Nike continues their dedication to the LGBTQ community with the release of this year's BETRUE collection. Having began in 2012 as a grassroots effort by a group of Nike employees, the collection was started as a way to connect to all athletes and provide equal access to sports. Since then, they've provided approximately $2.5 million in support to LGBTQ causes.
"The key for us was to create something that people could unite around to show their support for LGBTQ athletes," says Robert Goman, LBGT Network Leader at Nike, of the new collection. "Sporting your rainbow in the gym or on a run became a way to feel like you belonged to something larger--you were connected to being 'out' or being an ally. The rainbow has and always will be incorporated into the BETRUE product in some way."
With a turbulent political and social climate, this year's Pride is as important as ever. And with the recent death of Gilbert Baker, designer of the rainbow flag, what better way to show that Pride in the most classic way we know how?
Related | LGBT Flag Designer Gilbert Baker Has Died
The 2017 collection takes inspiration from the rainbow flag, as well as other prominent symbols of Pride. Triangles, the color pink, and the phrases, "RUN FIERCE" and "BEEN TRUE" are used throughout the designs. It also includes the first eight-color, HD rainbow Swoosh design (on the Nike Flyknit Racer) and the first rainbow VaporMax Air unit (on the NikeLab Air VaporMax Flyknit).
The 2017 Nike BETRUE collection will be available June 1, online and in global retail locations.
