“We Knew Women Needed This Bra Yesterday”
In April 2020, at 8pm on most weeknights, Fanny Ho was in her guest room juggling her laptop, sewing machine, and a nursing sports bra prototype she was creating and testing. The world was in a state of anxious paralysis, but she and her Nike teammates were working urgently on a critical need: providing mothers with the ultimate support system. They aimed to create a sports bra that would allow moms to move freely while accommodating a wearable breast pump without sacrificing performance or comfort.
When you’re going through something like Covid, you pivot to what you believe will make the most impact. Dividing my day like that, I found myself asking, what project can I tackle that could help support people like me?”
Like many, Ho managed the pandemic by alternating parenting duties with her husband; she worked for a few hours, switched to mom mode, returned to work, then got back online after dinner and bedtime. Ho knew from personal experience that active breastfeeding and pumping mothers struggled to find a sports bra that could accommodate both needs. She realized the market offered little for such moms. Despite the abundance of nursing bras, few performance nursing bras met the dual needs of support and accommodating a hands-free breast pump.
Faced with a clear gap and need, Ho did what passionate women, passionate mothers and passionate Nike employees do — move as quickly as possible toward a solution.
Innovation Against the Odds
Ho faced another significant challenge — she’d never designed a bra before. “I’ve been a footwear designer for 17 years, and this was uncharted territory for me. I had to find my fellow Nike passion partners in the apparel space, and there was a lot of learning on the go,” she says. “But that also made it exciting and invigorating. Being that consumer myself, I had intuition on what we needed to do.”
After experiencing the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping when she had her son seven years ago, Ho dedicated her work to women’s innovation. The Nike (M) Swoosh bra was born from this dedication.
The Nike (M) Swoosh bra’s patented hardware — the two pieces that attach together on the bra strap — is specifically engineered to support the weight of wearable breast pumps plus the forces of any movement. The hardware unclips for quick access to nursing, and the webbing strap on the front of the bra can be pulled to easily adjust the volume of the cups. If you want to loosen the straps, you simply lift the base of the hardware, similar to loosening the shoulder straps of a backpack. This plus the bra’s adjustable back strap to accommodate an expanding rib cage ensures the piece fits throughout pregnancy and beyond.
Feedback from Athletes and Moms
Ho and her team consulted with elite athletes and everyday moms to understand the features needed in a performance nursing bra. “Both elite athletes and everyday moms have the same needs. They face the same challenges in balancing motherhood and sport,” Ho says.
Traditional nursing bras often limit a mother’s ability to move, especially when pumping. The team knew they had to redesign the hardware. Collaborating with Nike engineering, they developed a patented hardware system that supports the weight of wearable breast pumps and the forces of movement.
How the Nike (M) Swoosh Bra Works
The bra’s proprietary hardware ensures the clips withstand lunges and burpees while pumping. It also offers easy access for nursing and adjustability for up to two full cup sizes. The webbing strap allows quick adjustments to the cup volume, and the adjustable back strap accommodates an expanding rib cage.
The Bra’s Wearable Pump Compatibility
While the maternity space is full of sports bras, Ho and the Nike team found performance nursing bras lacking. Many were either too stretchy without enough support or too structured to fit a hands-free breast pump. “We spoke to countless women who had to choose between comfort and support,” Ho says.
The Nike (M) Swoosh Bra
“In every pitch meeting, if there were women or mothers in the room, they’d nod their heads,” Ho recalls. “Many women at Nike raised their hands to help.” A mesh back helps keep moms cool during movement, while the adjustable back strap accommodates an expanding rib cage.
Nike Reina EasyOn Shoe
This innovative spirit was not limited to Ho’s team. Nike’s footwear innovation team developed the Nike Reina EasyOn, a pregnancy and postpartum shoe. It can be slipped on hands-free and has an adjustable sock liner for swollen feet. Like the (M) Swoosh bra, the Nike Reina was a passion project for Nike employees.
“This is the most meaningful project I’ve been a part of,” says Brenden McAleese, Expert Product Line Manager, Global Footwear. “We started it right after I returned from paternity leave. My wife wear-tested the prototypes throughout her pregnancy, providing real-time feedback.”
McAleese adds that his wife still wears the Nike Reina. “She texted me recently saying, ‘These shoes are a game changer,’ because she can slip them on while carrying our kids.”
26.2 Miles of Validation
To ensure the Nike (M) Swoosh bra met moms’ needs, Ho’s team tested it in the Nike Sport Research Lab and with both elite and everyday athletes. The ultimate test was nearly 3,000 miles away in the 2021 New York City Marathon, where an everyday runner and mother used the bra to pump during the race.
“We wanted her to push the limits of our prototype and prove its performance capabilities,” Ho says. “Our mission was to support her in achieving the impossible and inspire other mothers.”
Going Beyond a Bra
For Nike, creating products like the Nike (M) Swoosh bra, the Nike Reina EasyOn, and the Nike Swoosh 1 is about providing holistic support for parents. This support starts at home, with Nike employees.
To help new mothers return to work and sport, Nike’s innovation and employee benefits teams included more wearable pumps in the company’s benefits package. Starting next month, Nike will double its parental leave benefit for all U.S.-based employees, offering 16 weeks of paid leave for full- and part-time employees to bond with their new child.
“We just knew, from all the women we talked to, they needed this yesterday,” Ho says. “I have never worked harder on a project. We knew women needed this yesterday.”
The result is more than a next-level performance nursing bra, Ho adds. It’s about empowerment. “With this bra, we want to empower women to say, ‘Here I am — I’m pumping, I’m moving, I’m proud to be a mom, I’m proud to be an athlete, and I can be both at the same time.’”
YOU ASKED…
What makes the Nike (M) Swoosh Bra unique?
The Nike (M) Swoosh Bra is designed to support wearable breast pumps and the forces of movement, with easy nursing access and adjustable straps for a perfect fit.
Who contributed to the development of the Nike (M) Swoosh Bra?
Fanny Ho, Senior Manager in Design Innovation, led the project with her Nike teammates, consulting elite athletes and everyday moms.
How did Nike validate the bra’s performance?
They tested it in the Nike Sport Research Lab and had an everyday runner and mother use it during the 2021 New York City Marathon.
What other products has Nike developed for mothers?
Nike also created the Nike Reina EasyOn shoe, designed for pregnancy and postpartum, offering hands-free wear and adjustable fit for swollen feet.
Editor’s Note: All listed prices were correct at the time of publication. This article contains editorial selections and paid partnerships. Please note that this article may contain some affiliate links to products and we may receive a commission for selected purchases.
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