas Mountain Race (1,300 km in just over 5 days) and won both the Hellenic and Silk Road Mountain races. In 2024, she also won the women’s category in Tour Divide. But her efforts go far beyond just women’s categories – she finished 9^th in total at the Hellenic Mountain race and 10^th overall at Silk Road. As it is often the case with many multi-talented women, Meaghan’s pursuits transcend endurance cycling. She’s a full-time writer, giving an authentic voice to female athletes and their wins, struggles and small joys during training, adventuring and victory. So far, she has two published books – 2019’s South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels, which follows her adventures from Terrace, BC to the tip of Baja Peninsula, together with her sister; and 2023’s Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race, which is about her twenty-five-day journey on the Trans Am Bike Race from Oregon to Virginia. To this day, her efforts remain untopped and her creative pursuits are an inspiration for women and young girls alike to embrace an adventurous lifestyle.

Motorsports

Motorsports are not historically associated with women, yet females have a record of being more than just sideline supporters on the racetrack. Many might have heard of Jessica Hawkins. She entered the racing world in 2014, debuting in the British Formula Ford championship with two finishes in the top 10. In 2024, she became the first woman to ever drive a modern F1 car in Saudi Arabia. This is an empowering social act in a country, where women were not allowed to drive until as recently as 2018. Apart from a motorsport racer, she is also a stunt driver, her portfolio including No Time to Die (2021), Infinite (2021) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022).

The racetrack of F1 is filled with the names of other brave trailblazing women to be mentioned, such as Susie Wolff, who, in 2014, became the first woman to take part in F1 racing weekend after 22 years of no female representation. Monisha Kaltenborn and Claire Williams are two other powerhouses in race driving, who became respectively the first woman in charge of an F1 team, and a principal of the Williams F1 racing team from 2013 to 2020. Their actions remain in history and contribute to the establishment of gender equality in executive positions.

Basketball

As one of the fastest growing female sports, basketball has an immense and impressive history of strong athletes, fighting to place women on the NBA map. A’ja Wilson is one of the most recent examples, bringing countless titles to the female sporting world. She is twice a WNBA champion for 2022 and 2023, as well as 7 years (almost) consecutive All-Star for 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and has also carried the best WNBA player ESPY award for two consecutive years. Beside her basketball achievements, she has many business and endorsement endeavours, the most popular being her 6-year contract with Nike, which lead to her signature sneaker, the A’One in 2024. Along with other WNBA star players, such as Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart and Caitlin Clark, she continues to make history on the court and beyond.

Tennis

There are countless female achievements in all areas of sports, but the ever-evolving history of female victories wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the most stylish and powerful athletes and unapologetic tennis players, such as Iga Świątek, Serena and Venus Williams, and Coco Gauff. Not to mention Naomi Osaka and her recent classy take on 2025 accessory trends.

Deemed suitable for aristocratic women, tennis was one of the first sports to inspire girls to dream big and conquer sporting titles. This is why we have seen a lot of social and political change driven by female tennis players. Serena Williams, one of the brightest examples in tennis, as well as in women’s sport overall, has been a known change-maker off the court for decades. Paving the way for many African American women in professional sports, signing various deals, designing her own kits, flashing her yellow sneakers at the 2019 Met Gala, Serena Williams is a prime example of how female athletes can not only change the sporting landscape, but also be compassionate drivers of positive social impact.

Sports leadership: female coaches

When it comes to leadership positions, though, there is still much to be desired in the world of sports. Women make up close to 33 % of general management, creating headlines each time a new female leader gets promoted or distinguished.

One such prominent occasion was when Tara VanDerveer, Stanford University’s women’s basketball coach, overtook Mike Krzyzewski as the coach with most wins on college level.

This shift is also noticeable in the NFL, where female coaching or management roles have experienced a growth of 141 per cent since 2020, speaking for an unsaturated market and further growth potential when it comes to women in leadership positions.

Interestingly, women’s competitive sport turns out to be an investment market with unexplored potential also among celebrities outside. Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria and Natalie Portman have all invested in Angel City, a US Women’s Soccer club, while India’s Premier League raised $580 million for cricket franchises, also hugely supported and promoted by celebrity females.

