• Welcome to Your Jockstraps

    Your Jockstraps is a full-featured website featuring discussion forums, galleries, profiles, search capabilities and a robust private message system to converse with other like-minded guys who are into jockstraps.

    While you are more than welcome to enjoy the site as a guest, the real fun begins when you register and become a member. And just in case you're wondering, Your Jockstraps is and always will be 100% free.

    The website may appear daunting but trust me, once you get used to it, it will feel like home in no-time. As a start, be sure to read my post in the News and Announcements Forum . There's lots of help available in the FAQ Pages and if you still can't figure something out, then post a question in the Questions, Help and Support Forum and I'll do my best to help you.

    When you do join, don't forget to spend some time setting up your Profile, it's your home. Upload a profile photo and be sure to fill in some of the Account Details as what you fill in will appear on your Profile Page under the About tab.

  • Raw Studio Blue Collar Leather Jocks at   Jockstrap Central
    Raw Studio Blue Collar Leather Jocks
    Don't forget to use discount code YOURJOCKSTRAPS to get 10% off any non-sale items.

Regular Jockstraps/Athletic Supports In Stores

Racemic

Jockstrap Fan
In the recent past I was visiting a locally owned sports store where I checked out the jockstraps. It was quite stimulating to examine the store selection of 30+ different jockstraps, cup supporters and protective cups. There was quite a variety of strap styles, supporter shorts and high end goalie cups.
 

Baseball Jock

Jockstrap Fan
Back in the late 80's and well into the 90's I used to love going to the local sporting goods store and buying my 7 new jockstraps for the fall season of playing sports. The again in spring since I needed new ones. Kind of like buying your books. They were always BIKE since that is what we had in the area. I would toss them on the counter, start opening the boxes and later on clam shells to check the sizes. It was always a male at the counter and he would join in on the verification of sizing. Sure there were T-Shirts, short and sweats as well but I love it that it was no big deal I was buying 7 jockstraps. After HS and Collage I would still go strap shopping since mine got abused. SportsMart which became Sports Authority had a huge wall of BIKE jockstraps, cups and everything they made related to jock support/protection. Recently I went into a sporting goods store and all they had were cups or cup supporters. I just ask do any stores in your area still sell a traditional jockstrap?
Just yesterday I went to a very large well known sporting goods store at our mall to get a new black jockstrap. Would you believe after searching two levels of this store devoted solely to sporting goods I saw not one jockstrap?! They did have maybe a dozen or so different cups/supporters in the section with the football gear and some of those were pretty cool, but I was looking for just a traditional jockstrap. A guy working there asked if he could help me find anything and I said yeah, I'm looking for just a jockstrap, would like a black one and don't need a cup. Believe it or not he said they didn't have any! He did mention that someone else had recently asked for a plain jockstrap. Maybe if we all started asking they would carry them again.
 

jocksnsocks2002

Jocksnsocks2002
I am a new member to the site, and I am grateful for the privilege.
I was a varsity athlete in high school and in college, served in the military, and coached both high school and collegiate men's contact sports for many years. I have been strapped in a jock for my entire life, and would like to share some thoughts with you about the significant change in attitude and therefore purchase/availability of jockstraps across the general public.
My appreciation is genuine to the online purveyors of top quality athletic supporters.

I think that many people have forgotten about the critical fact that athletic supporters are part of Preventative Sports Medicine. Many of us have recollections of our first jockstrap coinciding with our individual transformation during puberty (sixth and seventh grades). It is during that very important time in a young man's life that his testicles are evolving, and the athletic supporter is designed specifically to assist in the safe development of the genitalia as much as it is to prevent injury (and even lifelong damage).

As the testes are descending, the cords must be prevented from entanglement. The medical design of the athletic supporter's pouch focuses upon protecting the two testicles from crisscrossing their respective cords. How? When worn properly, the supporter secures the two testicles safely in the bottom of the pouch, and significantly minimizes the risk that the internal cords will become twisted. If the cords are twisted, then the vital flow of oxygen/blood is impeded. In common parlance, the catastrophe is called "blue balls", and left untreated can eventually diminish the ability to produce healthy sperm.

Exercise including running, weight lifting, contact sports, and in fact many other strenuous activities such as outdoor work (especially when shoveling or moving plants or walking for quite some time behind a vibrating lawn mower) can likewise place the testicles at risk. Regular underwear and the modern spandex shorts/tights are not designed as a form of preventative sports medicine support, and certainly the practice of not wearing anything underneath when exercising is dangerous for many reasons.

The much applauded earlier generation of Bike supporters likewise included a particular mesh in the pouch. This is also an important design feature to regulate heat. As the athlete is perspiring, the temperature surrounding the genitalia rises. An increase in heat can result in spermicide, and so the supporter pouch is designed to regulate the heat-flow and minimize the risk of spermicide.

Why am I writing all of this trivia? The lament because of the disappearance of athletic supporters in most public venues such as sporting goods stores must include a serious discussion about preventative sports medicine. In the 1960s, it was none other than the President's Council on Sports and Health which regularly issued advice that all young men should wear an athletic supporter. Millions of jockstraps were sold through many stores as the youth of America adhered to the sage advice from the federal government regarding personal hygiene and preventative measures to minimize injuries.

I therefore ask the readership, and particularly those of you who are trained in medicine as well as though of you who have a professional background in sales/marketing, to re-introduce the youth of the America to the sports medicine benefits of wearing an athletic supporter. If we are able, in concert, to create a public relations campaign to bring awareness to parents and to athletes about the critical use and the masculine benefits of wearing a properly constructed jockstrap, then just as we recall from the 1960s, we might do so much more good for the newest generation of athletes by minimizing the risk of genital injury and even complications such as low sperm count and erectile dysfunction.

