Why North Korean Soccer Players Are Wearing Nike Cleats: A Surprising Twist in the AFC Women’s Champions League
Daniel Kim Views
On May 19, North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Team, in South Korea for an AFC Women’s Champions League semifinal, opened a public training session that caught observers off guard: a large number of players were wearing Nike soccer cleats.
Nike, the U.S.-based sports giant, drew the most attention, though a few players wore Germany’s Adidas. In a country where anti-American sentiment is practically official policy, seeing so many athletes in Nike boots felt notably incongruous.
At the recent U-17 Women’s Asian Cup, one member of North Korea’s squad wore Asics cleats. That team defeated Japan in the final, became national heroes and even held a car parade in Pyongyang on the 19th.
Still, sports often operate apart from geopolitics. Iran’s national team, despite more than 40 years of hostility with the U.S., has also been seen in Nike. When talented young athletes have the chance to excel, governments should support them. If a particular brand helps performance, let them wear it—Nike or Asics—and recognize the footwear craftsmanship coming out of the U.S. and Japan.
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