This all goes to show that, while not traditionally perceived as an area with high earning potential, women’s professional clubs and female leaders, both in sports and outside, have managed to bring the long-deserved attention and cash into the world of female sports, opening pathways for more females in executive positions. ‘It wasn’t long ago that people saw investing in women’s soccer as a charity, not a real investment. Now, an investment in women’s sports feels like one of the smartest, most high-upside opportunities available.’, says owner of the NWSL’s Gotham CF, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett.

Many of the female leaders have background as athletes themselves: Michele Roberst, Jeanie Buss, Kim Davis, Nicole Lynn and more of the women in sports management have already distinguished themselves as advocates and promoters of gender equality in sports.

While recently recognised, this shift towards female leadership has been slowly happening since 2014, when Agenda 2020 was introduced by the International Olympic Committee. It puts forward a set of rules, targeting women’s increased involvement in all levels of the sports industry.

In the past decade, many female pioneers have shown commitment and resilience, elevating not only the image but also the quality of women’s sports. Brigitta Kervinen, a former Finnish sports coach, has worked tirelessly throughout her career to establish gender equality amongst coaches. She has pointed out on several occasions that, though rewarding, her work on The New Leaders Programme has been anything but smooth sailing. Although Kervinen admits she has persevered without much support from the industry, she remains positive about the future of female leadership: “Now, the culture of sport offers more opportunities to girls and women than ever before. However, promoting equality has not reached the end of the road. In fact, the work has only begun.’

Other prominent figures in today’s women’s team coaching are Emma Hayes, who brought the US women’s soccer team their first Olympic gold in 2012; the iconic trailblazer Pat Summitt: the coach with most wins in the NCAA division in basketball; and Jill Ellis, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team coach, whose team never lost a World Cup game. Coaching both the US and Swedish Women’s National Soccer Team, as well as the Brazilian Olympic team, Pia Sundhage has brought the United States two Olympic golds and many back-to-back wins, while Becky Hammon, the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA, is a bright example for all aspiring professional sportswomen. And this is just a sample of what women in leadership are capable of.

Nevertheless, the number of successful female coaches has remained low. Globally, only 20 per cent of women’s football teams, 11 per cent of Olympic teams and 5 per cent of Wimbledon competitors have female coaches. This is often due to cultural factors, such as sexual harassment, lack of professional career orientation for women, and the inherent masculine values and expectations of the sports industry.

Female brand owners/creative directors

In resemblance to the world of athlete coaching, the one of sports entrepreneurship is also saturated with unsung heroes.

Chairing the Board of Directors at snowboard brand Burton, pioneer and previous owner of the company, Donna Carpenter continues to fight for gender equality in the apparel industry. Carpenter is a well-known presence, opening the doors for numerous women in management and ensuring equal Burton athlete pay. She also secured better maternity conditions for female employees and uses her position and non-profit organisation, Chill, to advocate for other important issues such as environmental sustainability, gender diversity in winter sports and empowering young athletes in snow sports.

One of the youngest founders, Ty Haney, created athleisure apparel company, Outdoor Voices, in 2013 and contributed to the rise of sportswear as a trend in everyday clothing, popularising it among casual users. After stepping down as a CEO in 2020, Haney rejoined the company in 2025, revamping the looks and the entire image of the brand. She remains an entrepreneurial and style icon for girls and young creators.

Similarly, another powerful female executive of a popular athleisure brand, Tamara Hill-Norton opened the first Sweaty Betty store in Notting Hill, London, back in 1998. Since then, the brand has gained international recognition with its women-forward engineering, distinguishing Hill-Norton as one of the most impactful female entrepreneurs of the past two decades.

A pioneer in women-specific coaching and a former field hockey player and trainer, Kristen Holmes, is the Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP. Applying her experience as a woman and a coach, she has created a menstrual coaching app, designed to help female athletes navigate their fitness, sleep and training. This marks a milestone for women’s tailored training routine, giving them the same edge and education as men.

Rose Mercario, President and CEO of Patagonia until 2020, is a hero for female employees. During her time at the outdoor company, she introduced on-site childcare and so created more opportunities for women in senior management. Her legacy is now considered the bible of corporate management and has, therefore, sprung changes among other outdoor brands, who wish to be perceived as well-ranking employers.

