Women are not little men - that should have gotten around in the sports world by now. "Shrink it and pink it" is therefore so out of date. Female athletes simply expect more from the sporting goods industry than just throwing men's products onto the market a little smaller and more colorful. It starts with a mix of function and fashion, continues with breathable clothing for all phases of a woman's life cycle between menstruation, menopause and beyond and doesn't end with the demand for more female managers. Here are 10 wishes for the sports companies of this world.
The insights at a glance
- More signature pieces for female professional sport
- Sponsorship in women's sport pays off
- So out: Shrink it and pink it
- Sensible injury prevention for women
- More attention for the female menstrual cycle
- Picking up female athletes in their prime
- Women like it emotional
- Technology products for the female target group
- Whether finance or design: female bosses wanted
- Stay away from femwashing
The (Un)Perfect Fit: How well does the sports industry fit women?
Forbes sees the development as positive and states "a whole new shoe game for women". According to the US magazine, Puma, Nike and Adidas want to score points with signature shoes for WNBA athletes and beyond. Let's hope it's a high-scoring game so that shopping experiences like basketball player Kahleah Copper's - "going straight to the men's section" - are a thing of the past.
And even when it comes to sports items that are produced specifically for women, athletes like biathlete Selina Grotian simply see a need to catch up: "Sports bras also sometimes have unfavorable seams and are not always ideal, especially in combination with the chest strap. Although I clean the chest straps, they always have an unpleasant smell." Lara Lessmann feels the same way. The BMX rider would like sports bras "that fit well and don't slip".
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