After taking up swimming as adults, Soul Cap co-founders Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen realized that existing swim caps weren’t designed for Black swimmers like themselves, who need extra protection from the effects of chlorine and a larger design to accommodate thicker, curlier hair. Their solution: the Soul Cap, which can cover dreadlocks and braids, and aims to make the sport more inclusive. But swimming’s international federation, FINA, banned the caps ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games, saying they did not conform to “the natural form of the head.” In September, after an outcry, FINA reversed its policy. The silicone cap earned a partnership with Adidas the same month.
Buy Now: Soul Cap
Susana Silva
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Succession Was a Race to the Bottom, And Everybody Won
- What Erdoğan’s Victory Means for Turkey—and the World
- Why You Can't Remember That Taylor Swift Concert All Too Well
- How Four Trans Teens Threw the Prom of Their Dreams
- Why Turkey’s Longtime Leader Is an Electoral Powerhouse
- The Ancient Roots of Psychotherapy
- Drought Crisis Spurs U.S.-Mexico Collaboration
- Florence Pugh Might Just Save the Movie Star From Extinction