Another new bright star on the outdoor scene is VP and general manager of Nike Amy Montagne. Heading the Women’s Business at Nike since 2023, her main contribution consists of the brand’s female product range expansion. She believes that women should be able to show up to work as more than employees but as aware, compassionate, vulnerable females.

In fact, female qualities in leadership have had much to do with promoting certain virtues among employees, as well as establishing a more productive relationship between a leader and their subordinates. Making their team members feel seen, understood and having their needs met with respect and compassion are important focus points of good leaders.

Danelle Petesic, Strategic Product Executive, Senior Director, On

Q: As a female leader yourself, how do you see female leadership’s impact on a team’s creation output, work environment, and end product quality, versus these of male-lead teams?

Quite honestly, it’s very much dependent on the person and the capacity for self awareness and getting to know the people you work with.

While in general (and speaking only from my own personal experiences), I have found more men to be a bit more competitive in nature, I have experienced a positive workplace from both men and women, and at the other end, negative experiences from both as well. I would say that at the core of these experiences that were less positive, the individuals were simply acting out of insecurity.

A good leader will take time to understand their team, their strengths and how to get the best out of them. How to best utilize the ingredients from your team in order to create the best product. You will get amazing work and creativity from people if they feel understood and heard. Being a good leader is not always easy and requires a big investment into self development and listening to those who are your team. And this is not gender specific.

While female leadership is often viewed through the prism of the corporate, many leaders come from startups, agencies or independent brands. One of the new faces in the outdoor industry, Grace Wales Bonner, is originally a child of fashion. Her English and Jamaican heritage seep from her designs and mix well with the world of sports. Bonner’s numerous collaborations with Adidas have left a deep mark on the current street style and make her signature style, if not always her face, recognisable to many.

One of the most talked about female founders, Sally Bergesen established her company, Oiselle, as an answer to the needs of women runners, not reflected in the industry thus far. In her products, she often tries to envision the ‘enclothed cognition’: the way that clothing can affect the wearer’s mental abilities. Through Oiselle’s sportswear, Bergesen hopes to give women both the functionality they deserve when running and the psychological push to go further.

Female brand owners: small brands

It is not a coincidence that many of the up-and-coming brands, as well as sportswear conglomerates, are targeting the female consumer. Mile Off, founded by Alice Bugeja in 2025, Spence – by Amanda Greeley in 2025, and Tala – by Grace Beverly in 2019, show that activewear for women is still on the rise, and female consumers put their trust in new founders. And for good reason: perfect design and execution are no longer enough to materialise sales. Impeccable moods, confidence-boosting shapes, uncompromising performance, a strong community, and trendy colours all weave in to form a purchasing decision. The vision of these brands is far from the rehearsed male off-brand aesthetic women have been buying into for years. These products are created for women by women with a clear vision: to introduce new silhouettes, explore fun and spontaneity in performance apparel and cater to the creative, unique and playful side of female pro and amateur athletes.

Many of the women-owned startups gravitate towards the intersection of performance and everyday wear: this is true of Colorado-based Halfdays, Copenhagen-native Planet Nusa, and London brand Pruzan, which have a common unique selling point: the personal takes of their founders. In a market, saturated with product, consumers are looking at startups as small investments or treasure hunts. Buying from a brand with a curated collection, familiar background story, or even better, a distinct personality, makes the purchase all the more special.

Christel Hogsted, Founder of Rytme

Q:As a new female founder of Rytme, what excites you about women-specific apparel?

For decades, society has regarded women as the ‘second sex,’ but I believe that bubble is about to burst. Women are now demanding better conditions in every aspect of life, including their gear.
When designing technical apparel for women, I’m passionate providing both support and thermal regulation in a way, suited to the female physique.

Q: What is your biggest consideration when you create for and market products to your audience?

It feels more crucial than ever to consider the environmental footprint of adding more objects to the world. Each garment must be, therefore, designed with intention and that requires thoughtful engineering: a harmony of visual language, function, and feel.

In a sports world, dominated by men, only about two per cent of capital goes to women-owned businesses, according to Deloitte. The sudden rise in female-led startups might be a signal that both female founders and female consumers are on a mission to change that.