Yes, the jockstrap has an erotic side to it, and yes, many of us look back to our younger days with great fondness for that simple garment which represented a true rite of passage. Therefore, we have an even greater responsibility to teach, to instruct, to train, to educate the next generation in the same way that we ourselves were trained (inspections included for many of us) in order to return the jockstrap to its proper and paramount position in athleticism.

Thank you.
 

Oldschoolbiketen

Jockstrap Fan
I am a new member to the site, and I am grateful for the privilege.
I was a varsity athlete in high school and in college, served in the military, and coached both high school and collegiate men's contact sports for many years. I have been strapped in a jock for my entire life, and would like to share some thoughts with you about the significant change in attitude and therefore purchase/availability of jockstraps across the general public.
My appreciation is genuine to the online purveyors of top quality athletic supporters.

I think that many people have forgotten about the critical fact that athletic supporters are part of Preventative Sports Medicine. Many of us have recollections of our first jockstrap coinciding with our individual transformation during puberty (sixth and seventh grades). It is during that very important time in a young man's life that his testicles are evolving, and the athletic supporter is designed specifically to assist in the safe development of the genitalia as much as it is to prevent injury (and even lifelong damage).

As the testes are descending, the cords must be prevented from entanglement. The medical design of the athletic supporter's pouch focuses upon protecting the two testicles from crisscrossing their respective cords. How? When worn properly, the supporter secures the two testicles safely in the bottom of the pouch, and significantly minimizes the risk that the internal cords will become twisted. If the cords are twisted, then the vital flow of oxygen/blood is impeded. In common parlance, the catastrophe is called "blue balls", and left untreated can eventually diminish the ability to produce healthy sperm.

Exercise including running, weight lifting, contact sports, and in fact many other strenuous activities such as outdoor work (especially when shoveling or moving plants or walking for quite some time behind a vibrating lawn mower) can likewise place the testicles at risk. Regular underwear and the modern spandex shorts/tights are not designed as a form of preventative sports medicine support, and certainly the practice of not wearing anything underneath when exercising is dangerous for many reasons.

The much applauded earlier generation of Bike supporters likewise included a particular mesh in the pouch. This is also an important design feature to regulate heat. As the athlete is perspiring, the temperature surrounding the genitalia rises. An increase in heat can result in spermicide, and so the supporter pouch is designed to regulate the heat-flow and minimize the risk of spermicide.

Why am I writing all of this trivia? The lament because of the disappearance of athletic supporters in most public venues such as sporting goods stores must include a serious discussion about preventative sports medicine. In the 1960s, it was none other than the President's Council on Sports and Health which regularly issued advice that all young men should wear an athletic supporter. Millions of jockstraps were sold through many stores as the youth of America adhered to the sage advice from the federal government regarding personal hygiene and preventative measures to minimize injuries.

I therefore ask the readership, and particularly those of you who are trained in medicine as well as though of you who have a professional background in sales/marketing, to re-introduce the youth of the America to the sports medicine benefits of wearing an athletic supporter. If we are able, in concert, to create a public relations campaign to bring awareness to parents and to athletes about the critical use and the masculine benefits of wearing a properly constructed jockstrap, then just as we recall from the 1960s, we might do so much more good for the newest generation of athletes by minimizing the risk of genital injury and even complications such as low sperm count and erectile dysfunction.

Yes, the jockstrap has an erotic side to it, and yes, many of us look back to our younger days with great fondness for that simple garment which represented a true rite of passage. Therefore, we have an even greater responsibility to teach, to instruct, to train, to educate the next generation in the same way that we ourselves were trained (inspections included for many of us) in order to return the jockstrap to its proper and paramount position in athleticism.

Thank you.
Mike drop!
 

CoachBob

Jockstrap Fan
I am a new member to the site, and I am grateful for the privilege.
I was a varsity athlete in high school and in college, served in the military, and coached both high school and collegiate men's contact sports for many years. I have been strapped in a jock for my entire life, and would like to share some thoughts with you about the significant change in attitude and therefore purchase/availability of jockstraps across the general public.
My appreciation is genuine to the online purveyors of top quality athletic supporters.

I think that many people have forgotten about the critical fact that athletic supporters are part of Preventative Sports Medicine. Many of us have recollections of our first jockstrap coinciding with our individual transformation during puberty (sixth and seventh grades). It is during that very important time in a young man's life that his testicles are evolving, and the athletic supporter is designed specifically to assist in the safe development of the genitalia as much as it is to prevent injury (and even lifelong damage).

As the testes are descending, the cords must be prevented from entanglement. The medical design of the athletic supporter's pouch focuses upon protecting the two testicles from crisscrossing their respective cords. How? When worn properly, the supporter secures the two testicles safely in the bottom of the pouch, and significantly minimizes the risk that the internal cords will become twisted. If the cords are twisted, then the vital flow of oxygen/blood is impeded. In common parlance, the catastrophe is called "blue balls", and left untreated can eventually diminish the ability to produce healthy sperm.

Exercise including running, weight lifting, contact sports, and in fact many other strenuous activities such as outdoor work (especially when shoveling or moving plants or walking for quite some time behind a vibrating lawn mower) can likewise place the testicles at risk. Regular underwear and the modern spandex shorts/tights are not designed as a form of preventative sports medicine support, and certainly the practice of not wearing anything underneath when exercising is dangerous for many reasons.

