Nike have announced the new Nike One Leak Protection: Period shorts, recreating the much-loved Nike One short with a leakproof barrier.

The updated shorts have a laminate gusset, a two-layer material specifically made to absorb menstrual blood. The double-knit spacer next to the skin absorbs on the top layer, while the TPE layer acts as an anti-leakage barrier.

The innovative design process started in 2019, with a survey of young girls in sport setting the basis for the design’s development. Nike found that by age 14, girls were dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys their age. By 17, 51% will have stopped participating in sports altogether. While insecurities and discomfort surrounding menstruation are not the only reasons for the rapid dropout rate, those concerns play a critical role.

Lisa Gibson, Nike’s Senior Apparel Innovation Project Manager, said: “We know fear of  bleedthrough is very real. It does not just last through the teen years. It lasts the entire adventure with menstruation. Our goal was to create a product that provided leak protection that could be worn alongside a preferred menstrual product of choice, whether that's a pad, a tampon, a cup, without the added bulk.”

With the Women’s World Cup fast approaching, Nike has also included the technology in the players’ Nike Pro shorts. All 13 Nike teams will receive the shorts in colours that match their uniform shorts, including white. The shorts will also be available in two lengths, giving players more choice when it comes to their base layer.

In recent years, athletes have been more vocal about the lack of period-conscious sportswear available to them, and those concerns have only just started to be addressed. As a former athlete herself, Gibson expressed excitement at the impact of the technology: “Personally, this has been such an incredible passion project, not only for myself but for all of the team. I think about how this would have changed my engagement with sport and movement if I had this when I was 14-years-old. I am thrilled that this technology is going to be out there. I truly believe it is going to positively impact the way people engage with sport and movement.”

The Nike One Leak Protection: Period short is available to purchase now via nike.com.

Take a closer look at the revolutionary technology below.