Colleen Quigley, owner of pro track team Meridia, confirms this: ‘It feels like the world is our oyster and we can feel free to do our thing and shout it from the rooftops!’ And it is leadership, worthy of a shoutout: it builds a new culture in sports – one that nurtures collaboration, makes space for new female leaders at the top, works towards shared goals and creates community.

The female sports brand and collabs for women

One of the most prominently featured brands on social media in 2025 is NikeSKIMS. A hybrid between Skims’s efforts for clean, feminine, simple and comfortable apparel and Nike’s uncompromising performance and innovation pursuits, this brand aims to both inspire and empower women in their daily exercise. It focuses on body positivity, delivering puls sizes, and lovingly supporting and accentuating female curves, while also breaking the stereotype for the female athlete as petite and slender. With its emphasis on the natural body shape, NikeSKIMS aims to celebrate femininity, overcome barriers and instill a sense of confidence in women. Rather than trying to conform to male stereotypes, it is meant to encourage women to show and celebrate their bodies and push them to the limit, whatever their size and shape.

Beside this new brand collaboration with SKIMS, Nike has been a leader of investing in female athlete endorsments and in developing female-specific products. A recent example is the Nike Air Max muse – a futuristic shoe for women that premiered in November 2024. It focuses on a new female-specific silhouette that boasts comfort and dynamic, as well as incredible style.

In January 2025, the sports giant re-introduced another classic running shoe for its 25th anniversary. Air Superfly is a female racing trainer with a sleek visual language, which reimagines the low-fitting design, inspired by the traditional track shoe aesthetic and performance.

From female-lead collaborations, such as the 2023 Sacai and Feng Chen Wang partnerships, to its progressve sports hijab, Nike has a history of investing money and design potential in female athletes and customers, and the trend is expected to keep developing in the coming years.

Another iconic outdoor brand, focusing on female-driven products is The North Face, with its viral collabs with Skims and Cecille Bahnsen.

Social media saw the rise of a body-forward snow wear in a 2024 collab between TNF and Kim Kardashian-backed brand SKIMS. Its tailored contouring silhouettes are meant to empower women to feel good in their bodies, regardless of whether during skiing, snowboarding, or enjoying the snow around the slopes. This collection’s campaign was a clear sign that the next era in sportswear is about empowerment, confidence, girls, and catering for comfort in their athletic pursuits.

Another TNF collab, namely, with Cecile Bahnsen, focuses on female mountain climbers and celebrates the female delicate, graceful style of climbing, which is perceived almost as a dance. Adorned with flowers, embroideries and expressed in unexpected silhouettes, garments from the collection retain technical details and finishes, celebrating the unique advantages and adaptability of the female body, capable of elegantly conquering any mountain.

Beyond the field of high performance, sportswear has had a sizeable and evident influence on ready-to-wear. With many luxury and affordable lines, catering for the intersection of athleisure and fashion, function dominates all markets.

Irena Ivanova, Apparel Designer, Abercrombie and Fitch

Q: Ready-to-wear has always had a stronger focus on women. In the past few years, have you noticed a greater pull towards the female market and/or leadership changes, related to gender?

Women’s ready-to-wear is still the core of the market, and brands continue to double-down on it through lifestyle-driven collections and by elevating female leadership. We’ve seen incredible shifts with women, leading major haute couture and ready-to-wear – Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior or Gabriela Hearst at Chloé – bringing new perspectives around empowerment and sustainability.

The female market isn’t just strong, it’s evolving in a way that reflects women’s voices, both as consumers and as leaders. That dual momentum is what makes this time in fashion especially exciting.

So, while women’s ready-to-wear, I think, remains dominant, men’s is catching up in energy and innovation. What excites me most is how both sides are influencing each other, creating a fashion landscape that feels more open, diverse, and dynamic than ever.

In the current industry climate, where big houses and startups share clientele, it would be only natural to look beyond sports giants and shine the spotlight on small brands, focusing their efforts on women-only collections. Many times, these brands are also female-owned, celebrating women’s excellence in product design and entrepreneurship alike. More than a handful of creative projects have sprung in the last two decades, focusing, for a change, on female-first products.

The previously mentioned women’s running brand Oiselle (2007), for instance, aims to create a running community for women by women, providing simple, comfortable garments, based on female athlete body specifications and needs. There’s even a feedback section on their website, where runners can leave comments for improvement or endorsement. They also have their own running club, Volée, which focuses on supporting women with training strategies, and helps them connect with fellow runners.