The much applauded earlier generation of Bike supporters likewise included a particular mesh in the pouch. This is also an important design feature to regulate heat. As the athlete is perspiring, the temperature surrounding the genitalia rises. An increase in heat can result in spermicide, and so the supporter pouch is designed to regulate the heat-flow and minimize the risk of spermicide.

Why am I writing all of this trivia? The lament because of the disappearance of athletic supporters in most public venues such as sporting goods stores must include a serious discussion about preventative sports medicine. In the 1960s, it was none other than the President's Council on Sports and Health which regularly issued advice that all young men should wear an athletic supporter. Millions of jockstraps were sold through many stores as the youth of America adhered to the sage advice from the federal government regarding personal hygiene and preventative measures to minimize injuries.

I therefore ask the readership, and particularly those of you who are trained in medicine as well as though of you who have a professional background in sales/marketing, to re-introduce the youth of the America to the sports medicine benefits of wearing an athletic supporter. If we are able, in concert, to create a public relations campaign to bring awareness to parents and to athletes about the critical use and the masculine benefits of wearing a properly constructed jockstrap, then just as we recall from the 1960s, we might do so much more good for the newest generation of athletes by minimizing the risk of genital injury and even complications such as low sperm count and erectile dysfunction.

Yes, the jockstrap has an erotic side to it, and yes, many of us look back to our younger days with great fondness for that simple garment which represented a true rite of passage. Therefore, we have an even greater responsibility to teach, to instruct, to train, to educate the next generation in the same way that we ourselves were trained (inspections included for many of us) in order to return the jockstrap to its proper and paramount position in athleticism.

Thank you.
Jocksnsocks, your essay regarding the injury preventative benefits of wearing a jock sounds like a parroted recital of some of the promotional sales information of the supporter manufacturers from the 50's and 60's. While I don't disagree that testicle torsion and fatigue are greatly reduced with athletic support, valid question could be offered as to whether this is an aging, rather than youth issue. In my present geriatric physique, although I don't claim that I am endowed with "knee knockers" my testicles do in fact hang noticeably lower than in my younger years, particularly in my junior high and high school age. Having taught PE and coached for a few years, from locker room observations alone I feel emboldened to opine that the 50's and 60's insistence that jockstraps be worn, might have been a bit overblown. If you peruse my postings at https://twitter.com/Coachbo66389694 you will find school PE requirements demanding supports be worn by boys as young as 3rd and 4th grade ( 8 and 9 years old) . Well, I'll simple opine that pre-puberal boys, with minimal testicle drop probably ad little need for the mandatory PE class jockstraps.

That said, what per cent of current youth are really exposed to exercise, running, weight lifting, contact sports and strenuous activities? When I studied my PE degree undergraduate courses, the emphasis was to emulate Stan LeProtti's Sierra High School physical fitness program which involved all students doing 15 minutes of vigorous calisthenics, followed by a mile or mile 1/2 run each PE class. Were supporters appropriate in such programs? Sure, but I challenge you to look at the current school PE programs (assuming the school district still has a PE program) and compare. Following implementation of Title IX, the coed PE classes are mostly nothing more than social get togethers. They don;t have showers, as no student breaks a sweat, and asking the class to walk a lap around the track is almost considered abusive.

I don't offer this response in effort to demean your advice. To the contrary I enjoy enlightened debate on jockstraps and physical fitness. I am currently assembling some photos and information regarding the evolution of jockstraps in the military and hope to share them on my twitter and tumblr blogs in the near future. I haven't figured out exactly how to caption to photos at this site, but perhaps Jon can offer suggestions.

Stay strapped, or whatever. Bob.
 

uncle101

Jockstrap Fan
Back in the late 80's and well into the 90's I used to love going to the local sporting goods store and buying my 7 new jockstraps for the fall season of playing sports. The again in spring since I needed new ones. Kind of like buying your books. They were always BIKE since that is what we had in the area. I would toss them on the counter, start opening the boxes and later on clam shells to check the sizes. It was always a male at the counter and he would join in on the verification of sizing. Sure there were T-Shirts, short and sweats as well but I love it that it was no big deal I was buying 7 jockstraps. After HS and Collage I would still go strap shopping since mine got abused. SportsMart which became Sports Authority had a huge wall of BIKE jockstraps, cups and everything they made related to jock support/protection. Recently I went into a sporting goods store and all they had were cups or cup supporters. I just ask do any stores in your area still sell a traditional jockstrap?
I loved those days in High school to replace my jocks at any sports store with Bike #10 regular jocks and the store i was at had Mc David swimmer jocks back then in 1974-77.

Now it like all you see is very limited choices of a regular jockstrap . Most of the cups are sold separately to be put in sliding shorts, compression shorts for teens and adults. Youth boys get stuck with jockbriefs or compression shorts for thier only options unless you find your boys proper jocks online for them. Most boys still think jockstraps are too Gay for them they hate the idea they have to show off stripping naked and then slipping on a strap and worry about thier bare butt even if you get a boy to wear one.
 

jocksnsocks2002

Jocksnsocks2002
Dear Bob,

Thank you for your reply and for all of the information. I am not from the United States, but had the privilege to attend school in your country during the 1970s where I was introduced to the jockstrap. I was unaware that I was parroting promotional ads; the information I wrote was told to me by my grandfather and father, both of whom were physicians, though perhaps they also were aware of the same medical evidence from the United States which was used to create the promotional ads? In all events, I appreciate all of the information, and I commend you for compiling the photographs and archival materials regarding the history and the use of athletic supporters. I look forward to viewing the information as it becomes available. Once again, thank you for providing the important details. These forums are a wonderful way for people to share and to learn.
 

