Over the past few years in track & field, Nike has been notorious for fashion propaganda.
Their 2025 publicity stunt surrounding Faith Kipyegon’s attempt to break 4-minutes in the mile was as much a statement of fashion and innovation as it was a celebration of Kipyegon’s immense talent.
Embed from Getty ImagesMore recently, Nike unveiled Keely Hodgkinson’s own superhero catsuit — the “Speed Suit” — which she debuted at Athlos London last month.
Like it always is with Nike, putting Keely Hodgkinson in a catsuit was a chest-pumping moment for the brand to demonstrate their innovation and supposed superiority.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe suit is meant to reduce aerodynamic drag, by influencing the flow of air around the body.
Imagine you’re riding a bike down the road, and the wind keeps slowing you down. Keely’s catsuit would aim to limit how much that wind affects your ability to maintain a consistent speed.
In controlled environments on the track, wind isn’t a big factor. But the gains to be made in something like an 800m event are marginal, and marginal gains can be the half-second difference between winning and losing. So you can’t blame Nike for trying.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat I find most intriguing about Keely’s catsuit is her own involvement and interpretation of wearing the thing en route to another 800m victory.
In the unveiling of the product, Hodgkinson said: “In this speed kit, I feel fast, free-flowing, comfortable and empowered.”
After the race, she told The Independent a similar message: That it was all about looking good and feeling good to win.
Essentially, the suit makes Keely feel like a superhero badass. She then races like a superhero badass.
When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you run more bravely and confidently. You channel your inner superhero or Catwoman all the way to a 2-second gap in an 800m win.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor all the scientific “innovations” behind the suit, the simplest message might be the one that matters most. It simply empowered Keely to feel good, and she felt so good that she won.
Had Keely not been wearing her speed suit, would she have won this race? Probably. She’s one of the best track athletes in the world.
But style, comfort and confidence are all more important to racing than most runners estimate.
In order to boost that confidence and that feel good factor, try out your own version of Keely’s catsuit.
Whether it’s like David Roche with his trademark green shorts, or the likes of Sophia Laukli and Remi Bonnet who almost never race without their sunglasses.
Whatever it is, find your own version.
The gains might be marginal. But as Keely and Nike wanted to demonstrate, marginal gains matter — especially when it comes to confidence.