Similarly, activewear brand Adanola provides leisure- and sportswear for young females, encouraging them to be their true self, whether on the training track or in their everyday. It also boasts a large community of active women, hosting sports classes and supporting them on their journey to a healthy lifestyle.

Combining support for female athletes and the environment, 2025 slow compression wear brand Heirs builds a female community around their seamless compression products with enhanced biodegradability and dyed with medicinal and microbial dyes. It provides zoned compression in very subtle design, specifically engineered to fit the curves of women’s bodies. It supports young environmentally conscious women on their sporting journey, whether it’s marathon training, gym sweating, or a soulful yoga practice. Its goal is to empower women and give them the freedom to express themselves with choosing and combining beautiful tones from a specially selected herbal and microbial dye palette.

There are many more examples of small female-owned, -lead, and -inspired brands for women, who dare to change the landscape of high-performance garments to use-case-first, as opposed to male-first. This shift, too, is a signifier of equality in both sports and design, giving female customers the detail precision they deserve, as well as the possibility for constructive feedback, and a chance to be environmental change-makers.

Starting Point of creation: Briefing the industry with women’s specific wants and needs:

When considering the end user of sports product, though, one cannot overlook the uniqueness of the female physique as an important aspect of women-centric design.

Ophelie-Usannaz-Joris, Manager, Apparel Development, Adidas

Q: Do you notice female focus in recent years: in product features and athlete endorsement? How do you execute on that, and do you have any personal opinion on female-focused sportswear?

Yes, there’s definitely been a stronger female focus in product features recently. Any aspect of the female body that can impact performance is being looked at more carefully. For instance, with period-proof underwear, better integrated bra solutions, or body-mapped seam lines and ventilation.

As a tennis apparel developer, I always ask myself: what do female players need, in order to move more seamlessly? Where will they sweat, need support or risk chafing? How do we prevent that?

I make sure new silhouettes are tested and that athlete feedback is really considered. Ideally, the garment should be the last thing on their mind while competing, unless it’s about boosting their confidence.

Athlete endorsement also plays a big role. There’s a strong link between what top athletes wear and what everyday players buy. Icons inspire, motivate, and empower others, so it’s great to see more female athletes getting visibility. But this is just the beginning, there’s still a lot of space for stronger female representation.

Good design considers its end user first and foremost, and this is no different when it comes to designing for female athletes: specifically tailored considerations, such as injury prevention, menstrual cycle, health challenges and psychological well-being are amongst the top challenges to look into when even beginning to think of women-specific gear. Female consumers are no longer satisfied with the commonly applied ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach and are recognising the industry players, who stand out with equipment, made with their needs in mind.

Siona Dalcolmo, Trail Runner, Performance Apparel Designer, Odlo

Q: As a trail runner and designer, do you think landscape has changed more towards the female? Do you, at Odlo, focus more on the female product and if so, how?

Yes, I think the landscape has definitely evolved towards women. When I started, most products were still designed with men in mind and simply adapted for women. I feel like today there’s a much better understanding of what female athletes need: in terms of fit, performance, and representation. As both a trail runner and designer, I find that really exciting!

At Odlo, we design specifically for women, but also for men – our goal is to be inclusive. We focus on creating products that meet different needs equally, so everyone feels confident and supported. For me, it’s about designing for real people who love being outdoors and want gear that truly works for them and their activity.

Apart from functionality, safety is another aspect, where adjusting a male design to the female body can do more harm than good. Uncomfortable and poorly fitting apparel can cause injuries, on top of reducing performance and making women feel like an afterthought in sports.

In order to understand female-specific designs, one needs to be aware of the differences between both genders’ physiology.

Women, for one, have a much slower metabolic rate, causing them to produce less heat, which, in some sports, can contribute to the feeling of being cold. Further factors, impacting heat loss, are hormones, such as estrogen, that slow down the blood flow and lower the body temperature, and surface-to-volume correlation, which is higher for most women, and hence increases the risk of heat loss.

A helpful heat preservation feature of the female anatomy, on the flip side, is the faster vasomotor response, compared to the one of their male counterparts: when exposed to cold, women’s blood vessels narrow faster and thus retain the accumulated warmth more effectively. This helps them sustain a healthy body temperature for longer, when exposed to cold environments.