packedstrap

Jockstrap Fan
I am an old school jockstrap guy. A Bike 3" jockstrap takes care of all daily and workout activities. For some sports you may want to pull on a cup supporter unit as well. Today I was working and wearing my 90's Bike 7117. Then when I got up to get away from my desk I saw the 3 days of Bike 7117s from the 90's I had worn. One was hanging perfectly from the leg strap. The pouch looked like was molded by a cup. Seeing the three while straps there made me always reach into my shorts and play with my junk. My preference for jockstraps comes from a time when all dudes wore jockstraps. When you went to the sporting goods store they had sports gear. They also made the local HS and Collage local team jerseys. They did not sell golf clubs, tents, or yard toys. Just gear for sports and the only choice of underwear was a jockstrap. You had Bike straps, cups, cup supporters and no compression shorts. Sliding shorts but nothing else. It was man's land just like the locker room where everyone stripped down, put on gear, walked around in jocks, and did not care if anyone saw you naked or strapped. While at the store you could toss a pile of jockstraps on the counter with your gear and they would assist with verifying the size of everything.
 

jocksnsocks2002

Jocksnsocks2002
A generation ago, I had the opportunity to speak with an executive officer at Bike (Russell at that point, but Bike was held as an autonomous trademark). Using the metaphor which became the title of a movie, the executive described "the perfect storm" which effectively wiped out the several generations of our understanding, familiarity, and comfort with jockstraps and locker rooms in general.

Relying upon the depiction in "Father knows best" and "Leave it to Beaver", the bequest of a jockstrap was a "rite of passage" between a father and a son. High school sports programs sent home check-lists for gear, and "athletic supporter" was prominent. Until the mid-1970s, American youth faced the real possibility of entering military service in which jockstraps were likewise issued/required.

Jockstraps were quintessential in sports and the military, and many of you will concur that when we were mowing the lawns or riding bikes in the neighborhood or swimming, the first thing on and the last thing off was a jockstrap.

The executive then dramatically swept his hand as if to brush all of that aside. He said that starting in the 1990s, divorce was diminished in its social taboo. More and more households were single-parent and mostly single-Mom. The executive opined that jockstraps were part of the "male preserve", and consequently, with more mothers now responsible for parenting in total, there was less emphasis - indeed, he used the word "squeamishness" - on the part of Mom-oriented homes. Apparently, stereotypes aside, while Moms had kindly washed jockstraps for Dad and sons for the generations before, suddenly Moms were reluctant to actually initiate the purchase of a jockstrap.

Bike quickly shifted focus to what is now called the "compression short". The executive said that after the marketing department had conducted its meticulous research, Moms were more comfortable buying a garment which resembled boxers, rather than the jockstrap which clearly is designed to protect masculinity. Compression shorts could be laundered and dried just like regular underwear, and within a short number of years, jockstrap sales plummeted though compression short sales increased.

The next proverbial shoe to fall was based upon a series of incriminating news articles. While many people hear about paedophilia in the context of the Roman Catholic Church, statistically, priests are actually near the bottom of the list in terms of molestation of young boys. The number one culprit? Yep, high school football coaches. The fetish "I'll do anything to stay on the team, Coach" is based on a very sad and violent reality. The difference in the 1990s is that high school and college programs were quick to pay out cash settlements, so that the revenue-generating varsity programs would not be compromised.

In response, locker rooms and locker room behavior were radically changed. The "gang showers" that so many of us used in sports and in the military were now replaced with individual showers and shower curtains to protect the student's privacy. The often maligned "jockstrap inspection" was surreptitiously prohibited. Coaches were not allowed to enter the locker rooms as the students were changing before or after practice.

And the next issue was funding. In the aftermath of the "Title Nine" findings, many sports budgets had to be significantly adjusted to now apportion equally funding to both girls' and boys' athletics. The inventories of jockstraps as well as other physical education kit and gear were eventually depleted as the budgets were reapportioned. In theory, Americans respect equality, but in reality, it was a death-knell to the equipment room inventories of many boys' and young men's athletic departments.

Some of the gentlemen who visit jockstrap websites are my contemporaries, having been raised with open locker rooms, jockstraps by the bin-full, coaches wandering through the benches, and that bottom drawer in your older brother's dressing chest. I will never say that we must now bask in just memories.

Instead, I will continue to pound the drum that while there may have been a "perfect dark storm" a generation ago, then it is up to all of US - yes, all of us! - to create a perfect, proactive and beneficial movement to (re)-introduce and (re)instate jockstraps to our children and grandchildren's generation.

There were a few articles printed in widely circulated journals, and the authors were definitely opposed to jockstraps. With all of the talent among all of YOU, Gentlemen, why are we smiting our breasts (among other repetitive physical actions) when we should be countermanding those few articles which seem to have fed into the anti-jockstrap sentiment today?

How many bona fide (yes, every pun intended) doctors of medicine read these websites, who could prepare upstanding, medically-verified articles to emphasize the sports medicine reasons for wearing an athletic supporter? Protective cups have their function to block direct impact, but regular jockstraps also function to reduce fatigue, to minimize scrotal injury, and to regulate sperm-killing heat.

Like so many of you, I commend the moderator, John Taite, for not only creating this website, but for establishing such an important company through which we are able to purchase jockstraps. How can we help John to increase his sales ten-fold, and how can we (re)store the main sporting goods purveyors with a full wall of jockstraps?

