Nike Unveiled Its 2024 Paris Olympic Track Uniforms Striking Discourse

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We are officially less than 100 days out from the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Nike unveiled its team uniform kits — not without some online discourse.

Ahead of the long-anticipated event, Nike provided more information on its newest installation of Nike Air, "Nike on A.I.R." A.I.R. — which stands for Athlete-Imagined Revolution — is AI-explored, 3D-printed footwear that Nike's innovation teams helped bring to life. For the unveiling, the brand hosted a fashion presentation in Paris at the Palais Brongniart, marking the final countdown to the biggest stage in sports, featuring top athletes such as Jordan Chiles, Serena Williams, Sha'Carri Richardson, and many more.

And while Nike's presentation covered a slew of federation kits and shoe launches across soccer, track, and basketball, the unveiling was underscored by conversation around one of the track uniform bottoms. The uniform design in question featured a very high cut around the groin area, which had many online users talking.

Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall, who competed in the 2020 Olympics, commented under an Instagram post of the uniform, writing: "Wait, my hoo-hah is going to be out." Paralympic athlete Jaleen Roberts also commented on a post of the uniform, saying, “This mannequin is standing still, and everything's showing… imagine MID FLIGHT 😭”

After a few days of discourse surrounding the cut of the track uniform bottoms, Nike clarified that the high-cut bodysuit is "one of multiple options available, including compression shorts and full-length bodysuits." This specific style that was featured as a part of the team uniform kits is a rather popular style worn by track and field athletes.

"I think it's really important that everybody understands that we offer a spectrum of styles for what athletes will feel most comfortable in, from least coverage all the way to very full coverage and that everybody gets to choose what they want to wear," Jordana Katcher, Nike's vice president for global sports apparel, told People. "Everyone has a choice."

Davis Woodhall, who initially commented on the uniforms, spoke with People at the Team USA Summit in New York City this past week and shared a different sentiment, stating: “It was a picture that [didn't do] it justice. I saw [the uniforms] today. They're beautiful, not like the picture. The cut does look a little bit different on that mannequin. They just should have had a second look with someone to choose that photo to post.”

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be a pivotal moment in Nike's history. The popular athletic and lifestyle brand will work with over 100 federations across team and individual sports, so there clearly is a reason why the wearability of these uniforms is the top concern for many people. Nike stated that the apparel collection for the 2024 Olympics represents the most "data-driven and visually unified effort in Nike's history," with each kit and uniform crafted to reflect the unique identities and diverse communities of the countries and sports they represent. Nike also stated that the track and field kits for men and women include nearly 50 apparel pieces and 12 competition styles for specific events, so the choice of style is up to each athlete's preferences.

As someone who competes and prefers the bikini-style performance shorts, pole vaulter Katie Moon posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared her perspective on the uniform unveiling. "I want to be clear and start by saying that what was shown on the mannequin was concerning and warranted the response it received," she says in the post.

“I’ve also seen people making comments like, ‘Why can’t they just make the men’s uniform for the women?’” she continued. “I absolutely love people defending women, but we have at least 20 different combinations of a uniform to compete in with all the tops and bottoms available to us. We DO have the men's option available to us if we want it.”

With the Paris Olympics quickly approaching and excitement surrounding the fashion and games to come, it's clear everyone is deeply invested in the many moving parts of the world's biggest games. So, this week's discourse on Olympic uniforms seems to be just a taste of what's to come.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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