Nike athletes at the 2023 Women’s World Cup will have one less thing to worry about.
The sportswear brand announced a new product line Thursday designed to help minimize the risk of period leaks, and all 13 national teams partnered with Nike will be provided with the new shorts.
The new line, titled “Leak Protection: Period,” has been years in the making. Part of the developments include a “two-layer laminate gusset and liner that absorbs, wicks and holds blood with a membrane that acts as an anti-leakage barrier,” according to The Athletic. The new liner has been added to already existing products and is meant to be worn along with a tampon, pad or cup.
This new product will be released for sale in April as part of the Nike One Short. National team players will be provided with Nike Pro Shorts with leak protection in two lengths as part of each team’s base layer for their uniforms. The options will match World Cup kits for each federation.
“Fear of bleed through is very real – and not just through the teen years, but through the entire journey of menstruation,” Nike Apparel Innovation senior product manager Lisa Gibson said in a release. “Nike Leak Protection: Period is for people with periods across all life stages, designed to give them an added layer of confidence so they can feel secure during all forms of sport and movement. It’s an innovation that we believe will change people’s lives.”
The shorts join a growing trend in women’s sports, which the NWSL’s Orlando Pride continued earlier this month in announcing all-black shorts with their away kits as a way to help address period concerns.
Other clubs in Europe also have made the switch, while Wimbledon changed its rules to allow non-white undergarments.