I remain convinced that unless and until we, as a group, challenge the mainline media with articles which show the medical importance of strapping on a jock, and yes, to find the financial wherewithal to have prominent athletes publicly promote (either through advertisements or through interviews) their use of jockstraps (think of Joe Namath back in the day, with the Bike logo prominently showing through his unlaced football pants!), then these pages on the website will sadly remain in a nostalgic loop.

I, for one, would prefer that millions of young athletes be properly jocked.

What are your thoughts?
 

CumStainedJocks

Jockstrap Fan
A generation ago, I had the opportunity to speak with an executive officer at Bike (Russell at that point, but Bike was held as an autonomous trademark). Using the metaphor which became the title of a movie, the executive described "the perfect storm" which effectively wiped out the several generations of our understanding, familiarity, and comfort with jockstraps and locker rooms in general.

Relying upon the depiction in "Father knows best" and "Leave it to Beaver", the bequest of a jockstrap was a "rite of passage" between a father and a son. High school sports programs sent home check-lists for gear, and "athletic supporter" was prominent. Until the mid-1970s, American youth faced the real possibility of entering military service in which jockstraps were likewise issued/required.

Jockstraps were quintessential in sports and the military, and many of you will concur that when we were mowing the lawns or riding bikes in the neighborhood or swimming, the first thing on and the last thing off was a jockstrap.

The executive then dramatically swept his hand as if to brush all of that aside. He said that starting in the 1990s, divorce was diminished in its social taboo. More and more households were single-parent and mostly single-Mom. The executive opined that jockstraps were part of the "male preserve", and consequently, with more mothers now responsible for parenting in total, there was less emphasis - indeed, he used the word "squeamishness" - on the part of Mom-oriented homes. Apparently, stereotypes aside, while Moms had kindly washed jockstraps for Dad and sons for the generations before, suddenly Moms were reluctant to actually initiate the purchase of a jockstrap.

Bike quickly shifted focus to what is now called the "compression short". The executive said that after the marketing department had conducted its meticulous research, Moms were more comfortable buying a garment which resembled boxers, rather than the jockstrap which clearly is designed to protect masculinity. Compression shorts could be laundered and dried just like regular underwear, and within a short number of years, jockstrap sales plummeted though compression short sales increased.

The next proverbial shoe to fall was based upon a series of incriminating news articles. While many people hear about paedophilia in the context of the Roman Catholic Church, statistically, priests are actually near the bottom of the list in terms of molestation of young boys. The number one culprit? Yep, high school football coaches. The fetish "I'll do anything to stay on the team, Coach" is based on a very sad and violent reality. The difference in the 1990s is that high school and college programs were quick to pay out cash settlements, so that the revenue-generating varsity programs would not be compromised.

In response, locker rooms and locker room behavior were radically changed. The "gang showers" that so many of us used in sports and in the military were now replaced with individual showers and shower curtains to protect the student's privacy. The often maligned "jockstrap inspection" was surreptitiously prohibited. Coaches were not allowed to enter the locker rooms as the students were changing before or after practice.

And the next issue was funding. In the aftermath of the "Title Nine" findings, many sports budgets had to be significantly adjusted to now apportion equally funding to both girls' and boys' athletics. The inventories of jockstraps as well as other physical education kit and gear were eventually depleted as the budgets were reapportioned. In theory, Americans respect equality, but in reality, it was a death-knell to the equipment room inventories of many boys' and young men's athletic departments.

Some of the gentlemen who visit jockstrap websites are my contemporaries, having been raised with open locker rooms, jockstraps by the bin-full, coaches wandering through the benches, and that bottom drawer in your older brother's dressing chest. I will never say that we must now bask in just memories.

Instead, I will continue to pound the drum that while there may have been a "perfect dark storm" a generation ago, then it is up to all of US - yes, all of us! - to create a perfect, proactive and beneficial movement to (re)-introduce and (re)instate jockstraps to our children and grandchildren's generation.

There were a few articles printed in widely circulated journals, and the authors were definitely opposed to jockstraps. With all of the talent among all of YOU, Gentlemen, why are we smiting our breasts (among other repetitive physical actions) when we should be countermanding those few articles which seem to have fed into the anti-jockstrap sentiment today?

How many bona fide (yes, every pun intended) doctors of medicine read these websites, who could prepare upstanding, medically-verified articles to emphasize the sports medicine reasons for wearing an athletic supporter? Protective cups have their function to block direct impact, but regular jockstraps also function to reduce fatigue, to minimize scrotal injury, and to regulate sperm-killing heat.

Like so many of you, I commend the moderator, John Taite, for not only creating this website, but for establishing such an important company through which we are able to purchase jockstraps. How can we help John to increase his sales ten-fold, and how can we (re)store the main sporting goods purveyors with a full wall of jockstraps?

I remain convinced that unless and until we, as a group, challenge the mainline media with articles which show the medical importance of strapping on a jock, and yes, to find the financial wherewithal to have prominent athletes publicly promote (either through advertisements or through interviews) their use of jockstraps (think of Joe Namath back in the day, with the Bike logo prominently showing through his unlaced football pants!), then these pages on the website will sadly remain in a nostalgic loop.

I, for one, would prefer that millions of young athletes be properly jocked.

What are your thoughts?
Agree 1000% - doing my part to promote the jock brotherhood.
 