One of the most crucial considerations, when it comes to female athletes’ anatomy, is the difference in perspiration patterns between women’s and men’s bodies. Most noticeably, men begin to sweat sooner into the activity than women do, and in much higher volumes, due to testosterone, which enhances the sweat response. As a result, women get hotter before they even start sweating. This could potentially cause them to overheat sooner.

As a general rule, larger bodies sweat in higher volumes, as they generate bigger amounts of heat, which then need to be negated by more sweat to cool down. Because men are mostly larger in structure than women, they have more volume that needs to be cooled off.

Core temperature and heat generation differences between both genders also seem significant during cold stress. Mostly due to estradiol and progesterone, female thermoregulatory responses fluctuate during the menstrual cycle and menopause. When tested in humid and hot environment, women’s core temperature increases less than men’s. The opposite is true in dry and hot climate. This, combined with the previously mentioned larger surface area-to-mass ratio in women, affords female athletes a better reaction to hot and humid climates and male ones: better performance in dry heat.

In conclusion, women have smaller body surface area and body mass, more and denser sweat glands, and higher body fat mass and surface-to-mass ratio, which gives them an advantage in long-distance runs, compared to males with similar skills. Hence, equipment for women should be made with a different set of considerations, sometimes contrasting such for men, depending on the activity, climate and length of the performed sport.

A rather obvious aspect of the female body, often overlooked in athletic equipment, are the breasts. Even basic support items, such as the sports bra, do not function well for women with larger boobs. Poor cut, lack of consideration of the mechanics of breast movement and inconsequential choices of materials often leave female athletes disappointed with their gear. While the one-size-fits all approach works for some items, most sportswear needs special attention when it comes to the variety of shapes, sizes and rations of the beautifully different female bodies.

Brenda Holmes, Senior Manager, Lululemon

Q: As a high-functioning creative, what is the aspect of designing for women that excites you the most?

For me, I have always designed for women and aimed to solve a specific need they are looking for. My passion is creating clothing for women to support them in feeling at home in their skin; so, they can feel confident, comfortable and empowered. For example, my first job out of fashion school was working with a burlesque troupe. Within this, I would get so excited to make a costume function for what they needed it to do on stage and how it needed to transform with them as their dance progressed. Each new routine and concept would give me a new challenge to solve, and a goal to work towards. I also loved listening to what each performer wanted to feel like, the essence of each routine and how we could imbue this feeling into the clothes.

Thinking about how women want to feel in their clothing always lights me up. SInce my time in burlesque, I have been designing for activewear. Essentially the same theory applies to my work, and how I approach designing. When I started in activewear, I got my first role in the women’s yoga design team at lululemon. At this time, I was also actively teaching yoga and had that exposure to really understand how bodies move, and how clothing could really make or break a practice. Reflecting on this, again I listened to my own body’s needs as well as my teachers, and students and applied solutions and creative ideas to my design work.

Lucky for me, when people discovered I also designed the clothes I taught in, some great conversations were had 😉

I love providing the clothes to make women feel comfortable and confident in the outfit they put on. I love being able to support women and create more ease throughout their practice (or performance!) in what they choose to wear. The act of dressing is like a ritual for me, and that I can be part of this ritual for other women who choose to wear the clothes I have worked on is truly a privilege and what makes this so meaningful to me.

Patrick Peritz, Founder and CEO of Grand Studio

Q: As a CEO of a creative agency, you have been able to observe apparel industry changes up-close for almost 30 years now. Do you notice more focus on female-specific products compared to the past? Women are more in focus than before, but the aesthetics of women’s and men’s products are becoming more similar — it’s mainly the fit that is tailored specifically for women. How does that change the way you respond to design briefings?

We generally don’t create women-specific or men-specific looks — once the ‘unisex’ aesthetic is defined, we adapt the fit to the female body.

