Muslim athletes are a regular presence on the world鈥檚 most elite podiums. Take , the fencer who took home bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics. And hurdler , who won gold in the 400 meters in Rio. I am a nine-time marathoner and a two-time sprint triathlete. I have run 15 half marathons and am on a quest to run all six World Major marathons. I was also the first hijab-wearing woman to make an appearance on the cover of a U.S. fitness magazine:聽Women鈥檚 Running, in 2016.

Yet one challenge for those of us who cover our hair while competing is the relative lack of performance hijabs. While Muslim-owned brands like , , and have produced athletic hijabs for almost a decade now, no major U.S. athletic brand had entered this market鈥攗ntil now.

On December 7, the $35 went on sale online. (Nike's out of stock at the moment but bringing it back in late spring.) The swoosh above the left ear is what excited me the most. My dream as a Muslim athlete is to be able to walk into a running store and shop from聽various athletic hijabs, Muslim-made or not, and the fact that the biggest sports brand in the world took the initiative to make one is heartening.

Last month, I tried out the Pro while running. I found that it鈥檚 best suited to low-impact activities, as they require fewer movements that can cause the hijab to slip. In these environments, I appreciated Nike鈥檚 Dri-Fit technology鈥攚ith tiny holes perforating the polyester鈥攚hich felt light and breathable in sweaty studios.

I didn鈥檛 like the Pro nearly as much for more dynamic activities, such as running and yoga. During my runs around Milford, Michigan, I found that the hijab slipped often. My hair was constantly slipping out the front when I ran, and I kept having to pull the Pro back so my forehead would be uncovered. It鈥檚 possible to reduce this slippage by wearing an undercap, yet this would obviously reduce the hijab鈥檚 breathability. And the Pro made my head appear鈥攁s we hijabis like to say鈥斺�渆gg-headed.鈥�

So how does the Pro stack up to聽the other hijabs I鈥檝e tried? I鈥檇 say it comes in at a solid second place.

Nike鈥檚 offering performs better on runs than Sukoon鈥檚, which is made of merino wool and wraps around the wearer鈥檚 head with Velcro atop an undercap. This is good for colder weather. Sukoon鈥檚 design is street-friendly and the least odd-looking, but I found it too cumbersome for warm-weather activities. The Pro is more breathable than hijabs聽I鈥檝e tried from Capsters, which聽are made from a heavy fabric that traps sweat and weighs down my head when waterlogged.

In my mind, the best performance hijabs are made by Asiya Sport. They鈥檙e聽made with an ultralightweight fabric that I found breathes well and feels supersoft against the skin. Composed of a polyester-spandex blend, Asiya鈥檚 hijabs are聽light and versatile, have聽no fringes to deal with, and are聽easy to put on. The only downside is that there鈥檚 too little material around the neck, so it has a tendency to come loose while I鈥檓 running. Asiya hijabs also have that聽鈥渆gg-headed鈥� look, so I wear them under a cap.

Surprisingly, it鈥檚 the non-hijab headgear that I find works best. are often my go-to choice for everyday runs. They鈥檙e versatile and easy to put on聽and, honestly, the best I鈥檝e found as far as aesthetics go. Top one with a hat and high-collared top and I鈥檓 good to go. Besides, I can find them at any running shop.

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