A jockstrap (also known as a jock, jock strap, strap, supporter, athletic supporter or posing pouch) is an undergarment originally designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity. More recently, 'fashion jockstraps' have become popular as regular underwear worn by men as an alternative to other styles. Jockstraps for athletic purposes are most commonly worn in North America.
A jockstrap consists of a waistband (usually elastic) with a support pouch for the genitalia and two elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip. The pouch, in some varieties, may be fitted with a pocket to hold an abdominal guard (impact resistant cup, box) to protect the testicles and the penis from injury. Fashion jockstraps follow the design of sports models but appear in a variety of colours and fabrics.
The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys working the cobblestone streets of Boston. In 1897 Bennett's newly formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap. The Bike Web Company later became known as the Bike Company. Today, Bike is still the market leader in jockstrap sales.
The jockstrap was also influential in early 20th-century medicine with the invention of the Heidelberg Electric Belt, a low-voltage electric powered jockstrap that claimed to cure kidney disorders, insomnia, erectile dysfunction, and other ailments. Today, jockstraps are still worn for medical purposes and for recovery from injury or surgery for such conditions as hematocele, hydrocele, or spermatocele.
Guelph Elastic Hosiery (now Protexion Industries) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada improved the jockstrap in 1927 by adding the hard cup.
During the 1980s and 1990s, jockstraps slowly faded away to compression shorts and generally were not required by high schools and colleges. However, in recent years, more and more athletes are turning back to the jockstrap for use in sports and athletic activities.[citation needed] This is reflected in the fact that new brands and companies are introducing their own line of jockstraps, such as Calvin Klein, Shock Doctor, and Under Armour.
There has also been an increase in the number of fashion jockstraps as an alternative to regular underwear. Jockstraps provide support to keep the wearer comfortable and the genitals supported and covered, but they can be cooler to wear since they allow sweat to evaporate more freely from the uncovered buttock area. 'Jock briefs' are another recent fashion development and are a derivative of the jock strap, having a full brief-like front with an uncovered rear buttock area.
Jockstraps were required for wrestling, and weigh-ins would be done in only a jock, or in the nude, for the player to make weight.
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