While often overlooked, feet are also morphologically different between both genders, though most of the unisex shoes are solely based on the anatomy of the male foot. Tough ill-fitting footwear can cause a range of foot and lower limb injuries, it was only recently, for instance, that the first female-specific soft-ground rugby boot was created by IDA, an athletics company, focusing on women’s footwear, in collaboration with Guiness. More specifically, the boot has a narrower heel cup, wider toe box, increased arch support and more stable stud placement. Dubbed the ‘Never Settle’ boot, and tested by athletes Megan Jones, Jasmine Joyce, Eliz Martin, and Edel McMahon, the shoe is a big milestone in the representation of women in sports and increases athlete performance, precision and traction. Interestingly, two bigger brands have also made some advancements in this area with Puma launching its first women’s soccer cleat in 2021 and Nike presenting the “women-focused football boot”, taking cues from their already existing, though discontinued design, engineered with athlete Mia Hamm in the 1990s.

Nike has shown itself to be the largest sports brand, committed to female-specific gear, making numerous advancements in its engineering for the past decade. From their first women’s basketball collection in 2015, which includes lightweight shorts, mesh-panelled hoodie, breathable and sweat-wicking top and pants, tested and worn by Elena Delle Donne and Sue Bird, along with the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, through to the Flyknit bra, the first support bra made with just one seam in 2018 to their first women-specific FIFA World Cup kits.

Aside from its functionality, Nike is known to encourage women’s ethnic diversity too. In 2017, they released the earlier mentioned sensationalised Nike Pro Hijab, created with breathable and lightweight materials, and followed by the Victory Swim Collection, including a full-coverage swimsuit, tunic top, swim leggings and hijab, which opened the doors for female athletes from all nationalities and religious beliefs to not only enjoy sports but also compete on equal level to men, and to each other.

In the world of boxing, advancements towards revolutionising women-specific equipment have been made by British brand Unorthodoxx, founded by boxing coach Kristy Hill. Driven by the lacking focus on female fighters, Hill engineered gloves with narrower hand compartments and anatomically specific wrist support to reduce the risk of injury and improve performance in the ring. This improvement has allowed women a competitive edge in boxing ever since.

Founded by another female athlete, Kelly Newton, NIXI Body developed the first bladder leakproof underwear in 2019. The invention of those discreet but absorbent underpants was brought on by Newton’s personal experience after childbirth and during menopause. The range, sold at Decathlon, Mountain Warehouse & Superdrug, later morphed into period underwear, which functions based on the same leak-absorption principle.

As female participation in all levels of sports increases, interest in innovation in the area spikes as well. And while both big brands and startups have shown us that development of women-specific products can be a priority and a focus for the sportswear industry, more data is yet to be collected, more inventions to be made and more features – engineered from the ground-up.

Andrea Rühr, Runner, Designer and Developer, X-Bionic

Q: Firstly, from the perspective of a female runner, do you think the scene has changed a bit more towards female athletes?

Definitely, I can tell that there is an increase in participation of female athletes. Specifically, in trail running events, there is a participation record of 35% / 65% female/ male, and I am very certain we’ll see a higher increase within the next few years. I myself am very excited to see female athletes in every age group, life situation and even (super-)women with newborns conquering short to long distances.

There’s also a stronger community now, with more women-led running groups and visible female role models. That sense of belonging makes it easier for women to enter the sport and feel confident on the trails.

Q: And the other perspective is as a creative – do you see a change in the customer at X-Bionic?

Yes, there’s definitely been a shift. We’re seeing steady growth in our female customer base, which shows that women recognize and trust the technical quality, premium value, and performance of our products. Collaborating closely with athletes like Núria Picas also ensures we design with a true female pro-athlete perspective in mind.

Q: Do you focus more on the female athlete and if yes, how do you tackle that?

I see designing for female athletes—as well as every athlete—as both a mission and a passion. In past seasons, I focused on several product categories, currently I’m concentrating on what she truly needs. My goal is to create features that meet everyone’s wishes—gear that empowers and motivates, whether it’s for a first trail race or a multi-day ultra.

That said, I wouldn’t say we ‘focus more’ on female athletes in a way that excludes others. We design for everyone, but with equal attention to detail for women, which historically hasn’t always been the case. It’s all about balance.

Practically, that means we incorporate real feedback from female runners into every stage of the design process.

Women-Specific wants:

When looking for new gear, men and women consider different factors: while male athletes put emphasis on durability, looks and performance, female customers also put great importance on factors like comfort, versatility, colour relevance, individuality and feel of material. They specifically look for support, complementing the universally desired performance.