Magisterludi92234

Jockstrap Fan
Back in the late 80's and well into the 90's I used to love going to the local sporting goods store and buying my 7 new jockstraps for the fall season of playing sports. The again in spring since I needed new ones. Kind of like buying your books. They were always BIKE since that is what we had in the area. I would toss them on the counter, start opening the boxes and later on clam shells to check the sizes. It was always a male at the counter and he would join in on the verification of sizing. Sure there were T-Shirts, short and sweats as well but I love it that it was no big deal I was buying 7 jockstraps. After HS and Collage I would still go strap shopping since mine got abused. SportsMart which became Sports Authority had a huge wall of BIKE jockstraps, cups and everything they made related to jock support/protection. Recently I went into a sporting goods store and all they had were cups or cup supporters. I just ask do any stores in your area still sell a traditional jockstrap?
Sadly, no. This Ritual of Manhood has seemingly passed away along with Communal showers at health clubs. Woe is us.....
 

CoachBob

Jockstrap Fan
Agree 1000% - doing my part to promote the jock brotherhood.

A generation ago, I had the opportunity to speak with an executive officer at Bike (Russell at that point, but Bike was held as an autonomous trademark). Using the metaphor which became the title of a movie, the executive described "the perfect storm" which effectively wiped out the several generations of our understanding, familiarity, and comfort with jockstraps and locker rooms in general.

Relying upon the depiction in "Father knows best" and "Leave it to Beaver", the bequest of a jockstrap was a "rite of passage" between a father and a son. High school sports programs sent home check-lists for gear, and "athletic supporter" was prominent. Until the mid-1970s, American youth faced the real possibility of entering military service in which jockstraps were likewise issued/required.

Jockstraps were quintessential in sports and the military, and many of you will concur that when we were mowing the lawns or riding bikes in the neighborhood or swimming, the first thing on and the last thing off was a jockstrap.

The executive then dramatically swept his hand as if to brush all of that aside. He said that starting in the 1990s, divorce was diminished in its social taboo. More and more households were single-parent and mostly single-Mom. The executive opined that jockstraps were part of the "male preserve", and consequently, with more mothers now responsible for parenting in total, there was less emphasis - indeed, he used the word "squeamishness" - on the part of Mom-oriented homes. Apparently, stereotypes aside, while Moms had kindly washed jockstraps for Dad and sons for the generations before, suddenly Moms were reluctant to actually initiate the purchase of a jockstrap.

Bike quickly shifted focus to what is now called the "compression short". The executive said that after the marketing department had conducted its meticulous research, Moms were more comfortable buying a garment which resembled boxers, rather than the jockstrap which clearly is designed to protect masculinity. Compression shorts could be laundered and dried just like regular underwear, and within a short number of years, jockstrap sales plummeted though compression short sales increased.

The next proverbial shoe to fall was based upon a series of incriminating news articles. While many people hear about paedophilia in the context of the Roman Catholic Church, statistically, priests are actually near the bottom of the list in terms of molestation of young boys. The number one culprit? Yep, high school football coaches. The fetish "I'll do anything to stay on the team, Coach" is based on a very sad and violent reality. The difference in the 1990s is that high school and college programs were quick to pay out cash settlements, so that the revenue-generating varsity programs would not be compromised.

In response, locker rooms and locker room behavior were radically changed. The "gang showers" that so many of us used in sports and in the military were now replaced with individual showers and shower curtains to protect the student's privacy. The often maligned "jockstrap inspection" was surreptitiously prohibited. Coaches were not allowed to enter the locker rooms as the students were changing before or after practice.

And the next issue was funding. In the aftermath of the "Title Nine" findings, many sports budgets had to be significantly adjusted to now apportion equally funding to both girls' and boys' athletics. The inventories of jockstraps as well as other physical education kit and gear were eventually depleted as the budgets were reapportioned. In theory, Americans respect equality, but in reality, it was a death-knell to the equipment room inventories of many boys' and young men's athletic departments.

Some of the gentlemen who visit jockstrap websites are my contemporaries, having been raised with open locker rooms, jockstraps by the bin-full, coaches wandering through the benches, and that bottom drawer in your older brother's dressing chest. I will never say that we must now bask in just memories.

Instead, I will continue to pound the drum that while there may have been a "perfect dark storm" a generation ago, then it is up to all of US - yes, all of us! - to create a perfect, proactive and beneficial movement to (re)-introduce and (re)instate jockstraps to our children and grandchildren's generation.

There were a few articles printed in widely circulated journals, and the authors were definitely opposed to jockstraps. With all of the talent among all of YOU, Gentlemen, why are we smiting our breasts (among other repetitive physical actions) when we should be countermanding those few articles which seem to have fed into the anti-jockstrap sentiment today?

How many bona fide (yes, every pun intended) doctors of medicine read these websites, who could prepare upstanding, medically-verified articles to emphasize the sports medicine reasons for wearing an athletic supporter? Protective cups have their function to block direct impact, but regular jockstraps also function to reduce fatigue, to minimize scrotal injury, and to regulate sperm-killing heat.

Like so many of you, I commend the moderator, John Taite, for not only creating this website, but for establishing such an important company through which we are able to purchase jockstraps. How can we help John to increase his sales ten-fold, and how can we (re)store the main sporting goods purveyors with a full wall of jockstraps?

I remain convinced that unless and until we, as a group, challenge the mainline media with articles which show the medical importance of strapping on a jock, and yes, to find the financial wherewithal to have prominent athletes publicly promote (either through advertisements or through interviews) their use of jockstraps (think of Joe Namath back in the day, with the Bike logo prominently showing through his unlaced football pants!), then these pages on the website will sadly remain in a nostalgic loop.

I, for one, would prefer that millions of young athletes be properly jocked.

