Nike targets increasingly active women's sports clothing market

Nike has vowed to remove social barriers and promote women's sneaker culture, as the female sportswear market grows steadily.

"Girls in sneakers have no future," said Dai Yitian, a 27-year-old female fashion design student, on social media. Her mindset reflects the stereotype that girls should wear dresses and heels, and sportswear is mainly for male consumers, a mindset Nike is tackling head on.

One of the best-known global sportswear makers, Nike said it can only agree to disagree. Vanessa Garcia-Brito, Nike's vice-president of purpose communications, said the company is determined to help China to define women's sneaker culture.