In the case of female runners, features to look out for are light weight, minimal noise, breathability, moisture wicking, as well as safety features, in this case, reflective elements, which cater for visibility during late night or early morning runs. In running, similarly to other activities, women-specific designs are a unique selling point. Storage is one of the top considerations, where a well-engineered piece ensures enough and evenly distributed stash-in areas with easy access and catering for female items like lip balm and extra skincare, together with gender-universal ones like ear pods, keys and gels.

Gin Woo, Runner, Integrated Marketing Lead, Mammut

Q: As an athlete, which female-specific features do you appreciate in your running gear?

While I notice more women-focused running/activewear brands (Oiselle, Mileoff, LNDR), what’s most important for me is the fit and design. I love a simple, well-fitting design with fun colours and thoughtful features that make sense. Like a flat, stretchy waistband that is flattering and a snug pocket to keep your phone on the run. A feature that I actively sought out was a running cap with a higher slit so my ponytail can sit higher (it’s usually too low).

Other female-specific features I can think off include a skort (I’m not a fan, but I have running friends who appreciate the style and extra coverage). Or vests in China with a pocket for lipstick to touch up before crossing the finish line.

Driven by another set of requirements, cycling gear investigates a plethora of other feature sets. Aside from lightweight, compressive and aerodynamic, apparel also includes appropriately placed padding, which is aimed at avoiding injury, specifically during long rides. Like in other sports, women in cycling expect more than performance. Conveniently placed pockets, maternity upgrades, work-to-weekend versatility, active recovery features and timely colour decisions, boldening and empowering athletes, are hugely important as well.: ‘a refreshing antidote to the sea of black Lycra homogeneity’, Mile Off founder Alice Bugeja describes the evolving outdoor concept.

Yoga-specific sportswear should put greater focus on freedom of movement, negating the slip-down effect of the fit. Four-way stretch materials, support, softness of fabric, seamless feel, as well as impeccable gusset engineering are also crucial. Leggings are often preferred without a front seam, to avoid the camel toe effect, and a flattering look, without a visible panty line is a must. This is a top priority, driving the purchasing decision of yoga bras too. While important, performance is only one aspect of designing a bra. ‘Looking cute’ is one of the main considerations of women when shopping for an activity, which includes equal levels of action and rest. After all, the social aspect of sport is what really brings communities together.

A brand, investigating the VPL issue in tight activewear more thoroughly is newly launched, LA-based performance underwear company Srtingys. The patented designs, thought up by model Olivia Karina and her personal trainer, Elvira Novek Tröger, aim for a barely-there look and feel, achieved through invisible matte TPU straps, which do not slide, move or roll. “There is not a single seam in the garment’ says Karina of her invention, which was recently worn by the US gymnastics team.

The visible panty line is only one of many examples of the need for versatility in women’s sportswear. As women combine their gear in a generously versatile manner, many other factors, aside from performance, need to be considered.

Although many of female athletes’ wants and needs have already been met, much is still to be achieved in order to reach seamless performance.

Thus, although essential, functionality features are not all that female athletes are looking for in their equipment. Feeling beautiful, comfortable, empowered and aligned with the values of the brand they purchase from top the list of wants for many athletes and the market is trying to keep up to deliver.

As natural problem solvers and empaths, women have a way of integrating the solutions to purely practical but also deeply rooted sexist, classist and racial issues into their designs. Specialised womenswear is not only an answer to a physiological specification but also a solution to the issue of equality, community and opportunities for women in sports.

Conclusion:

As the world is seeing female athletes finally celebrated for their performance, it also takes interest in their stories and personalities. We are starting to hear what women in sports have to say. On and off the track, they lead and create with an inherent sense of complexity, because they know that being a woman entrepreneur, athlete and leader is a reflection of the shift in power, focus and culture in the past decade and beyond. As Gabriela Hearst, former creative director of Chloé points out, ‘Even if you’re not a mother, it’s just the way we think — in future generations.’.

So, no, women are not done inventing, pioneering and making an impact. Upon creating a world, they envisioned for themselves: one of multilevel equality, empathy, consideration and reason, they will continue to break the boundaries for their daughters and the generations to follow. Right alongside men, as equals.

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