What are your thoughts?
Jocksnsocks, accolades for your insightful essay. I enjoy dialogue and reminiscences regarding jockstraps and appreciate that Jockstrap Central provides this forum for such discussion. I fully understand that unlike my marketing experiences of decades ago, John does not open his inbox daily anticipating orders of for 40 school-packs of regular supporters. and that since his customer niche is mainly gay male oriented, so be it.

You made passing mention of "Title Nine", and I'll offer that Title 9 likely had influence on the demise of jockstraps in physical education classes, much the same as it did in sports. Prior to the 1970's, PE classes were segregated by gender. Men taught boys PE, and women taught the girls classes. Gender specific PE uniforms typically specified that boys wear jockstraps and girls sports bras. With the passing of Title 9, the PE classes largely became mixed gender, and the PE teachers could be of either sex. Although female PE teachers for boys PE classes were not totally unheard of prior to Title 9, it was no doubt awkward for a female teacher to conduct "jock checks", and it would have been totally unacceptable for male teachers to enforce a sports bra regulation, by any means.

I am compelled to reflect on you comment regarding coaches being barred from entering the locker room. Prior to Title 9, PE teachers and sports coaches typically had their offices IN the locker rooms. It was not uncommon that each office had windows overlooking both the locker room corridors, but also the group showers, and in many PE programs, it was often the PE teacher who handed out towels and took shower attendance as each boy completed the mandatory shower. Despite Title 9, I simply could not see a female PE teacher assuming that role, and obviously male teachers would probably find themselves in jail if they performed towel duty in girls locker rooms.

Bob
 
Last edited:

CumStainedJocks

Jockstrap Fan
Jocksnsocks, accolades for your insightful essay. I enjoy dialogue and reminiscences regarding jockstraps and appreciate that Jockstrap Central provides this forum for such discussion. I fully understand that unlike my marketing experiences of decades ago, John does not open his inbox daily anticipating orders of for 40 school-packs of regular supporters. and that since his customer niche is mainly gay male oriented, so be it.

You made passing mention of "Title Nine", and I'll offer that Title 9 likely had influence on the demise of jockstraps in physical education classes, much the same as it did in sports. Prior to the 1970's, PE classes were segregated by gender. Men taught boys PE, and women taught the girls classes. Gender specific PE uniforms typically specified that boys wear jockstraps and girls sports bras. With the passing of Title 9, the PE classes largely became mixed gender, and the PE teachers could be of either sex. Although female PE teachers for boys PE classes were not totally unheard of prior to Title 9, it was no doubt awkward for a female teacher to conduct "jock checks", and it would have been totally unacceptable for male teachers to enforce a sports bra regulation, by any means.

I am compelled to reflect on you comment regarding coaches being barred from entering the locker room. Prior to Title 9, PE teachers and sports coaches typically had their offices IN the lockerd rooms. It was not uncommon that each office had windows overlooking both the locker room corridors, but also the group showers, and in many PE programs, it was often the PE teacher who handed out towels and took shower attendance as each boy completed the mandatory shower. Despite Title 9, I simply could not see a female PE teacher assuming that role, and obviously male teachers would probably find themselves in jail if they performed towel duty in girls locker rooms.

Bob
Sad - and true. Let's get committed and re-committed to promoting jocks, jock wearing, jock brotherhood.
 

Alex Bralmy

Jockstrap lover / Bulge worshiper
Being a kid of the 80's jockstraps were sold everywhere. Sporting goods stores, department stores, drug stores, and even some hardware stores. Went into one of the off the mall store to buy two jockstraps. I wanted med since that fit my waist according to size. They only had one but the sales dude offered to have one sent over from another store if wanted to come back. I just said no I am good but he was really ready to have one sent over. I do remember International Male and it really freaked me out when I got home from collage one day to find the catalog on my bed. I can still picture it. I looked at it and it was addressed to my dad. All I thought was WHAT THE F..... Some of the items looked cool but I really remember seeing the underwear section where they had "THE SOCK" a jockstrap without leg straps. I do have some and they support well but I do not think they are made for a workout. I have had jockstrap failure with regular jockstraps and I could see that thing rolling up like a window shade.
So true- a cheap hotel window shade it a fitting description of the Sock. I ordered one and had a bit of fun with it, but it was nowhere near as pleasurable as a proper strap. Now what I really want to hear about is your dad’s subscription to the International Male catalog, and how it happened to find its way to your bed! 😉
 

NavyJock

Jock Quality & Performance Inspector
I used to get the International Male catolog and International Jock, which both have gone away a long time ago. I took a look at that sock thing and was not interested. I got my first compression shorts from Stromgren, from their ad in Athletic Coach, and they made the best ever.
 

NavyJock

Jock Quality & Performance Inspector
I used to get the International Male catolog and International Jock, which both have gone away a long time ago. I took a look at that sock thing and was not interested. I got my first compression shorts from Stromgren, from their ad in Athletic Coach, and they made the best ever.
I recall that Boys Life (you got that if you were a Scout) and Scholastic magazine both routinely ran ads for Bike jocks. In PE in junior high and high school, few guys wore jocks, or took showers, depending instead on the power of Rite
Gard. What pussies. On the other hand, if you were on a school team, cup jocks were strictly required except for track, swimming, and I think, golf. Jocks were required for everything else, except swimming. Camping with the Scouts was a trip. I remember getting up early in the morning and walking the tent lines to see that a lot of guys had their jocks out drying, and a lot also had plastic pants drying next to their jocks.

God bless em, it must really suck to be a bedwetter and have to worry about that camping. I can only assume that diapers or something went with the plastic pants, but I didn't want to pry, so who knows. But better wear whatever, than wet your sleeping bag.
 

Magisterludi92234

Jockstrap Fan
I recall that Boys Life (you got that if you were a Scout) and Scholastic magazine both routinely ran ads for Bike jocks. In PE in junior high and high school, few guys wore jocks, or took showers, depending instead on the power of Rite
Gard. What pussies. On the other hand, if you were on a school team, cup jocks were strictly required except for track, swimming, and I think, golf. Jocks were required for everything else, except swimming. Camping with the Scouts was a trip. I remember getting up early in the morning and walking the tent lines to see that a lot of guys had their jocks out drying, and a lot also had plastic pants drying next to their jocks.

God bless em, it must really suck to be a bedwetter and have to worry about that camping. I can only assume that diapers or something went with the plastic pants, but I didn't want to pry, so who knows. But better wear whatever, than wet your sleeping bag.
I remember ads for BIKE in Boy's Life that read: "Going swimming? Take a BIKE." As a kid I loved looking at that magazine when it had pics of Jamborees with all the scouts in Speedos. Instant "boing"...

Sadly now, friends in three cities in the U.S. who belong to Health Clubs tell me that there are no locker rooms, but private changing rooms, and even if Communal showers/ Lockers are present, guys don't shower but merely take off their long pants or sweats and then put them back on after exercising and go home to shower. They say they haven't seen a guy change into a jockstrap in years; a sad passing of a Rite of Male Bonding.
 

JockularBob

Jockstrap Fan
I don’t think I’ve bought a jock in a store since the 90’s- that was at Target. They had black ones too. A limited selection, but all basic. Only Bike. Which suits me just fine as it was my go to. They recently got back in business again and are marketing (heavily) to a gay market- but in a sport way. They just had a promo for $10 each for a classic #10. (Regular $25) I bought three, they are pretty close to the original- but I would never spend $25 on a simple jock. I prefer function over form- and the “new” Bike seems to be the former more than the latter- but with some classic ones too. I emailed to tell them to bring back coaches shorts. Bike made the best ones, and paired with a classic jock- always a good look and feel. Everything neat and tidy and in place.
 
D

Deleted member 963

Guest
Not sure which sporting goods store i was at, but they had regular jocks, and swimmer jocks, without cups. Though they weren’t bike jocks. Just standard mcdavid jocks. That was a couple years ago though. Haven’t been since cuz I can order everything through jockstrap central. Lol. Though I did take advantage of bike’s new website and ordered one.
When was this? Recent?
 

CoachBob

Jockstrap Fan
I recall that Boys Life (you got that if you were a Scout) and Scholastic magazine both routinely ran ads for Bike jocks. In PE in junior high and high school, few guys wore jocks, or took showers, depending instead on the power of Rite
Gard. What pussies. On the other hand, if you were on a school team, cup jocks were strictly required except for track, swimming, and I think golf

NavyJock, don't entirely rule out a cup requirement for track. I remember calling on a school Athletic Director regarding a contract to refinish the gymnasium floor. He was also the football coach, and a Physical Education instructor for a small town school. At the time we met, he had a high school PE class outside doing track and field activities. We conducted business when he started the 20 or so boys on the track for a mile run to end the class. It didn't take a lot of imagination viewing the bulges on their tight white gym shorts to recognize that the whole class were packing plastic in their jockstraps. Being a helpful salesman, I offered to get him quick delivery of BIKE #59 track and swim supporters for the occasion, but was declined. He told me that in previous years, some of the less coordinated students had experienced some "misfortunes" of having their "man parts" interact with the top bars when running hurdles, so cups stayed in their jocks during PE class track and field activities. I might add that PE classes typically ran only low hurdles, in contrast to interscholastic track where there was also competition in high hurdle races, but I would suspect that athletes sufficiently skilled in the technique to clear high hurdles were content to wear only their regular jocks.
 

SwimmerJock

Jockstrap Fan
I'm in the UK and the majority of sporting goods stores don't sell jockstraps. I buy online, and occasionally from some adult stores that carry a small range of the more fetish types of jockstrap. There's a chain of gay adult stores called Clonezone that have a huge range, sports and fashion jockstraps, fetish types,swimmer jocks,etc. I've bought many jocks in those types of shop too,and any similar stores I come across on my travels.
That said, it’s no wonder that jockstraps have fallen from use in athletics/p.e. for guys in general, and now perceived as fetish gear as gay social and erotic appeal. Otherwise, jockstraps are seen as “old fashion!” Unfortunate that the practicality, use, and comfort of the traditional ”athletic supporter” has not been maintained as a basic for all guys. Part of this is the business/marketing drive to ”reinvent the wheel” by creating new/different products that do the same thing, and then some ! Men‘s support underwear is a classic example of a thousand new variations on the basic need/desire to support a man’s balls and cock…. Something a “Bike 10“ accomplished well, until the marketplace became flooded with a variety of jockstraps and underwear styles. My Dad’s dresser drawer contained about 3 jockstraps (Bub & Bike), about 5 pairs of boxers, and a few pairs of [white] briefs (Jockey or Fruit of the Loom). There was not really much more available then. Now, it seems every dude [in the locker room] wears a different style and brand to “cradle his junk” through the workout, then leaves them on his sweating ass (no shower) for general wear! Our high school P.E. coaches required hitching up a jockstrap for class, then, after showering, the briefs or boxers. It was called basic hygiene! Now, neither gym classes nor showers are required. Times have changed along with the demand for jockstraps.
 
Top